The Glasseye Snapper; Grumpy Loner of the Reef

The Glasseye Snapper (Heteropriacantus cruentatus) is not a true snapper at all. Most snapper fit into the genus Lujantus with a few exceptions, but all these fish have the same general body shape, habits and behavior. The Glasseye Snapper, on the other hand, looks and behaves much more like a squirrel or soldierfish, or the even more elusive Bigeye (Priacantus arentus), which it certainly looks a great deal like but is also not related to in any way. Fish that look similar and occupy the same habitats are, more often than not, not related by genus and/or species but have developed under concurrent or parallel evolution; developing many of the same characteristics over the millennia, as they have filled the same niche.

The Glasseye is a largely noctural fish and so its body is red and its eyes are large. It is very hard to see red in low light. It is the first color to disappear at depth – in fact, it disappears within the first fifteen feet. This makes the Glasseye’s job of being cryptic, whether hunting or hiding, much easier. Obviously, the bigger the eye the easier to see others in the dark. Often, as you are swimming along on your dive you will happen upon a Glasseye tucked under a coral head or behind a sponge looking rather grumpy with an underslung jaw, always alone and seeming to prefer it that way. The other “red, big-eyed fish” (Squirrel & Soldierfish) will sometimes be alone and sometimes be in small polarized schools, but our Glasseye is a true loner.

As mentioned, the Glasseye Snapper is much more commonly seen than the very similar Bigeye and can be distinguished from it by wavy, broken-up, and sometimes very faint, silvery, body bars that the Bigeye will never have. The Glasseye also has a shorter body and prefers shallower water and is therefore more frequently seen by divers. During the day, the Glasseye will be found peering out at you from a safe distance cautious but curious, and always looking grumpy.

The Glasseye is a great fish for the beginning underwater photographer, as they are always stationary and looking right at you. Shots one and two show the right and left lateral views of two different fish, showing just how much bounce you can get from your strobes (even at a low setting) due to the unusually reflective quality of the fish’s scales. The third shot in three quarter view with the fish’s body running from bottom left to top right and the eye framed by the rope sponge is, in my opinion, a superior shot for its composition and the story it tells. Always keep your eye pealed for the different or atypical shot. Knowing as much as you can about an animal’s behavior, habits and habitat will alert you to when you’re seeing something unusual can make the difference between a good shot and a great shot. And the next time you swim by a Glasseye Snapper on your favorite Caribbean coral reef, wave “hello” or snap a shot. He may look grumpy but I’m sure, deep down, he’ll appreciate the gesture.

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By: Jonathan Lavan

Jonathan Lavan: The owner/operator of Underpressure Diving & Nature Photography is a citizen scientist and wildlife expert and has been SCUBA Diving for thirty years and taking photographs both above and below the water for about 10. He was pleased to have been made Volunteer of the Year for 2012 by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. As a SCUBA Diver he has been a photographer, teacher and research associate for many different organizations.He is a staunch environmentalist and educator of young people. Jonathan is committed to making a difference on this planet through his images and his message of good will to all creatures. www.underpressurephotog.com.

The post Caribbean Creature Feature: The Glasseye Snapper first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The Opportunistic Omnivores – 

There are Goatfish in all warm water oceans and some temperate waters as well. In the Caribbean we find the Spotted Goatfish, the Red Goatfish, the Dwarf Goatfish (seldom seen) and the Yellow Goatfish that we will be looking at today. Not unlike the barnyard animal that is their namesake, Yellow Goatfish will eat just about anything. This is always a good strategy when trying to survive, and while the sand flats may be where you tend to find Yellow Goatfish, they will often explore all areas of the reef in search of food. Typically, you see smaller schools of larger adults sifting through the sand with their barbels (chin whiskers), a single fish shadow feeding (two different species) or nuclear hunting (three or more species) with other kinds of fish. In Bonaire, where photos 1 & 2 were taken, there seems to be a preponderance of schooling juveniles exploring the upper part of the reef, and during my trip I never saw them feeding in the sand like their adult counterparts, which is unusual.

