This Banded Urchin is one that actually looks like its name. The most common long-spined urchin here, it’s generally a uniform dull black. Long-spined urchins provide a refuge for small fish, such as the Bright-eye Damselfish seen scooting for cover here.
In the water yesterday, my wife and I had already seen a small turtle, when this pod of Spinner Dolphins suddenly appeared in the somewhat hazy water. Often, dolphin pods travel fast, but are spread out, with mothers and calves bringing up the rear. This one was moving slower, but tightly bunched. I reckon there were at least 40 or 50 in the pod, and in a few minutes they had all gone by, heading south.
A dolphin encounter is always a highlight of any swim, but conditions were so nice, we carried on across the bay. When we turned to head back in, I saw two turtles, almost directly below me, swimming around in a tight circle. When one headed away, the other followed and the circling resumed. I don’t know what they were up to, but they were still doing this routine when we left them.
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 133. Captions are on the photos.
You can see more responses here.
This Spotted Pufferfish was in the open when I first saw it, but it quickly disappeared under a ledge before I got a photo. I waited though, and sure enough, it couldn’t resist a peek to see if I’d gone.
Saddleback Butterflyfish are easily identified with their bold and colorful markings. They’re almost always seen in pairs, and have a fairly wide range when it comes to the depths of water they inhabit. They feed mostly on coral polyps and, like Yellow Tangs, don’t do well in captivity.
First time I’ve noticed this in downtown Hawi. That means it’s either new, or my powers of observation are continuing their steady decline! The fish doesn’t seem to be associated with any kind of business. It’s just there for decoration. Maybe that’s why it looks so angry.
Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card photo challenge. See more responses here.
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 131.
You can see more responses here.
When I was down at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park recently, I noticed, possibly for the first time, these circles in some of the fishponds. They are the nests of male Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). The males hope to entice a female into laying her eggs in their nest, after which the male will fertilize them.
Tilapia were introduced to the fishponds to control mosquitoes, but like many such ideas, they have proved detrimental to the well-being of native species. Currently, efforts are underway to remove them from the ponds.
For more information about Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm
