What's a lumpsucker?

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The roe is apparently edible (haven't tried it) and sold as a substitute for caviar. Here in the Netherlands they spawn in shallow water in February: the males turn red and guard their nest while waiting for a female to swim by. They watch over the eggs for a few weeks. It is easy to approach them and they are very popular models for underwater photographers, being still, big - up to 2' - and brightly colored.
 
My local dive site is known for lumpsuckers ... they're mostly found here between mid-October and mid-February, and usually when it's dark out. One of my favorite dives is to get in early in the morning, when it's dark out and end the dive just as it's getting light ... you can often watch the lumpies seeking shelter under a piece of kelp or something they can adhere to (upside down) to "sleep" away the daylight hours.

They're goofy little things ... I think of them as underwater bumblebees, due to their size and the way they move about. I've taken literally hundreds of photos of them ... including the one I've been using as an avatar for the past few years. And I delight in taking people who've never seen one out diving to find them.

They're not hard to spot, and they make great macro subjects. And, like M&M's, they come in a variety of colors. Here's some pics of lumpies I've taken over the years. These are older shots, as I'm on my work computer at the moment and don't have some of this year's pics on this system. I'm still seeking that "perfect" shot ...

Blue Lumpie.jpg

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Plum Lumpie.jpg
 
Bob is truly the "lumpie whisperer"!
 

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