Halfbeak Season

Pinkerton Avocados Growing On Our Tree

   Its spring up on Ono Road.  Two weeks ago the Kau'u orange and the lemon trees bloomed on consecutive days, filling our air with sweet perfume.  About the same time the mango tree bloomed and, just a couple days ago, so did the avocado.  

    All of our fruit trees have responded to the lengthening days...what's that got to do with the goings on down at the beach?  Well, its still winter back in the PNW and so on our beaches we still have a few ladylike tourists wearing bikinis.  A delightful few weigh in under 12 stone.  Meanwhile in the sea, we are noticing a congregation of halfbeaks.  It struck me as more than coincidental that many of my previous pictures of halfbeaks were taken in Februaries past.  Is early spring a time when this fish approaches the shore in increased numbers?

    You may recall the previous blog where we discussed the beautiful blue halfbeaks seen at Ho'okena.  It is my pleasure to announce that Jack Randall, the dean of Reef Fish Biology on the planet, believes that these are Acute Halfbeaks.   My first sighting of this species. In my query to Dr Randall he replied:

    Thank you for your remarkable photo of a group of halfbeaks.  I agree with you that they seem to be the Acute Halfbeak.  I did not know they could be such a bright blue.  I will e-mail your photo to Dr. Bruce Collette at the Smithsonian Institution. He is the world authority on halfbeaks and needlefishes.

Dr. Collette Engaging a Halfbeak

    Like Dr. Randall, Dr. Collette is an ichthyologist.  When push comes to shove, they do not identify fish the same way you and I do.  We look for field marks, they count scales and  dorsal fin spines.  Suffice it to say, if Jack Randall had one of those blue beauties from Ho'okena in his lab, he wouldn't have to guess what it was.  The scale count would tell the tale.  And of course, after counting the scales he would take the fish back to the bay, release it and it would swim merrily away with its buddies.  Not!  (Note to halfbeaks...steer clear of Drs. Collette and Randall.)

 Well, John Hoover, who, being a hobbyist, identifies fish like we do, wasn't quite so sure. With this lingering doubt in mind, I felt fortunate, indeed, when swimming yesterday at the pier, I was presented with a school of halfbeaks in clear water. They were fairly cooperative and one of my many shots was quite good.

Polynesian Halfbeak Kailua Pier  2/19/13

In examining the pictures, I believe I have noted a better field mark than the one listed by Randall and possibly quoted by Hoover. (the position of the impossible to see dorsal fin)  Please note the angle of the bill in the two fishes.  The fishes seen yesterday in Kailua have a slightly upturned bill.  The bill relative to the line of the body forms an obtuse angle. Hence, the Obtuse Halfbeak!

    In the fish seen at Ho'okena, pictured below, the bill is perfectly straight with the line of the body.  This was seen in all the fishes of that school.  

Acute Halfbeak, Hookena  Feb 2013

If you look carefully at the picture to the right, you will notice the the upper lip of the mouth, clearly demonstrating that the beak is a swordlike extension of the lower jaw.   I am attempting to get an opinion from the experts as to whether this an artifact of my photography or a genuine anatomic difference.  Is it possible that in different situations, the fish hold their beaks at a different angle?   For those of us who make our identifications in the wild this would be a useful field mark.

    I'll let you know if there is any word from the experts on this fieldmark.  In the meantime, I'm leaving you with a lovely picture of a Threadfin Butterfly taken

Threadfin Butterlyfish, Kahalu'u, Feb 3013

the other day at Kahalu'u.  I hope springtime brings you lots of delicious fruits, pretty flowers and maybe a new fish!   

jeff

Happy Birthday Halfbeaks at Ho'okena

Yellowfin Surgeon,  Ho'okena Feb16, 2013

    Today is my birthday.  I have reached a certain age, so the exact number isn't critical.  But Sandra and I decided it was worth celebrating so we schlepped our aging bones out to Ho'okena.  We left nice and early so we arrived in time to park next to the handicap ramp.  Not that we're handicapped, but it's a really good spot.   

   After a delightful breakfast of banana bread with supplemental banana slices (the sweet Hawaiian bananas make this a real treat), we donned our swim gear and headed down the beach.  The waves were breaking with about 1 foot faces...not enough to trouble the snorkelkids.  Soon we were swimming through cool clear water.   Very cool, actually.  We were immediately rewarded with a school of

Acute Halfbeak  Hoo'kena February 2013

Yellowfin Surgeonfish.  The water was clear and they let us get pretty close resulting in this nice picture.  This fish is common at Ho'okena.  At the pier we routinely see Palani, but only rarely this large, handsome cousin.

     At this point we swam north across the beach front to the spot where the landing meets the reef, creating a wave tossed shallows.  As we approached, I saw a large school of beautiful blue fish swimming at the surface with some needlefish.  At first I thought, based on their size, color and numbers, that they were Heller's Barracuda, but the only place we have seen Heller's is at Honokohau in deep, still water.  The school let me swim right up to them and as they turned past me I could see the bright red point of their beaks.  "Polynesian Halfbeaks", I called to Sandra.We were treated to a wonderful close look in clear water, finally choosing to

Acute Halfbeak  Note the body color and fin position

swim away from the school. 

