a fish and a worm in Caribbean

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

scubasully

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
150
Reaction score
0
Location
Colorado
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi all,
Out for a snorkel yesterday on St. Kitts, and saw a fish and a worm I can't identify:

I see this fish all the time, but while I think of it as being a mottled mojarra, the silvery color in the Humann book doesn't match up to the reality of the fish's color, which is very accurate in photo. However, the behavior described in Humann book is spot on. They swim in the shallows over the sand or rocky bottom, and they hover. Looks kind of like a croaker, too, but the behavior of fish doesn't correlate with book. Also, the black mark on the eye makes me think mottled mojarra. Any ideas?

Here are two pics of the worm:

Pic One:

Pic two:


The yellow worm - I see them all the time diving in St. Kitts as well as snorkeling, but can't find anything similar in Humann creature book. It looks like a social feather duster who has turned anti-social, as they're always alone.
Sorry for the crap photos. Looked good in the viewfinder at the time.

Thanks for your help!
Maureen
 
Hi Maureen

I would agree with your Mottled Mejora... again the marking on the eye gives that the edge.

The worm however, is at an akward angle, but it does seem to resemble the Yellow Fanworm (Notaulax occidentalis).
Hope this helps.
Adam
 
I thought the yellow fanworm had a dark band around it. I don't have my book with me now - darn.

this has no band, and it looks thicker than what I'm remembering the fanworm to be.



Ok - good. I'm glad it looks like a mottled mojarra to someone else.
 

Back
Top Bottom