Blue Heron Bridge Trolls III

[Scuba_Jenny]

Thanks @Scuba_Jenny. As stated in my previous post I’d already come to that conclusion. You have definitely confirmed my beliefs. Now that I’m almost halfway through my seventh decade I’m tending to slow down anyway. In fact, my next trip will probably involve finding one likely patch reef and spending my dive examining it in excruciating detail. I’ve been wanting to go back to some close up work anyway.

Back in my early days with Nikonos V about (1995 or so) I picked up a cheap add on close up lens. I made one or two very fruitful dives and got some really nice pictures, but then I caught big-fish-itis and put that lens aside never to use it again. Now I’m older and wiser (or maybe just slower) and getting up close and personal is more attractive once again!

Thanks again!

My new best friend.. or should I say my buddies best friend? We picked these up this summer.. and wow!!! much fun! My buddy can't see the tiny stuff, and used to say she would wait for my photos. All that's changed now!

 

[tarponchik]

I am surprised nobody posted pictures of this guy:

 

[NitroxSam]

What is that?

 

[tarponchik]

What is that?

Web Burrfish, cute little guy.

 

[Green Frog]

Wow!! Back in the day, Paul Humann in his definitive guide books described that guy as “uncommon to rare in Florida…” and more common further South in the Caribbean. Do you see them often? How big do they get there? What types and depths of locale do they favor? “Inquiring minds…”
thanks ~

PS Could he be a Striped Burrfish maybe? They tend to be more common on the FL coasts. They tend to be smaller, only 4-8 inches.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

They are not common, per se. At the bridge, I see them every so often and yet seldom enough that I usually try to get a shot. Out on the reef, beach diving locally, I see them once every dozen dives or so.

 

[tarponchik]

Wow!! Back in the day, Paul Humann in his definitive guide books described that guy as “uncommon to rare in Florida…” and more common further South in the Caribbean. Do you see them often? How big do they get there? What types and depths of locale do they favor? “Inquiring minds…”
thanks ~

PS Could he be a Striped Burrfish maybe? They tend to be more common on the FL coasts. They tend to be smaller, only 4-8 inches.

A.K.A. Striped Burrfish and some other names. I searched and found out that I've never photographed one in the Caribbean, only in Florida. This includes BHB, Dania Erojacks, and Ocean Reef Park off Singer Island.

 

[Green Frog]

@tarponchik and @Scuba_Jenny, how big are they, 4-8” or 6-12”. The ones from the Southern Caribbean tend be in the larger size range at maturity and are a different species, with more subdued and irregular stripes or bands, Either way, they’re neat little fish and worth the extra effort to find and photograph.


PS My dive master at Stuart Cove’s saw this little guy on one of our dives and borrowed my camera to get me a couple of shots of him. According to Humann, he is very rare there.

 

[Green Frog]

Just another thought after I typed this last… I wonder whether the warming water is changing the ranges of these species since my reference was written about 30 years ago(?)

 

[scubadada]

I believe @tarponchik photos are a striped burrfish. The web burfish has a different pattern.

I think @Green Frog photo is a balloonfish