    After that treat, the remainder of the swim was pleasant, but disappointing.  For several years we have seen both Potter's and Flame Angelfish in the coral heads just off the landing.  This swim marked three in a row where we did not see these remarkable fish.  Has the water or coral changed?  Have aquarium fishnappers made off with our angels?   Whatever the reason, they aren't there any more.
 
    Also, about twenty minutes into our swim the water turned cloudy.  This is a curious phenomenon that happens all the time.  Sometimes it works the other way and the water clears.  I've never been able to make sense of why this happens, but I certainly prefer clear water!  So we swam home through the cloudy water, made an uneventful landing in the small surf.

Polynesian Halfbeaks,  Kailua Pier Feb 2012

   To top off a wonderful morning, we had a fine birthday lunch of tuna sandwiches in the shade of the bodhi tree.  Our dining companions were a charmingly tattooed and pierced young gentleman and his lady friend from Northern Virginia.  Eating sandwiches and chips purchased from the local concessionaire, they related that they were taking the winter off to camp in the parks on the Kona coast.  Far out.

     It wasn't until I got home and took a birthday nap while the camera soaked, that I got a chance to look at the pictures.  I had remarked to Sandra that due to the proximity and clarity of the water, that I thought these would be our best photos of Polynesian Halfbeaks.  As you can see, the photos we took today are really nice.  I was struck by how green these fish were.  We encounter Polynesian Halfbeaks occassionally in Kona (as recently as yesterday!) and they always seem silver and deeper bodied than our fish today.  Both Hoover and Randal state that the dorsal fin originates anterior of the ventral fin in Polynesian Halfbeak.  In both books this feature is not demonstrated  to my satisfaction.  In the Acute Halfbeak the fins are directly opposite.  In my photo from today, I think you will see this feature in the fish I'm calling Acute

Saddleback Butterflyfish, Kahalu'u Feb 2013

Halfbeak.  And they both note that the Acute is iridescent blue and has a shallower body.     I think we got a great look at a life fish!  What do you think?

     As a special birthday gift I'm including a pic of the Saddleback Butterfly taken at Kahalu'u last week.  That was the same day we saw the squid, which we have not seen on three subsequent attempts. 

    I hope all your birthdays are as rewarding as this one was for me.

jeff

Calamari for Valentine's Day

    Last year I saw squid in Hawaii for the fist time.  This experience (and all my other squid stories) are documented in the February 14 blog, cleverly entitled "Squid".  Sandra and I saw a school of five Bigfin Squid, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, near the third swim buoy on the Ironman side of the Kailua pier.  About a week after our sighting, we heard through the coconut telegraph that someone had spotted a school of squid in the bay off Kona Makai.   Both of these encounters were single day occurrences in relatively open water. And both were in February.

   Yesterday was Thursday (The 7th of February) and so we packed up the car and headed to Alii Villas.  The idea was that Sandra would exercise in the pool with the ladies and i would kibitz with my old condo-bound friends.  However, when we got there, the ladies were halfway through the routine and it was decided that we would go shopping instead.
As we drove down Alii Drive I was muttering about how we don't spend enough time at the beach.  So we decided to stop at Kahalu'u, where I would take a quick swim and Sandra would read her book under a palm tree.

     I changed quickly and left sweetie in search of the perfect patch of shade.  The water was calm, clear and, the tide being half in or out, depending on your perspective) not very deep.  I turned left toward the sea and swam about ten yards.  Suddenly I was eyeball to giant eyeball with a pair of Bigfin Squid.  There were three snorkelers approaching from the other direction.  I pointed and luckily they saw the squid and stopped their progress.  One of the three looked up and asked, "What's that?"   I replied, "Reef squid.  Its a chance of a lifetime!"

     We watched the squid for awhile.  Unlike the squid at the pier, these two were not particularly shy;  I was able to photograph them at about two feet.  This was dramatically different from last year and made for some very nice pictures, as you can see.

    It occurred to me that Sandra might be able to use my mask (it being exercise day, we had left her mask back at Casa Ono)  So I swam to shore and found her in the shade chatting on the phone.  I waved my hand like a crazy person and said, "If its not life and death you should hang up."  After all, the squid were in the balance.  As it turned out, she was wearing contacts, so my idea of sharing the mask was a non-starter.  She thanked me for my thoughtfulness

and bid me a pleasant swim.

     On my way back out, while putting on my fins,  I attempted to alert the elderly Reef Teach dude (he's actually about the same age as yours truly, and isn't that depressing) that there were a pair of squid out there.  Although a couple of the tourists, with whom he was clogging up the narrow entry, seemed interested, he seemed rather blasé about the SOT situation.  I swam back out and saw some pretty fish in the clear water but was unable to locate the squid again.

