What's New at Kahalu'u

    Over the last five days, the water has been dramatically warmer at Kahalu'u than at the pier.  With that in

Raccoon Butterflyfish   Kahalu'u   April 2013

mind, we have been swimming the temperate waters of K Bay twice.  We didn't see anything earth shattering, but did run into opportunities to photograph a few of the regulars in favorable conditions. 
  
    Right off the bat, I'm going to show you two nice photos of the Raccoon Butterfly.  There was a school just hanging out in still clear water with the sun shining above.   Thank God that the raccoon is still a common fish.  They are handsome, distinctive and gregarious.  None of which makes them exempt to a population crash.  Just think of the once common Milletseed Butterflies!

Three Raccoons out for a Swim

    The first picture is a classic profile that would be right at home in any field guide.  Sandra liked the artistic grouping we see in the second picture.  What do you think?










     The same day we spotted an older juvenile Hawaiian Dascyllus.  This fish is significant because it is the closest thing we have to an anemonefish in these very Sandwich Islands.  Not that they are extremely closely related to anemonefish, beyond the fact that  both are damselfish.  But family groupings of immature dascyllus harbor in cauliflower coral in much

Hawaiian Dascyllus, older immature

the same way anemonefish employ their anemone as a safe haven from predators.  You'll note that this cooperative fellow has already lost the white spot on the forehead










      Next, I'm going to throw in a picture of an invertebrate.  The Spiny Brittle Star is uniformly black with numerous spiny projections.  I'm always reminded of a lady's hairbrush.  I have only seen this species in recesses of coral heads.  Although

Spiny Brittle Star

I have only seen it associated with coral, upon which it feeds, it is apparently found under rocks in the tidal shallows.  Will, a  ReefTeach acquaintance at K Bay, tells us that you can find them commonly on the seaward reef flat by turning over stones.  Perhaps it is time to break out the water shoes and go lookin'.  This is my best picture of the Spiny Brittle Star.  As you can see the animal is well inside the coral head.  Lucky for us that the Canon D10 was able to focus and adjust for available light while being held in front of the cavity!




     Finally (from the K Bay portfolio) we have a picture of a young man.  "What in the world does he have?"

Add caption

you may well ask.  Its not a spear.  Is he playing underwater golf?   Well, I  had the chance to accost the young fellow ashore.  That is a very small camera on the end of his collapsible stick.  He is unable to operate the camera from the proximal end of the wand.  Rather, he turns the thing on and takes a video.  Isn't it remarkable how small a camera can be and fulfill that function?  And under water, no less.  Best of all, when he gets to be my age, the young man can take the camera off his collapsible stick and use it as a cane.



       You've been a patient audience.  As your reward I'm going to leave you with a picture of the White Saddle Goatfish.  The WSG has the dubious

White Saddle Goatfish, Kailua Bay  2013

honor of being the tastiest goatfish.  I have never eaten a goatfish, but they are taken both by spear and angling.  Let's hope this handsome fellow made it out of the bay before he ended up on the business end of a frying pan. 

     And I hope that you and I can stay out of the frying pan, as well.

jeff