Three fish

[Geoff_H]

I have no idea what the first is, the second I think a kind of parrotfish or razorfish, and not sure about the third either.

All are from Izu Penisular in Japan, around 10-20m. Apologies for the crapness of the first two photographs - I didn't get good pictures but am still curious as to what they are.

 

[Kim]

The first one........possibly a threadfin sand diver.

Not sure as the colours are a bit blown out but I think the second one is a coral grouper.

The third one......a cheekspot scorpion fish.

 

[Geoff_H]

Cheers Kim!!! I had no idea the little one was a scorpionfish....

Here are a couple more photo's... actually you might be able to read this kanji as I found it in a Japanese book Also one I took with slightly clearer colours. Don't think it is a coral grouper though.. those are orange aren't they?

 

[Kim]

Well they are mainly orange, but with those blue spots. Also commonly the edges of the fins are flourescent blue....as here. However - the head shape looks wrong in that new picture. The black strip is also unusual.

Dunno.....my wife says the Kanji reads "Ira" - I have no idea what that is in English (neither does she). The one in your book looks right though....... whatever it is.....

 

[Kim]

Googling "Ira" produces "Labrus Japonicus" - that's a type of wrasse found (among other places) in Honshu waters like the Izu peninsular.

 

[Geoff_H]

Cheers Kim... my "fish book" is in my dive bag, en-route to Mikimoto for next weekend but I'll have a look through the wrasse section when I get there. The shape of the head is what threw me too, the closest I came up with was some parrotfish but I don't think I checked the wrasse section!

That was quite a curious fish, it followed me for a few minutes.. normally anything that size is pretty skittish but as you can see in the first photo it had no fear of me and swum up, past and by me without a care in the world. With your "Labrus Japonicus" ID I had a Google and I think it probably doesn't have an English name.. I guess literally it's "Japanese wrasse"

b02s0431.html

Also a page in French chatting about it!

b02l0170.html

Thanks again for the help, half the fun of diving for me is finding out about the creatures I see during the dive.

 

[designbysue]

I don't think it is a threadfin sand diver - check out the pic here:threadfin sand diver
Don't know what it is though.

 

[Geoff_H]

I can describe it's behaviour, as it was quite unusual... maybe that would help. It was acting in a very definite cycle

1. skit across the sand about 2m and come to rest
2. slowly raise the fin (with the black "eye"on its back over 2 or 3 seconds
3. lower it sligthly faster than scoot across the sand again.

It has no definite direction to the movement, more zigzaggy. Each time it would move 1 or 2 metres, raise and lower its flag and then go again. I watched it for a couple of minutes before deciding to try and find my buddy again.

EDIT: I found it... its scientific name is "Calliurichthys japonicus" and in English this means "Japanese dragonet"

FishPix-detail