Scythe Butterflyfish video from Catalina July 2nd

[Mo2vation]

Whoops. Can't be the same location. It was definitely NOT the quarry (one of the few sites that is really distinguishable!) I saw my little guy at 25 fsw.

I am pretty sure these are fish that hang out at one reef area. True, Dr. Bill? If so, I wonder how many scythe butterflyfish we have over there??

The juvie treefish are out and about right now too. I took a few pix of them. The smallest one I photographed was less than 2 inches!

Jaye and I saw one hanging out on the back side, underneath the (I'm gonna butcher the spelling on this... sorry) Crousteau monument in the park. He was on the Sue Jac side, at the very bottom, in a little hole he was sort of guarging. We must have watched him darting in and out for about 3 or 4 minutes... the cutest little bonsai ever.

---
Ken

 

[OCdiving Deb]

MikeT,

Nice videos on your site. I look forward to looking at more of them soon!

Mo2... bonzai... cute!

 

[HBDiveGirl]

HBDiveGirl- Where on the backside did you see it? I'm a bit surprised (pleasantly) since I thought they prefer the calmer (and usually warmer) waters of the leeward side.

Bill,
It was at Cape Cortes on July 21, 2004. The elusive Chaetodon falcifer was roaming between and around huge boulders at about 55fsw on the west side of the cape (the east side of the bay). It was fast and shy and we saw only the one. The vis was 40-50 feet, and the kelp was standing straight up, so it was calm there that day. I didn't record the temperature.
Claudette

 

[drbill]

Debbie- Sea Fan Grotto is fairly close to the "west end" quarry (actually not even located on the west end, but called that by locals) where they've been established.

Claudette- Cape Cortes is an interesting location for a sighting. The habitat sounds perfect (boulders). Definitely a spot that most likely represents a "new" establishment rather than dispersal from a previously existing one... unless the little juvies can cross the Isthmus at Two Harbors!

 

[HBDiveGirl]

...Cape Cortes is an interesting location for a sighting. The habitat sounds perfect (boulders). Definitely a spot that most likely represents a "new" establishment rather than dispersal from a previously existing one... unless the little juvies can cross the Isthmus at Two Harbors!

Ah, Bill, now there's a wonderful image! A dark and stormy night, heavy rains and high tides have created contiguous puddles from the Two Harbors dock to the muddy shallows of Cat Harbor.... A blustery wind propels leaves and juvenile Scythe-marked butterfly fish irresistably toward their new homes on the backside. Reaching the sea once again, the little guys and gals scatter, finding perfect boulders in calm inlets under the thick kelp canopy. Who knew?? Thank you for sending that one!
Claudette

 

[miket]

Dr Bill,

Do you know what do they eat in their native habitat? There is no kelp down south (and deeper) where they are native. In my video it starts off with the Scythe Butterflyfish nipping at the growths or bugs on the kelp. This behavior would be something out of the norm for this species wouldn't it?

Another question, do you think these fish are breeding at Catalina, or are they just transplants from the south? I remember reading that El Nino had something to do with them showing up in our area. Is this because they want colder water and it got too warm for them down south?


- MikeT

 

[OCdiving Deb]

Debbie- Sea Fan Grotto is fairly close to the "west end" quarry (actually not even located on the west end, but called that by locals) where they've been established.

Right... but what I was asking is, don't certain fish such as a butterflyfish stick to one small area? I thought I'd read that they stick to a rock and its immediate vicinity. A very small range for each fish or pair. If that's true, then there COULD be more scythes than we know. I'm saying I think mine was a different fish than MikeT's.

It's been said over the past couple years that there is "a pair" of scythes at Catalina. I wonder how many we really have.

 

[JustAddWater]

Nice video. Is this species of butterfly fish indigenous to California waters, or is it an exotic that has adapted quite well?

 

[miket]

Nice video. Is this species of butterfly fish indigenous to California waters, or is it an exotic that has adapted quite well?

It's listed in my book as "uncommon" in our waters. It usually lives deeper (50-100 feet) and further south in Baja, Central America and Galapagos. The Paul Humann Id book I have says they are usualy solitary, like the one I saw.


- MikeT

 

[drbill]

I did a few dives at the Empire Landing ("West End") Quarry last weekend and saw at least 8 individuals scattered at about 42 ft depth. Got nearly 9 min of video since they were out in the open as well as feeding, with a few in pairs. I'm writing another column on it for future publication (it will be on my web site as well). I posted pix elsewhere on this board.

In their southern range they are a deep water species (120-500 ft) but seek shallower depths up here. As far as feeding, their pointed snouts make them good at picking invertebrates off rocks (or kelp blades here) and they are also known to be cleaners although I've never seen that here. I have seen and filmed them feeding although I can't tell what they are picking up.

Sea Fan Grotto is pretty close to the Quarry so if they are reproducing here (which I think they are), they could easily disperse there. As Claudette reported they were also seen on the backside!