Best of Mike #418

It's a Baloonfish.... so named, because they can inflate themselves, which will raise the spines that cover their body as a protective device.

They are slow swimmers and like to hang out near the bottom in grassy areas, mangroves or on the reef.

They are shy and will retreat to a protective area if approached.

But then they will peak out, with this kind of great smile.... and what always looks to me, like stars in their eyes.

Best of Mikeb #417

This Goldentail Moray has had a very bad day.... at some time in his past.

That dark spot that you see behind it's head.... is the, now healed, spot where something has bitten a chunk out of him.

Best of Mike #416

Here is that Pedersen Cleaner Shrimp as the main subject of a pixture.

They are small (only about 1" long) and mostly transparent so are always and challenge to photograph.

I know that they attract "clients" for their cleaning business by, perching on the edge of the anemone that they live in symbiosis with, and waving their antenna.

But as I mentioned in my last post.... I have never learned how they know they won't become a meal while they are doing their work.

Best of Mike #415

I am always amazed by this kind of cleaning behavior.

The Spotted Moray, who is most definitely a carnivore, allows the Pedersen Clean Shrimp to crawl all over it's body, including into it's mouth.... to clean off the parasites that accumulate on pretty much all creatures under the sea.

There is obviously some kind of "I won't eat you” agreement in place.... but I have never been able to figure out how it is communicated.

Best of Mike #414

Now this guy, is all kinds of fancy with stripes, spots and speckles all over the place.

 He is a Redspotted Hawkfish.

They are kind of small.... typically 2 1/2 - 3 in long.

They like to perch on the bottom and are quite wary or divers.... moving to a new perch if they feel we are in their space. 

Best of Mike #413

This is a Slender Filefish.... and from this angle you can get a good sense of how they got their name.

They like to hang out amongst the gorgonian soft corals.... often floating vertically to align themselves with the coral stalks in order to camouflage themselves.

A slow approach can get you pretty close to these guys.... not because they are brave but because they are very reluctant to leave the safety of their gorgonian.

Best of Mike #412

Like I said a few days ago.... you just can't have too many (or see) too many pixtures of a turtle.

This one is a Green Sea Turtle. 

Best of Mike #411

An Arrowcrab has to pretty much be the definition of gangly.... when you look at them.

But much like a spider, when you see them move.... you are going to change that definition to agile at the very least and quite possibly graceful.

Best of Mike #410

This blob on the bottom is the shell of a Hermit Crab.

Not very interesting at all.... until you notice the two eyeballs.

Peaking out from the bottom on the left side.... to keep an eye on me and make sure I'm not up to any shenanigans.

Best of Mike #409

Really, you just can't have or see too many pixtures of turtles.

 What's with all the cloudy in the water.... you might be asking yourself.

This is one of the many times that we saw these turtles grazing on the sea grasses right off the beach at the Salt Pier in Bonaire.

The water here is only about waste deep and gets pretty stirred up, by the many divers who walk through as they are entering and exiting the water.

But the sea grasses here must be pretty tasty.... as the turtles are not the least bit put off by all those people. 

Best of Mike #408

 

This pixture of a Lionfish gives you a pretty good idea of what their fins can look like.

When they are displayed and waving around in the water currents..... they can be quite hypnotic.

Even beautiful.

Best of Mike #407

This is a Sargent Major.... which you may remember from previous posts, is typically white/grey with black stripes and some yellow highlights along the top of their back.

This one is a male and he has taken on this blue tint because he is guarding their eggs.

The eggs are that purple patch that you see sprayed onto the coral behind him.