From the “neck” down Yellow Goatfish look exactly like Yellowtailed Snappers, but there is little room for confusion if you compare their faces. Yellowtailed Snapper have the typical fish face – pointed snout and a small eye. Yellow Goatfish on the other hand, have what can only be termed a schnozolla – a large, prominent nose, a much larger red eye and those unforgettable barbels on their chin. These chin whiskers are a major sensory organ of touch for the Yellow Goatfish and you will see them constantly wiggling them across the ground or through the sand in search of any type of food they can find. If you’re lucky, you may also see two of them approach each other head to head and wiggle their barbels together as if shaking hands Yellow Goatfish style!

Our last photo is fairly unusual. Here we see a Yellow Goatfish infiltrating a school of Tomtate Grunts. Notice also that it is wearing its night colors. Many fish will change color or pattern at night to aid in protective camouflage. Red is a particularly good color as it is almost invisible in the dark. That is why many nocturnal fish are red, including Squirrel, Soldier and Cardinalfish.  But back to our Goatfish. It’s swimming around in brightly sunlit water at midday, so why is this fish in the middle of a school of a different species wearing its pajamas? Does it think like a small child covering its face with its hands that it can’t be seen? Does it think it’s “making a hole in the water”? Only the Yellow Goatfish knows for sure.

When they are not feeding, which tends to be quite a quick activity, Goatfish will often drift around in large lazy schools or aggregations over the sand or nearby reefs. This gives the beginner or intermediate photographer a good opportunity to get some good shots. As always, start shooting on the approach but no farther away than four feet or so. In conclusion, the fish that you see on every dive during your liveaboard trip and perhaps take for granted or barely notice, can be one of the more interesting and charismatic fish swimming around your favorite Caribbean coral reef.

By: Jonathan Lavan

Jonathan Lavan: The owner/operator of Underpressure Diving & Nature Photography is a citizen scientist and wildlife expert and has been SCUBA Diving for thirty years and taking photographs both above and below the water for about 10. He was pleased to have been made Volunteer of the Year for 2012 by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. As a SCUBA Diver he has been a photographer, teacher and research associate for many different organizations.He is a staunch environmentalist and educator of young people. Jonathan is committed to making a difference on this planet through his images and his message of good will to all creatures. www.underpressurephotog.com.

The post Caribbean Creature Feature: Yellow Goatfish first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The Bumble Bees of the Reef – 

This month we look at the Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) [gaster meaning belly and rostratus meaning long-snouted]. The Sharpnose is one of the most frequently seen pufferfish on the reef and a favorite of many divers for their hovering and curious, although slightly timid, behavior. With its well-rounded body and the fluttering action of its rear placed dorsal, anal and particularly its pectoral fins, the Sharpnose truly looks like a bumble bee visiting the garden. All Puffer/Porcupinefish have the unique and marvelous defense of being able to inflate themselves with water, ballooning to many times their original size. Growing to a maximum length of 4.5 inches, the larger inflated size can make the difference between becoming lunch and not becoming lunch for the diminutive Sharpnose.

Usually solitary but inquisitive, they will be seen buzzing around the reef on virtually all Caribbean dives. In the above photograph, taken at the Blue Heron Bridge, we see the typical solitary Sharpnose, perhaps checking out its reflection in the camera’s flat port. Note how variable the color and pattern can be among this species. Sharpnoses are virtually unique among puffers for their pointed snouts, and the only other Caribbean pufferfish they might be confused with is the Goldfaced Toby (Canthigaster jamestyleri), which is a close cousin.

Misidentification, however, is unlikely for two reasons: first, Sharpnose Puffers rarely range below fifty feet, while the Goldface Toby ranges to three hundred feet and is generally found well below recreational dive limits, and as a result is seldom seen. The second reason is simply a question of body markings: Sharpnose will always have a dark border on the top and bottom of their caudal (tail) fin while the Goldface Toby will not.

I am often asked: “what is the difference between a ‘Puffer’ and a ‘Porcupine’ (also ‘Burr’) fish”. Porcupine (spines lay flat unless inflated) and Burrfish (spines always erect) have true spines while Pufferfish like our Sharpnose have much smaller spines called spinules that are generally found only on the abdomen and lower head rather than covering the entire body.

