A new tropical find

Squat, or Sexy Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis)

This tiny shrimp, the Squat, or Sexy Anemone Shrimp is another visitor brought to our shores courtesy of the Eastern Australian Current (EAC to “Finding Nemo” fans).

In their normal environment they inhabit Anemones whose venomous tentacles offer them protection from fishy predators. In the absence of appropriate hosts this little fellow has taken home in a coral (Pocillopora aliciae), another visitor who has made the aquatic reserve its permanent home.

A Flurry of Flathead!

Dusky flathead

Marbled Flathead (Platycephalus marmoratus)

Blue Spotted Flathead (Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus)

Tassel-snouted Flathead (Thysanophyrs cirronasus)

Dusky flathead tail

Blue spotted flathead

Whilst I’m not sure “Flurry” is the correct collective noun for Flathead, they were certainly abundant this weekend, from small sand-burying Marble Flathead to the Blue-spotted and monster female Dusky Flathead. The latter can grow up to 1m long. The only species I didn’t see that frequents the aquatic reserve was the quaintly named Tassle Snouted flathead, masters of disguise. The Latin names for them are equally extravagant – Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus being one of my favourites. It is pretty much much the Latin derivation of their common name “Flathead greenspots” – well almost!

These fish hide in the sand waiting for prey to pass nearby then swallow them whole in a single gulp. When their sandy appearance looks the same the tail spots on the caudal fin are a sure way to differentiate the species, but the more you see them the easier it is to differentiate.

And so the summer fades….

Painted Stinkfish

Clarke’s Threefin

Two-tone Dartfish

Threadfin Butterflyfish

Tailor

The end of April usually brings strong southerlies signalling the end of summer. Luckily this year they came a bit late, but the water has chilled to 19 degrees already and many of the tropical visitors have died already.

As the water slowly cools, algae dies off and the water clarity should improve giving the best visibility of the year.

The biomass in the bay still astounds me, and this weekend saw dolphins patrolling the surrounding beaches, probably looking for a feed.

Glorious Goatfish

Blue-striped Goatfish (Upeneichthys lineatus)

Eastern maori wrasse and Black-spot Goatfish hunting for food

Freckled Goatfish (Upeneus tragula)

Australian Goatfish (Upeneus australiae)

Blue-striped Goatfish (Upeneichthys lineatus)

Black-spot Goatfish (Parupeneus spilurus)

Yellowfin Goatfish (Mulloidichthys vanicolensis)

There are some ten different species of goatfish that can be found in Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, some are tropical visitors but there are also quite a number of resident species too. As horrific winds blew from the west and south all weekend, prompting weather warnings all along the coast, the bay was flat and visibility 10+ metres, so diving was beckoning.

The goatfish are quite amusing fish to watch as they patrol around usually in shoals, sifting the sand with their two barbels below the mouth. These flexible protrusions work prolifically looking for food particles. Often individual adults will be seen with an eastern maori wrasse, the latter opportunistically waiting for a morsel to be dislodged or flushed out, as the goatfish does his work.

Diving in May

Juvenile Common Lionfish

Eastern Blue Devilfish

Sunset Wrasse

Starry Toadfish (Arothron firmamentum)

Bicolour Fangblenny

Forceps fish

Moorish Idol

Cigar Wrasse

Gold-lined Goatfish

This time of year is my favourite for diving. The algae that makes the water green throughout summer starts to die off as the sunlight diminishes approaching winter. The water remains warm, around 20 degrees for a while and this brings Westerly winds that help calm perfect diving conditions.

This weekend was one of those perfect moments to dive and a couple of dives were rewarded with some great finds.

The Gold-lined Goatfish and Forceps fish are rare tropical visitors, but the stars of the weekend were a small group of Starry Toadfish blowing the sand, looking for food.

A very sick Weedy Seadragon floated over the sand, its skin looking infected, and the poor thing visibly flinched when the strobe of my flash went off. I never take more than 5 shots of this species anymore due to their sensitivity to stress, so after a couple of identification shots of the snout spots my buddy Matt and I quickly left it in peace.

Other great finds included a juvenile Common Lionfish, a Cigar Wrasse, Bicolour Fangblenny and a magnificent Eastern Blue Devilfish.