Bigeyes on the Big Island

    Yesterday I got dropped off for snorkeling at the Kailua Pier.  In an attempt to improve my list, I wandered around the closed restroom and shower area to the beach in front of the King Kamehameha Hotel.  This shuttering of the facilities has made a huge difference in the number of people at these beaches and at 9 AM I had the strand of soft white sand almost to myself.  

Hawaiian Bigeye, Kailua Kona 11/24

    The water was extremely calm and there wasn't even a breeze.  As I stepped in, I was reminded of the downside of this entry...the water was frigid!  As I swam out it got a little warmer but by then I was already shivering.  

   I had seen nothing of note in the Inner Harbour but just outside the rip rap I saw a tomato red bigeye only six feet down.  I turned to discover that there were two of them.  They receded a little, but basically stayed where I could see them.  In spite of their cooperation, I took a handful of poor pictures, Mea culpa.  You see the best of the lot here as I hang my head in shame.

   Regardless, the pictures are good enough to make an identification of Hawaiian Bigeye.  As there were two fish, that makes a total of four big eyes.  Surprisingly, these fish are not as nocturnal as those big eyes suggest.  However, they are far from common in my experience.  Without consulting my records I'll bet that this is around my tenth sighting of a bigeye in oh so many years.  And it makes for a remarkable sighting on three successive outings around the pier.  

Hawaiian Bigeye in the Rip Rap, 11/24

    The incentive for swimming on the Paul Allen side was to add new species to the list and I was pleased in the middle of the small bay to see a Goldrim Surgeon.  This fish is related to the Achilles Tang.  Not so long ago we saw many Achilles Tang and occasionally a Goldrim Surgeon.  Now one sees notices in place like Honokohau Harbor stating that it is illegal to take Achilles Tang as they have become severely endangered.  Bummer, dude!

    In this instance, though, as I was trying without success to take a picture of the goldrim I saw an Achilles Tang among the coral rubble on the bottom, about twenty-five feet down.  Despite it being far away, the water was clear, and I got a very good look at this iconic fish that is struggling to survive.  

    Goldrims and Achilles hybridize.  In fact, ever so long ago when we swam regularly at Kona Makai (and saw lots of Achilles Tang) I got a picture of one of those hybrids.  In this case I looked carefully, and this was the purebred Achiles Tang.   Not some chihaucapoo of a fish. 

Achilles Tang, Kailua Kona, 2020

     A bit further out in the bay I encountered a gazillion Pearl Soldierfish.  This species is most commonly known around Kona as menpachi .  If you are a fish with the goal of staying away from the dinner plate, it is best if you are not known by a Japanese name.   Hence, Mypristes kuntee is relatively uncommon in unprotected areas.  It is putatively delicious and therefore likely to end up on the business end of a spear.  C'est domage! 

    I've seen a few from time to time on the Paul Allen side, but this was in excess of two dozen.   Let's keep these guys a secret from the spear fishermen,

    All in all, we added nine species to the list on this outing.

          🦑🦑🦑🦑🦑🦑   🦑🦑🦑🦑🦑🦑   🦑🦑🦑🦑🦑🦑    🦑🦑🦑🦑🦑🦑

     Today I went swimming at Kahalu'u.  I was able to share my pictures with Yasuko and Kathleen Clark. Kathleen is the manager of the Reef Teachers and keeps track of the bay; she does regular surveys of the fish and keeps records of the pH, etc. in the bay.

     As before, the fish watching was mediocre.  I added one fish, the Bluespine Unicorn, to the list.  As I swim, I'm continually on the lookout for invertebrates.  On the way out I saw an octopus slither into a lava crevice.  I waited for him to emerge to no avail, so I dove down and took a flash picture of the octopus hiding in his den.  It's a ridiculous picture of flash reflected off suspended particles.  An unacceptable amount of imagination is required to find the cephalopod in the picture.

Hidden Hermit Crab, Ca. latens, Kahalu'u 11/24

    Later in my swim I found a small hermit crab hanging on to a piece of dead coral.  I got three quick pictures from about ten inches away from the crab, allowing the TG 5 to do the heavy lifting, focusing and adjusting the flash for distance.  (These smart cameras have changed underwater macro-photography dramatically!)   

    One of the pictures was in pretty good focus.  You can see the constellation of stars on the wrist of the cheliped, the grayish green eye stalks, the orange antennae and, most importantly, the purplish band near the tips of the walking legs.  It's a Hidden Hermit Crab, Ca, Latens.  Our first hermit identified this season.  

   This fellow brings to mind the folks that taught Sandra and I about hermits, taking us under their carapace, if you will:   Patsy McLaughlin (RIP) and Joseph Poupin, who is still working with hermits at the Ecole Navale in Nantes.   

    With luck there will be more hermits in our future, and I hope in yours, as well.

Jeff