A Nice Little Stout...Not a Guiness

       Yesterday I took the act back to Kahalu'u.  I had been tantalized by Kathleen Clark who forwarded the photo that you see here of a juvenile Shortnose Wrasse.  That beauty had been seen and photographed by Paul Herring earlier this week.  KC dubbed "Paul Photog Extraordinaire" and I believe

Shortnose Wrasse, Kahalu'u, 3/21 © Paul Herring

 that she is on to something.  The Reef Teachers keep a photo album of glossies taken by Paul at their K Bay Learning Station.  Not only has he found the shortnose, but a month or so ago he found and photographed a Blackstripe Coris in the bay, a species that I have not seen there in all these years.  Perhaps if I am lucky someday I will meet Paul, shake his hand and ogle his camera.  Or if I'm really lucky I will see a Blackstripe Coris!

    As I changed,  I was getting pumped up for the shortnose, but also for a cleaner wrasse.  Kathleen said they were out there and I was determined to find one.  On the way to the water I passed the ultra petite Yasuko who was placing the signs encouraging good snorkeling behavior.  I threw my Japanese friend a, "Genki desu ka"  and she replied "Genki desu."  If you are not familiar with the land of the Rising Sun you may not realize that, unlike almost anywhere in the Western World, the Japanese don't ask just anybody how they are doing...you have to be a friend to be so familiar.  At least that is what it says on Mango Languages.  So I guess its official...I have a Japanese friend!  Hai!

The Trumpetfish could not find Shorty.

     The entry was shallow and cold and there was a large lady right in the middle, wobbling on knees that had seen a better day.  I gave her a tip about swimming out, assuring her that she would float through the narrow, shallow channel, even though I wasn't entirely sure that she would make it.  She plopped down on a moss covered rock to prepare for her dash while I put on my fins and floated past her.

    Out in the bay it was usual suspects as I patrolled the coral areas portrayed in Paul's photograph.  I was doing my best, but what I came up with was a large, yellow Trumpetfish.  I followed him for a bit, hoping that he might know where the shortnose wrasse was hiding.  Sadly he did not, but he did provide us with this fine photo. To be fair, in these days when species are dropping off the list left and right, we need to appreciate the handsome fish that remain.

An Ornate butterfly stands on her tail awaiting her cleaner.

   Eventually my patrol headed a little further out into the heads of remaining Evermann's Coral.  In one I saw three Ornate Butterflyfish adopting strange positions in the center of the coral.  It certainly looked
like they were being cleaned.  As you will recall, our secondary mission was to locate a Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse.  This certainly looked like the spot.  Close observation, however, revealed that these fish were being cleaned by small juvenile Bird Wrasses.  Small and juvenile may seem redundant, but if you have been following the blog for all these many years you will know that  these juvenile bird wrasses are very common at Kahalu'u and they achieve a length of about two and a half inches before adopting the female color pattern.  These guys were so small, under an inch in length, that I had to look carefully to see them cleaning the butterflies.  

     Two months ago we saw a juvenile Blue-eye Damsel cleaning manini in a coral closer to the entry.  I may have to start making a list of the juvenile fish I see engaging in cleaning behavior. 

The cleaner wrasse pursues a saddle back wrasse.

   It appeared that we were finally on a roll.  The next coral head yielded  a single adult cleaner wrasse doing a job on a variety of fish.  Usually cleaner wrasse are found in mated pairs.  I watched for a while and observed only a single fish diligently cleaning the customers.  Makes you wonder what happened to her mate.

     Cleaning is a love/hate relationship. When the process starts the fish are euphoric, adopting a peculiar position in the water and holding very still.  As the cleaning progresses, it is inevitable that the cleaner wrasse makes a mistake, taking a scale instead of a tiny parasite.  Suddenly the fish being cleaned is wide awake.  Its as if you are sitting in your living room peacefully enjoying a bottle of wine when your reverie is broken by the police knocking on your door.  Bang, bang bang! Whoa!  I'm awake!

    Having received the wake up call, the customer fish dashes away. Sometimes he is pursued by the cleaner wrasse who is apparently hoping for one more nip.  One for the road, as it were. 

Stout Moray Eel  Kahalu'u March 2021

   Here you see just such a scene with the cleaner wrasse chasing a saddle wrasse who is finished with the cleaning process, thank you very much.

    Moving along, I was soon attracted to a small eel hiding quietly at the base of some coral.  This was
a sweet baby, hiding shyly, hoping that I would go away.  The water was clear and I was able to nab two reasonable pictures.  

    This is a Stout Moray.  Stouts come in a variety of color patterns, one of which looks very much like a Whitemouth moray, another common species seen during the day in our quiet bays.  Obviously, this pale eel would never be mistaken for a whitemouth.  

   Finally I ended up over by the Rescue Shelter.  Here at the foot of the bay the waves beat against the rocks and the water is usually full of suspended debris.  There is some pahoehoe lava and a number of moderately sized boulders.  It was between these small boulders that a month ago I saw the Leaf Scorpionfish.  As a result of that sighting, a rare instance when I didn't have the camera, I have been returning and

A second look at the light colored Stout Moray.

scouring this wave swept area each time I come to Kahalu'u., hoping for a second chance at the scorpionfish.  I didn't realize how much I had been dwelling on this spot until  this last week, when I had a most singular dream.

    In the dream I am snorkeling in this spot.  I'm enjoying myself and I drift off into a daydream. This goes on for a bit and then Sandra, who is snorkeling by my side, shakes me and I return to the present, albeit still in the dream.  Sandra asks if I am all right and I look up and see my Reef Teacher friends leaning over the railing, which is now fifty yards closer to this spot than is actually the case.  Vincenzo says, "We were worried about you."  I tell him that I am fine, but at the same time it occurs to me that daydreaming while you are snorkeling  isn't the smartest thing one might do.  

    At this point I actually woke up and for a minute or two reflected on the dream.  The reality is that when one is swimming in the ocean he is constantly interacting with the water.  This might be compared to driving a car, but who among us has not been motoring down the freeway, had a brief

Snakehead Cowry at the bottom of rocky depression.

daydream and returned to reality,  aware that he is not entirely sure what happened in the last thirty seconds?  I don't think this happens when I am swimming.  But what if it did?

  On this day I looked diligently among the boulders, but did not find the scorpionfish.  I did find a nice little Snakehead Cowry in a deep depression.  This may not be a Leaf Scorpionfish, but it is certainly a nice reward for remaing alert.

jeff