Species sighting at Casino Point

[Frank O]

drbill once bubbled...
That big giant kelpfish has been interesting to watch. I've seen it (or several?) many times.

Here's the one I saw today, incidentally:

As photos go, not a keeper, but it gives you some idea of its appearance. Among the 'giant' kelpfish I've seen, this was a real whopper, more than a couple of feet long, as I remember it. At one point I was looking at it head-on fairly close, and noticed that it had a pair of catfish-style 'whiskers.' I didn't know the kelpfish had that ...

 

[sapphire]

drbill once bubbled...
Sapphire... is that really what I look like? I only see myself in the mirror in the morning before my coffee. Glad you amended that to say it doesn't really capture me.

Blame Walter for that photo! I didn't want anyone to get the wrong impression !

To everyone... I sure hope this month's long curse on the visibility in the Dive Park ends soon. With any luck it won't last as long as the goat curse on the Cubs... yeeha, go Cubbies!

Dr. Bill

I have to agree with you there - GO CUBS!! Maybe the vis will improve after they win the Series!!

sapphire

 

[drbill]

FrankO- that's the coloration I've seen on the largest ones (also on some very young ones as well). Coloration is not fixed in this species, although the females are more capable of a wider range of color variation than the males. I find this a bit strange because it is the male that defends the eggs in the nest after the female lays them.

I saw a nest in which one of these larger kelpfish (female) was mating with a much smaller male. Although it was very surgy I was able to get some fair videotape of the mating. For the last 4 weeks I've been following another nest where the male has been defending one or two broods. Although he bit me defending the eggs on my first visit, the past two weeks I've been able to "pet" him and have him wrap his body around my arm. He even lets me take small samples of the eggs for study. The male still bites garibaldis, kelp bass and senorita who venture too close to the nest.

The "whiskers" may be the fins below the head. I think the juveniles use them most, for "walking" in the seaweed and under rocks where they live until they grow larger. Thje smaller kelpfish species use them as adults.

Dr. Bill

 

[Frank O]

drbill once bubbled...
For the last 4 weeks I've been following another nest where the male has been defending one or two broods. Although he bit me defending the eggs on my first visit, the past two weeks I've been able to "pet" him and have him wrap his body around my arm. He even lets me take small samples of the eggs for study. The male still bites garibaldis, kelp bass and senorita who venture too close to the nest.

Interesting story. Do you think his change of heart can be attributed just to getting used to you, or the powerful aura of goodwill that you must emit? ;-) Or, perish the thought, we aren't talking about small offerings of frozen peas or squid pieces ... ? (I can't remember if you've been among those who have periodically admonished us about feeding marine wildlife.)

 

[drbill]

I'm definitely not one who feeds wildlife intentionally (not even birds), nor do I castigate those who do (although I will mention the inadvisability of such).

I simply take my time 10-15 minutes of each dive I visit the nest to get the male to realize I am not going to harm him. I gradually work up to touching him and then he responds. I do wonder about the effect of touching the body might be so I limit it to a few very gentle strokes.

However, I am quite surprised that he lets me take even the small amount of eggs that I have. He won't let the fish get near the nest.

Bill

 

[Frank O]

drbill once bubbled...
I'm definitely not one who feeds wildlife intentionally (not even birds), nor do I castigate those who do (although I will mention the inadvisability of such). I simply take my time 10-15 minutes of each dive I visit the nest to get the male to realize I am not going to harm him.

That was pretty much the experience I had yesterday with a calico bass I spent a while taking pictures of. Now, the larger calicos at Casino Point are much less skittish than their campadres in other Catalina coves, who know what's best for their survival outside a marine sanctuary. Even so, this guy was a little wary when I first showed up, and would swim five or 10 feet off if he felt I was invading his space. I left for a while and came back, and found him at the same depth under nearly the same kelp frond. Before long he was used to me, and basically just tuned me out while I did my photo shoot. It's said among hunters that fish have a sixth sense for ferreting out intention -- when these divers are in the water unarmed fish ignore them, but the minute they bring a speargun the wildlife vamooses.