A small group of brassy chubs catches the sun as it pootles about just below the water’s surface,
Category Archives: Fish
Yellowfin goatfish
Yellowfin goatfish, like the very similar looking square-spot goatfish, are adherents to the theory that there’s safety in numbers. Younger fish, such as the ones in the photo, tend to meander around in clumps in shallow water. This group are looking suspiciously at a yellow tang.
Fish feeding
Another post based on the theme of this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, which is ‘Silence.’
It’s not unusual to see fish feeding while snorkeling, but on this day the numbers doing so, up near the surface, were large. These are mostly Hawaiian sergeants and black triggerfish, with a few indo-pacific sergeants amongst them.
By easing myself slowly toward them, they weren’t unduly concerned, parting as I got close and returning as I passed. I felt like I was swimming in an aquarium, a quiet environment without the usual noises of everyday life.
Crocodile needlefish
Crocodile needlefish are big enough that I sometimes mistake them for barracudas when I first see them. Like many of the different needlefish I see, they have a tendency to swim in circles around me when I encounter them.
On this day, I came on a largish shoal of crocodile needlefish milling about on the edge of a shallow area of the reef. The water was relatively clear and the sun illuminated them in such a way that their blue and silver sides shone quite beautifully.
Abstracts: Koi in Lily Lake
Lily Lake, in the grounds of Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, is a tranquil spot which I particularly enjoy for the reflections it provides. On my last visit, the koi in the lake made an appearance and added to the spectacle. As I moved back and forth, on the walkway alongside the lake, the koi followed, clearly hoping I was about to throw a little food their way.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
Little fish hoping to grow
Along the Kona coast, there are several ponds a little way inshore. These are anchialine ponds containing a mix of freshwater and saltwater. The freshwater comes from a mix of rain, runoff, and the occasional spring. The saltwater intrudes from cracks in the lava.
These ponds often harbor a mix of wildlife from birds and bugs to the tiny fish in this photo. I’m not sure what these fish are, in one such pond at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, but the ponds offer a relatively safe place to start out life. However, they will need to make their way to the sea before they grow too big to escape the pond. Once there, survival will become a chancier thing.
For more information about Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, go to bigislandhikes.com/kaloko-honokohau-park/.
Sriracha the Bengal tiger
This week’s WordPress photo challenge is to choose your favorite photo taken in 2017. I’m going with a photo that I haven’t posted before (though below I offer a few of my favorites that have run).
This is Sriracha, a female Bengal tiger and cousin of Tzatziki, a white male tiger. Both can be found at Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo. What I like about this photo is those huge paws, the quiet movement, and the sense of great power that could be uncoiled at any moment.
For more information about Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens, go to hilozoo.org.
As far as favorite photos already posted are concerned, I offer a few here:
Top. A gold dust day gecko drinking from a bird of paradise flower is a blaze of color (posted here).
Second. This photo captures the awesome spectacle of the lava firehose from Kilauea Volcano pouring into the ocean (posted here). Currently, while the flow is still active, lava is no longer entering the ocean.
Third. I was happy to snap the moment a passion vine butterfly laid an egg (posted here). This was taken on the same day as the gecko photo above, so a banner day for me.
Fourth. I like all the photos in this post for their color and how they capture something of this most Hawaiian of dance (posted here).
Finally, I love this gargantuan blenny for its name, and was very pleased to get this photo, since the fish is apt to dart away and the shallow water was rocking (posted here).
Bluefin trevally and whitemouth moray eel hunting
There are a fair number of predatory fish in Hawaii, that eat other, smaller fish. These fish have a variety of hunting strategies, everything from ambush to outpacing their prey. Some fish team up with other predators.
Fish that employ this latter strategy include various goatfish and bluefin trevallies. These fish often accompany each other on hunts, but either or both can also be seen with other predators including eels and octopuses.
I followed this bluefin trevally and whitemouth moray eel for a few minutes and didn’t see them catch anything, but they were definitely traveling together. If the eel hung out for a while under a ledge, as they like to do, the trevally would hang around, passing back and forth or circling the spot.
This tendency is actually helpful for spotting eels and particularly octopuses. Several times I’ve seen a goatfish or two milling around a rock for no apparent reason, so I’ve waited and watched. Sure enough an eel pops its head out or, better still, the rock turns out, on careful examination, to be mostly octopus.
There you go, an actual useful tip for snorkelers.
Graham's Island 