It’s a Tube Sponge which makes it one of the reef’s creatures… they most often grow in clusters, joined at the base, just like you see here.
This is my last pixture from last year’s dive trip to Bonaire. So you won’t get anymore weekly posts from me until we have our next (as yet unplanned) scuba adventure.
You are however, more than welcome to spend time with all my previous posts… at mtjboydscuba.blogspot.com
That third dimension, up/down, is a lot harder (pretty much impossible) for us in our natural environment… because we lack the ability to float on air.
But that third dimension of movement is an every day part of life for sea creatures… and, as a result of that, they have adaptations to deal with that.
Take a close look at this Green Sea Turtle’s eye.
I am above and behind him, as I take this pixture, and he has his eye swiveled back and up so that he can watch me.
But such was not the case.
I am quite sure that he is a Blenny… which got me to a particular page in my fish ID book.
But there are three different Blennys shown on that page… all of which could be him but none of which look exactly like him.
After reading and reading-reading the descriptions and behaviors for each, many times… I am going to go out on a limb and say that he is a Seaweed Blenny.
They are sort of scowly… and they definitely lurk or even follow divers as they move about the reef.
And then, there’s that whole opening and closing of the mouth thing.
But all that I read says… that they are motivated by curiosity and the mouth things is to assist their respiration.
There are no reports of unprovoked attacks on divers and the only substantiated incidents involved spearfishing.
I swear, I was not doing anything to warrant this kind of look.
In fact, I believe this was one of the times that I waited patiently… while he went to the surface for a breath of air and then returned to the spot I was at.
Maybe it was his favorite spot… and I am getting the turtle equivalent of “get off my lawn”.
This guy is a Spotted Trunkfish.
They are not fast swimmers but they are very “helicopter like” in their swimming… hovering and moving up, down and sideways with ease.
They will retreat into recesses in the reef’ like you see here, if they are feeling at all uncomfortable with who is nearby.
He will grow up to be even prettier than this… and much prettier than his cousin the French Angelfish.
But at this stage of life they are virtually twins. The only difference being in that yellow band that runs down the center of his face. You will see that this band stops when it gets to the yellow band that encircles his mouth.
On his cousin (the Grey Anglelfish) that band would cross over the circle and touch his lips.