In our three group photos we see some unique Sharpnose behavior. There are three Sharpnose circling around each other and exhibiting bright, dynamic colors and markings. I took these shots in Cozumel, and it was the first and last time I was lucky enough to witness this behavior. This was undoubtedly some sort of precursor to mating, however other than zooming around each other in little circles for an extended period of time, no other specific behavior was witnessed – but boy was it fun to watch.

As mentioned earlier, these fish tend to be a bit shy but inquisitive, so they are usually easily approached, making them a perfect subject for the beginner to intermediate underwater photographer. Always remember to start shooting on the approach, within four feet of the subject, and just keep shuttering as you move in. It is always fun to personify fish with all their quirky behaviors and habits, and the Sharpnose Pufferfish is definitely up there as one of the cutest fish to watch and enjoy on the reefs of the greater Caribbean.

By: Jonathan Lavan

Jonathan Lavan: The owner/operator of Underpressure Diving & Nature Photography is a citizen scientist and wildlife expert and has been SCUBA Diving for thirty years and taking photographs both above and below the water for about 10. He was pleased to have been made Volunteer of the Year for 2012 by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. As a SCUBA Diver he has been a photographer, teacher and research associate for many different organizations.He is a staunch environmentalist and educator of young people. Jonathan is committed to making a difference on this planet through his images and his message of good will to all creatures. www.underpressurephotog.com.

The post Caribbean Creature Feature: Sharpnose Pufferfish first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Not What You Think They Are!

Some of the most visible, photogenic and beautiful creatures on the reef, Flamingo Tongues are snails (specifically Cyphona gibbosum in the phylum Mollusca (Mollusk) meaning “soft body” and the class Gastropoda (Gastropod) meaning “stomach foot”).

Most gastropods have the typical spiral-like shell we envision when we think of shells, while Flamingo Tongues and kin have a shell more reminiscent of a tongue being curled into a “c” shape. Many beginner shell collectors have taken the beautiful Flamingo Tongue shell only to find upon the death of the animal that the shell is a plain, uniform white color. The beautiful leopard-spotted pattern is the mantle, which is part of the animal’s foot and is extended out of the shell slit from both sides to cover the shell and act as camouflage. It can be extended and retracted at will. If you look carefully at the photo above you can clearly see both sides of the mantle where they have extended over the shell. You can also see the siphon at the top, used for breathing and the antennae, used for sensing food and predators. The end of the walking foot can be seen at the bottom of the shell.

Flamingo Tongues feed on gorgonians like Sea Fans and will be found in many different Caribbean habitats wherever gorgonians are present. In the second photo we find several Flamingo Tongues mating. During the breeding cycle you will find one or more males linking with the female in an attempt to mate. As you can see, the female must retract her mantle in order for the male to gain proper access. Once the eggs are fertilized the female will lay them on an exposed area of the gorgonian (photo 3) which has been made bare by the Flamingo Tongue’s radula (scraping tongue) while feeding. The eggs will hatch after approximately a week and half. The young are planktonic (feeding in the water column) for an undetermined amount of time and then will settle on the nearest gorgonian. Often, like many sea creatures, current and weather conditions may take planktonic Flamingo Tongues many miles from their birthplace.

For the beginning underwater photographer the Flamingo Tongue is the perfect subject. Stationary, colorful and almost always in ample light, it makes a great subject to spend some time shooting. Like many common names, it is not known why the Flamingo Tongue is called a Flamingo Tongue. It looks nothing like a flamingo or its tongue. Jaguar Snail would seem more appropriate as the spots are very reminiscent of a jaguar or leopard. It’s a cool name none the less, and yet another beautiful creature to be admired on a sunny day on the Caribbean coral reef.

By: Jonathan Lavan

Jonathan Lavan: The owner/operator of Underpressure Diving & Nature Photography is a citizen scientist and wildlife expert and has been SCUBA Diving for thirty years and taking photographs both above and below the water for about 10. He was pleased to have been made Volunteer of the Year for 2012 by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. As a SCUBA Diver he has been a photographer, teacher and research associate for many different organizations.He is a staunch environmentalist and educator of young people. Jonathan is committed to making a difference on this planet through his images and his message of good will to all creatures. www.underpressurephotog.com.

The post Caribbean Creature Feature: Flamingo Tongues first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.