The Hawaiian Whitespotted Toby is a small pufferfish that’s endemic to Hawaii. Like many small fish, and juveniles of larger fish, they will use the quills of sea urchins to shelter from predators. Not that tobies need too much help. When attacked they inflate themselves like a balloon, making them hard to swallow. In addition, this toby secretes a nasty skin toxin which will deter most predators.
A Bluestripe Butterflyfish probes for food in the neighborhood of a Collector Urchin.
I just liked the expression of this endemic Hawaiian Dascyllus!
I saw this Fivestripe Wrasse just before I got out of the water recently. This one seemed a little redder than the ones I usually see, which have magenta markings, though I don’t see them that often as they’re not especially common.
Today marks the start of the last week of this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here. The ocean is full of oddities so I thought I’d include a few here.
Above: A Manta Ray encounter is always something special, but there’s no getting away from their odd appearance. This one has the added wrinkle of one of its cephalic flaps being damaged.
Top left: Bluespine Unicornfishes not only have a horn protruding from their foreheads, they have dayglow blue scalpels at the base of the tail and an array of expressions that are mostly odd.
Top right: Who knows how many scorpionfishes I’ve swum past? Masters of disguise, I could stare at a spot where one is perched and not see it. Even when I do see one, it’s not always clear that it’s not just a rock, as this Titan Scorpionfish illustrates.
Bottom left: Nudibranches are inherently odd looking, and this Clumpy Nudibrach is no exception. It suggests to me some top chef’s idea of an exotic entrée, but one that keeps sliding off the plate!
Bottom right: Blennies are indisputably odd, but absolutely endearing. The Hawaiian Zebra Blenny is no exception and, in addition, has an uncanny ability to launch itself into the next tidepool if someone disturbs it.
Following of from yesterday’s possibly arty post, today I offer a photo of a Scrawled Filefish. Not only is this fish odd to look at, with its protruding mouth and very long tail fin, but it’s also covered in abstract scrawls which are quite beautiful when the light catches them right. It’s a moving abstract painting, but whereas well known abstract artists go for millions, Scrawled Filefish probably go for $3.99 a pound.
Posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.
This month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme is ‘Odd.’ (See more responses here.) I have resisted the temptation to post 28 selfies, which will be a relief to everyone, including me. Instead, I start with a favorite fish of mine, the odd-looking Threadfin Jack juvenile.
The key word here is ‘juvenile,’ because when Threadfin Jacks mature, they end up looking like creatures that could provide security at a Beyoncé concert. But as juveniles, they sport a little diamond body, silvery with black bars, and an extravagant array of trailing filaments. This appearance is intended to mimic jellyfish, which was my assumption when I first saw one.
I used to see these regularly, but in the last couple of years I’ve only seen one pair, and that only for a fleeting moment. Not sure if that’s to do with changing conditions or that I’m missing them in the murkier water that prevails these days.
A Snowflake Moray Eel slides over the rocky bottom off the coast of North Kohala.
Graham's Island 