     Back on the beach, I talked to the Reef Teach guy, who at that moment was between clots of dilettantes.   He said that four squid have been harboring in K Bay for over a week.  I noted in last years blog that this species of squid has a Caribbean equivalent that looks identical, but is more diurnal.  Not only that, but you frequently see Sepioteuthis

sepiodea, very close to shore, in or near rocks and crevices.  This quartet seems to be taking a page from their Caribbean cousins.  Next thing you know, they'll be dancing under the limbo stick.

     We have noticed seasonal variation in all sorts of things here, where the seasonal change is slight but obviously important to both the plants and the animals.  Perhaps February, the beginning of spring here in these very Sandwich Islands, is the month when squid come to shore to make the beast with two backs.  Please note in the first picture that one squid is discernibly larger...males of this species are 40% larger than females.  This could be a mated pair!

  For those of you who follow the blog from Kailua, this is a rare species alert.  As for Sandra and I, we are going to take both our masks down to K Bay and try for another look at the molluscan lovebirds. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

jeff

Noah's Ark at the Dog Beach (and other good news)

    Finally we have some good news to deliver.  Yesterday Sandra and I took a swim on the Ironman side of the pier.  It was the first day in a couple weeks that the water could be described as truly clear.  And we

Stripe Belly Puffer Kailua Kona Pier Feb. 2013

enjoyed an intimate encounter with a Stripe Belly Puffer.  This fish enjoys an unusual and endearing appearance, sort of like the slobbering English Bulldogs that resided in the skateboard shop back in Salem.  In the January 14 blog, I bemoaned its disappearance from Kahalu'u.  We encountered this fellow going out and then, on the return from the half mile buoy, we saw him being cleaned in front of the palace.  This was just a single fish, but that's a start.

     Today we took a little trip with two of our favorite Canadians, Jon and Verna Slater.   About a week ago the four of us engaged in a life threatening swim at Kona Makai.  It looked calm as we walked down to the beach, started to pick up as we made our entry, and by the time we got out our peaceful little fish pond was like a washing machine.  And I ain't talkin' 'bout no gentle cycle, either.  Luckily,

A Pair of Gold Rim Surgeonfish, Honokohau Feb. 2013

 nobody had to go to the hospital... or the undertaker's.  In my defense, once we made it on to the beach, there was a lot of group pressure to make that entry.  All I have to say is, "Caveat Natator, homes".

    But I digress.  the little cove hard by the Honokohau marina was peaceful and the four of us made an uneventful swim out to the reef.   The water was cool and clear.  Almost immediately we spotted a pair of Gold Rim Surgeonfish in the boulders near the shore. Its not uncommon to see single individuals of this handsome fish, but it is unusual to see a pair.  I was lucky enough to see a hybrid Gold Rim / Achilles Tang a couple days ago on the outer banks of Paul Allen's Reef.  In my opinion, its far more common to see this hybrid than a matched pair of Gold Rims.  Maybe a batch of Gold Rims is in the offing.

Milletseed Butterfly, Kailua Kona Pier  August 2012

     While Jon talked to the guide on the dive boat, Sandra and I moved to deeper water where we spotted a pair of Milletseed Butterflyfish.  Clouds of this beautiful fish were once an every day sight at Kahalu'u.   Now we see an occasional single fish at the pier or out in K Bay.  I hope you will forgive the picture of the cute immature we nabbed at the pier six months ago.  The pair we saw today were swimming in 40 feet of  water.  I got a couple pictures of the pair, but they are nowhere near as pretty as this portrait.  Its been four years at least since I have seen a matched pair of Milletseeds.  Long ago, we assumed that the schools of Milletseeds were reproducing right in K Bay.  Is it possible that they were breeding in deep water?  Recently, as we have seen only single individuals, we have begun to treat them as waifs... single fish hatching from eggs that travel a long distance from their spot of fertilization.  Do we have a breeding pair?  Are these two fish the Adam and Eve of Milletseeds?  I certainly hope so.

Heller's Barracuda, Honokohau, Feb 2013

    Heading back toward the entrance, I located the school of Heller's Barracuda.  with a variety of auditory and visual inducements, I was able to get the other members of our little expedition on to this school of uncommon fish.  Sandra and I were able to herd them into shallower water and were rewarded with a good photo opportunity.  

   Back safe on the beach, we enjoyed the enthusiastic romp of a German Shorthair and a Collie with one brown and one blue eye.  Viva the Dog Beach.

jeff

For completeness sake, here is a picture of a hybrid Achilles Tang / Gold Rim Surgeon swimming with a regulation Achilles Tang.  This photo was taken in clear,still water at city of Refuge in November of 2011.The one I saw on the PAR was dodging in the surf, right over the shallow reef.  I was all the way out, perhaps 400 yards from the pier. Suffice it to say,the

Gold Rim / Achilles Tang Hybrid,  City of Refuge Nov. 2011

situation was not ideal for photography or, for that matter, the survival of the photographer.  this luscious photo should give you good basis for comparing against the two normal gold rims that show signs of producing schools of these lovely surgeonfishes.

Our friend and snorkeling companion and all around good sport, Verna Slater, is an above water photographer.  She has kindly provided these pictures of the Humpback Whale breaching at sunset off Alii Villas.  I'm not sure how she missed the splash!