OK to confront fish/crabs?

[Chavodel8en]

One of my favorite things to do while diving is amateur fish ID and observe fish behavior. After I (and enyone else) get a good look at a fish/crab, I'll try to approach as close as they let me. If they haven't left yet, I will sometimes reach (never touch) for them to see their behavior (will they swim, hide, etc). For crabs, I like to dangle my light in front of them to see if they will display, flee, etc.

My question is: Could this in any way jeopardize the fish/crab? If so, I won't do it, but it seems harmless to me. I never touch them, and I only reach out once to see their reaction, I dont keep bothering them. I wouldn't do it if say the fish is protecting eggs or a nest, I wouldn't reach into a crevice, and I know w/ some fish, the real danger would be to myself. So am I OK or should I stop bothering the fish?

 

[archman]

Um... what you're doing is close-in wildlife observation, with minimal intervention. Heaps and heaps of naturalists, scientists, and photographers do this. In many cases such observations are the ONLY way to document certain behaviors.

Many divers are far less careful with marine life than you. Your concern to post to this board bolsters that. If I have any real advice to give you, it's to take some pictures of the critters you're looking at. Keep doing what you're doing otherwise, and try to rub off on other divers!

 

[sb_diver]

I play with the fish all the time. I don't think it would be detrimental, as long as your not feeding them or touching and harming them I think it'd be okay. I like to play with the gobies when I'm diving sometimes, I do the same thing see how close I can get. I pick up critters sometimes but replace them where I found them and am gentle. Unless I'm picking them up to put them in my game bag for dinner, but thats another topic.

Just my opinion, I haven't heard anything of the contrary here at school and I'm studying marine biology.

Thomas

 

[DORSETBOY]

an unusual example is a wrasse on white rock (Koh Tao), every dive we'd find this same fish that would let us stroke it like a dog or cat, it would even follow us for several mins to ge attention if we tried to swim away.

Of greater concern there re interaction with marine life was the idiots I'd see harrasing triggers, by that I mean deliberatley provoking attacks, even so far as on one example a dm taking a sea urchin and hitting a trigger in the face. Funnily enough KT seems to have an awful lot of trigger attacks.

 

[Allison Finch]

I like to interact with wildlife. I have held my hand next to arrow crabs. They will reach out and touch it (their way of "tasting" it) with their legs. They will often walk onto my hand to further try to taste. The larger ones can actually be felt as their larger pinchers try to grab up tidbits. I just sit there and watch, never hassling them. I've also sat still while cleaner fish give me a once over. You have to be very patient and still. I do not consider it harrassing the wildlife. The interaction is at their own "request".

 

[mweitz]

I like to interact with wildlife. I have held my hand next to arrow crabs. They will reach out and touch it (their way of "tasting" it) with their legs. They will often walk onto my hand to further try to taste. The larger ones can actually be felt as their larger pinchers try to grab up tidbits. I just sit there and watch, never hassling them. I've also sat still while cleaner fish give me a once over. You have to be very patient and still. I do not consider it harrassing the wildlife. The interaction is at their own "request".

The cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) in my tanks (uh, aquariums that is) would do this as well. Quite aggressive little guys... lotsa fun getting your fingernails cleaned...

 

[SueMermaid]

My name is Sue and I like to tease Damselfish. [hangs head in shame]

In an ideal world, we'd be unnoticed observers. I will draw the line at harassing marine life, but it's hard to resist egging on a PO'ed Damselfish with a waggle of my index finger, or letting a shrimp clean your nails, or letting the gigantic grouper rub on you, etc.
I have a weird little quirk when I dive, I have this uncontrollable urge to wave at the little faces that peer out at me from the crevices. Sometimes this elicits some sort of reaction from the critter in question, be it fleeing, or coming out to have a sniff, whatever.
It's good to be conscientious about not disturbing the beasts. I try to put myself in their fins, and if I think I might be endangering them or causing them undue stress, (like playing volleyball with a porcupine fish), I avoid interaction.

 

[Allison Finch]

Oh, you're right about the damselfish. I'm never sure who is harrassing who. I admit that Orangefinned anemone fish and Clark's anemone fish are hard to resist as they harangue ME. No one ever shakes their finger at them for harrassing me, do they??

 

[Chavodel8en]

I just wanted to make sure that minimal harassment of the fish wouldn't have any lasting effects. Looks like common sense is the main thing. So i'll leave the triggerfish alone (once I see one) and continue my amateur "marine biology"

 

[Allison Finch]

If you ever hassle a titan triggerfish, you will definitely learn a valuable lesson. You will come out the loser in that meeting.