DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #783: WITCH's HALLOWEEN FISH!
Seeing is believing... and I've seen MANY species of algae, invertebrates and fish over my nearly 50 years diving in SoCal. After giving a talk before the South Orange County Dive Club recently, my granddaughter Allison asked "Papa Bill" how many species he had seen. That question caught me for a loop as I have no idea how many I've seen here and diving around the world.
One species I know I haven't seen is the subject of this week's column. I'm referring to a true member of the grouper family, Epinephelidae... the broomtail grouper (Mycteroperca xenarcha). So if I've never seen it, how can I write about it? Well, I know people who have never seen the planet Uranus or the core of our own Planet Ocean, yet they write about them. I'm fortunate to have friends who have seen it and information provided by fish experts such as Dr. Milton Love.
In fact, this column was triggered by a message on Facebook from dive instructor Jay Suzuki. He sent a picture of a large fish and wasn't sure of its identity. From the picture I suggested it was a broomtail, but I couldn't be 100% sure without seeing the tail. Later I noticed Jay had sent two other pictures, one with a clear depiction of the tail that cinched the ID. Hmmm... it's inching closer to Halloween, so I wonder if there are mermaid witches riding these fish around underwater?
Broomtails were once recorded from as far north as San Francisco down into the Sea of Cortez and as far south as Peru with one specimen reported from the Galapagos. The one caught up north may have lost its way (no GPS back then) and the one in the Galapagos may actually have been taken off Peru. Sadly their numbers have been greatly diminished by commercial fishers and spearfishers. They were sold in California markets into the 1940s but possession of them today, even if caught in Mexico, is prohibited in California. Its relative, the Gulf grouper (Mycteroperca jordani) is likewise protected.
These large fish reach a length of nearly five feet and a maximum weight of about 120 pounds although Dr. Love indicates some may hit the scales at 200 pounds. Time for Jenny Craig! The lower jaw projects beyond the upper and both have sharp canine teeth in front (just like mine). The dorsal fin is continuous rather than being nearly separated into a spiny forward fin that is often retracted and a ray-based rear dorsal. Of course one of the best diagnostic features is the caudal or tail fin with many of its rays projecting beyond the membrane. The body is light brown in color with darker brown blotches.
Very little is known about the species. Breeding aggregations in the Sea of Cortez have been largely decimated by fishing pressure and few are left as of the beginning of this century. The small population in SoCal has also decreased substantially. However, my friend Jay reported seeing several over in mainland waters. Maybe the protections enacted in our state during the 1950s, including prohibiting the possession of fish here that were caught in Mexican waters, are working.
The breeding aggregations in Mexican waters apparently peaked in April during the full moon. I think that adds further intrigue to this species as a Halloween fish! Youngsters live in shallow mangrove areas down south and in bays and estuaries. The older generation prefers rocky bottoms and may be found as deep as 230 fsw. That's past my maximum diving depth by a bit. Dr. Love states they may live to the ripe old age of 36 years (if only I could remember way back then).
Sadly this is one species I may never observe (along with millions of others around the world). I can barely do a dive in our local dive park, much less along the wave-exposed mainland coast. Perhaps if I'm reincarnated as a great white shark in a future life, I'll encounter one. I just hope that if I do, I respect the California state laws protecting the species!
© 2018 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of over 775 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page
Image caption: Broomtail grouper tail (courtesy of Mexfish.com) and image of fish by Kevin Lee; two images by Jay Suzuki (processed to show more detail in the fish).
Seeing is believing... and I've seen MANY species of algae, invertebrates and fish over my nearly 50 years diving in SoCal. After giving a talk before the South Orange County Dive Club recently, my granddaughter Allison asked "Papa Bill" how many species he had seen. That question caught me for a loop as I have no idea how many I've seen here and diving around the world.
One species I know I haven't seen is the subject of this week's column. I'm referring to a true member of the grouper family, Epinephelidae... the broomtail grouper (Mycteroperca xenarcha). So if I've never seen it, how can I write about it? Well, I know people who have never seen the planet Uranus or the core of our own Planet Ocean, yet they write about them. I'm fortunate to have friends who have seen it and information provided by fish experts such as Dr. Milton Love.
In fact, this column was triggered by a message on Facebook from dive instructor Jay Suzuki. He sent a picture of a large fish and wasn't sure of its identity. From the picture I suggested it was a broomtail, but I couldn't be 100% sure without seeing the tail. Later I noticed Jay had sent two other pictures, one with a clear depiction of the tail that cinched the ID. Hmmm... it's inching closer to Halloween, so I wonder if there are mermaid witches riding these fish around underwater?
Broomtails were once recorded from as far north as San Francisco down into the Sea of Cortez and as far south as Peru with one specimen reported from the Galapagos. The one caught up north may have lost its way (no GPS back then) and the one in the Galapagos may actually have been taken off Peru. Sadly their numbers have been greatly diminished by commercial fishers and spearfishers. They were sold in California markets into the 1940s but possession of them today, even if caught in Mexico, is prohibited in California. Its relative, the Gulf grouper (Mycteroperca jordani) is likewise protected.
These large fish reach a length of nearly five feet and a maximum weight of about 120 pounds although Dr. Love indicates some may hit the scales at 200 pounds. Time for Jenny Craig! The lower jaw projects beyond the upper and both have sharp canine teeth in front (just like mine). The dorsal fin is continuous rather than being nearly separated into a spiny forward fin that is often retracted and a ray-based rear dorsal. Of course one of the best diagnostic features is the caudal or tail fin with many of its rays projecting beyond the membrane. The body is light brown in color with darker brown blotches.
Very little is known about the species. Breeding aggregations in the Sea of Cortez have been largely decimated by fishing pressure and few are left as of the beginning of this century. The small population in SoCal has also decreased substantially. However, my friend Jay reported seeing several over in mainland waters. Maybe the protections enacted in our state during the 1950s, including prohibiting the possession of fish here that were caught in Mexican waters, are working.
The breeding aggregations in Mexican waters apparently peaked in April during the full moon. I think that adds further intrigue to this species as a Halloween fish! Youngsters live in shallow mangrove areas down south and in bays and estuaries. The older generation prefers rocky bottoms and may be found as deep as 230 fsw. That's past my maximum diving depth by a bit. Dr. Love states they may live to the ripe old age of 36 years (if only I could remember way back then).
Sadly this is one species I may never observe (along with millions of others around the world). I can barely do a dive in our local dive park, much less along the wave-exposed mainland coast. Perhaps if I'm reincarnated as a great white shark in a future life, I'll encounter one. I just hope that if I do, I respect the California state laws protecting the species!
© 2018 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of over 775 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page
Image caption: Broomtail grouper tail (courtesy of Mexfish.com) and image of fish by Kevin Lee; two images by Jay Suzuki (processed to show more detail in the fish).
