Blue Heron Bridge Trolls

[Scuba_Jenny]

From Ben Victor:


"Yes, I think the knee jerk “long-plume equals plumed” is wrong.. several species can develop very long plumes (why should a plume length matter so much, since other growths don’t).


I am thinking that most of them, perhaps all three of these, are barbfish. Two characters lead me toward that- the brown spots on the chest are classic for them and they often have a yellow or orange wash on the nape- and the two juveniles seem to be trying to do that.

The true plumed may be only a Caribbean grassbed species."

And Ben added later:

"Checked some museum collections- and supposedly both brasiliensis and grandicornis are common in the Intracoastal Waterway- so I guess some of those are grandicornis. Needs checking with DNA."

I had mentioned to him in my inquiry that most all the fish that I had called "plumed" had been "downgraded" to barbfish. Turns out that I ain't no good at checking DNA's.

--

Ok, now I'm confused..

 

[MrChen]

I think he means parking in the trailer area and getting a parking ticket.

 

[mntlblok]

Ok so now I'm confused. First he thought they were all barbfish but now thinks they were maybe spotted or maybe plumed? Aren't we back where we started? Or is it just me and my monkey-fried brain?

My sense is that he thinks they're all likely barbfish at one stage of development or another. He initially opined that the "plumed" don't show up in these parts, but found out otherwise and emailed me again to report same. I *do* love them monkeys.

I've asked Rob Myers about various scorpionfish ID's in the past and he felt like most all of them (which I had thought were "plumed") were actually barbfish. I also recall that he pointed out that some of the mushroom scorpionfish don't have the little "danglies" hanging down over the eyeballs. Bottom line is that i mostly don't even try to ID scorpionfish on my own anymore.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

Yeah, I've paid the parking fee, which as I last remember was like 10 bucks I think, to park where the vehicles with boat trailers park. I can't stand driving around in circles looking for parking.

I like it when the high tide is pretty early in the morning on the weekends, not many folks are there yet.

 

[mntlblok]

Yeah, I've paid the parking fee, which as I last remember was like 10 bucks I think, to park where the vehicles with boat trailers park. I can't stand driving around in circles looking for parking.

I like it when the high tide is pretty early in the morning on the weekends, not many folks are there yet.

So, there's a place to make that payment. Where dat be?

 

[EL Pistoffo]

So, there's a place to make that payment. Where dat be?

There is a envelope dispenser near the boat ramps where you grab an envelope and put the money inside. You write you car info on the outside and then drop it in a slot. I think you tear a tab off of it and put it on your windshield, I might be wrong.

I was surprised by the whole envelope thing, kind of on the honor system. I though that was long dead. There is a phone # you supposed to be able to call to pay for the parking over the phone but that # didn't work when I tried calling.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

:cold: water is back! 71°!!! :cold:
Vis about 35 max, bluish green.. Nothing spectacular to note.. 6 flabellinas, at least 15 lancer dragonets. Those little fish were all over the place! 1 octopus, and a couple cool scorpionfish.. erh, barbfish!

 

[mntlblok]

There is a envelope dispenser near the boat ramps where you grab an envelope and put the money inside. You write you car info on the outside and then drop it in a slot. I think you tear a tab off of it and put it on your windshield, I might be wrong.

I was surprised by the whole envelope thing, kind of on the honor system. I though that was long dead. There is a phone # you supposed to be able to call to pay for the parking over the phone but that # didn't work when I tried calling.

Cool! That could come in handy. I've used that sort of thing at various state parks.

---------- Post added March 24th, 2014 at 07:39 PM ----------

My sense is that he thinks they're all likely barbfish at one stage of development or another. He initially opined that the "plumed" don't show up in these parts, but found out otherwise and emailed me again to report same. I *do* love them monkeys.

I've asked Rob Myers about various scorpionfish ID's in the past and he felt like most all of them (which I had thought were "plumed") were actually barbfish. I also recall that he pointed out that some of the mushroom scorpionfish don't have the little "danglies" hanging down over the eyeballs. Bottom line is that i mostly don't even try to ID scorpionfish on my own anymore.

Well, now a *lot* of us are confused. Just got this from Ross Robertson from the Smithsonian:


Kevin
1 is a baby S plumieri…cant tell for the second one as not enough is visible.

3 looks like an S grandicornis

I would like to use no. 1 as a live juv pic
Ross


"plumeri" is the "spotted". Kind of wondered about that with that pattern on the pectorals, but would never have guessed that the juvi would look so different. Ross would like permission to use it for the Smithsonian iPhone reef fish ID app - and, I suspect, would want a higher resolution pic.

"grandicornis" is the "plumed" that I'd been led to believe didn't show up much around the bridge. I will add, though, that Ross "has" been wrong on occasion, and that the DNA stuff is really the only way to tell for (sorta) sure.

I've recently tried looking into the DNA stuff a bit, and it ain't quite as "perfect" as I'd hoped. They don't actually use the DNA of the fish, but rather the DNA of part of the fish's mitochondria (I *think* I've got that right). Dr. Victor has been *very* helpful with my questions on the subject.

So, Jenny, maybe some of today's cool "barbfish" were, indeed, cool scorpionfish. That's pretty wild about all the dragonets today, too.

---------- Post added March 24th, 2014 at 08:43 PM ----------

A black n white one

An orange and white one

a plumed one

These were "1, 2, and 3"

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Ok.. now that I see and can better reference what you are referring to, it's starting to make sense.
Interesting about the plumed.. as I saw a couple today, and of course didn't shoot any 'cause, well, there were so many of them! LOL... (Ok, I saw 2). What I have learned about the bridge and reef id.. expect to be surprised.. lots of "rare" or "unheard of in this area" are indeed at the bridge..

---------- Post added March 24th, 2014 at 10:39 PM ----------

From today's dive.. seeking diversity.. I mean, who wants to see endless photos of pretty fish? LOL

Been seeing a lot of these guys lately. I believe they are inshore lizardfish. Kind of a sucky photo, but after many attempts (they dart away as soon as I get close with the camera), I got one.. it's a start.. LOL

One of about 15 we saw. Lots of color variations and some were pretty big!

unidentified shrimp. only a couple mm long.

the beautiful barbfish. Guessing at about 8"

Sole?

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Best news I have heard in forever, that the blue water is back!!

Any info on when the upcoming night dive is?

Thanks!