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!

The Proud Fish with the Golden Nose

A Peaceful Day at the Kona Makai Inlet

    On Thursday, exercise day at the Alii Villas Spa and Beach Club, the Redoubtable SKG and I found ourselves crossing the little bridge by said condos and I was struck by the pacificity of the eponymous ocean.  Luckily, I had my snorkel stuff in the car and immediately stated my intention to take advantage of the mild conditions.  So while sweetie trundled down to the ladies at the pool,  I made my way next door and down to the lava rock entry at Kona Makai.

    Indeed, the conditions were quite mild, which was a surprise, because Guy Hagi, the surfing weatherman on Channel 7 had been predicting great conditions on the north shore (for surfing).  I'd enjoyed a similar day ten days earlier.  So enthusiastic was I to enter the waterr that I forgot my fins in the car.  And I broke my first rule...don't go into the ocean

Big Eye Emperor, the Mu, Kona Makai, March 2011

without your fins.  It was so mild that day and I had made it all the way to the entry without my fins, so,clearly feeling a little fey, I slid into the fish pond,  paddled around and at the end of my half hour barefootin', old Neptune proved to be a good sport and spit me out. 

    This day I had my fins.  Mostly it was usual suspects,but early on I saw a couple handsome Achilles tang and a pair of Mu.  The reef at Kona Makai remains a good place to see the Mu, whose Hawaiian name refers to the tribal executioner.   

    Towards the end of my swim, as I was returning from the shallow reef to the deep water, I saw a fish with a gleaming golden forehead.  It was as if he had a

Red Labrid Wrasse, Kahalu'u, Jan. 2013

narrow bar of that precious metal running the length of his nose.  One almost epected to see a Porsche symbol in the center of that gleaming medallion. I had seen that fish before (only a couple times) and had a good idea that it was  one of the two native snappers.  Seeing me, he turned and swam away...I did not get any picture worth mentioning.   Years ago, in a similar situation, I would draw a picture and send it to Jack Randall.  He would usually reply with an invitation to purchase his latest book.  A photo tends to get more attention, but not this time.

     We were lucky when we got home to find a picture in John Hoover's Ultimate Guide of the Forktail Snapper, also called the Smalltooth Jobfish.  John's picture gives a hint of the golden snout that this otherwise (and most often) drab fish occasionally boasts.   There is no suitable picture on the internet of this proud fish with the golden nose for me to, ahem, borrow.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  And maybe someday, when you are peering out into the deep, you will find yourself going nose to nose with a shiny band of gold and you'll think...jobfish.  In the meantime, I am leaving you with a pretty picture of the Red Labrid I nabbed in K Bay a few days ago.

see you on the beach,
jeff

Continental Airlines, The Proud Bird With the Golden Tail

Author's note:   The title of this blog was adapted from the motto of Continental Airlines.  The Proud Bird With the Golden Tail ceased operation on March 2, 2012.   While factors such as corporate profits hastened the extinction of the PBWtGT, other nefarious forces are at work on the reefs of these very Sandwich Islands.  That the Proud fish With the Golden Nose may continue to stalk our waters, let us reaffirm our commitment to pure water, clean air, Al Gore and a hasty demise of the aquarium collectors.

jwh

The (Possibly) Confusing Barred Filefish.

2013 Is the Year to Boogie!

     This winter has been quite a bit different from last year...the year of the creepy calm.  Starting in October we have had lots of rough days out in the bay and coincidentally the water clarity has not been all that great for taking pictures of the fish.  This winter there have been many good days for the surfers and boogie boarders.    In fact, its really high surf right now.  Not being able to go fishwatching (the beaches are closed again and I wouldn't be able to see much anyway) I whiled away the time Sandra was exercising with my good friends Tom and Marcia Pickens on the deck of  their condo, looking back towards Kailua town.  From their deck we watched waves breaking onto the first floor units at Sea Village, the units just north of Alii Villas.  Time to go to Lowe's for a shop vac and a case of paper towels.  Spectacular for us, soggy for them.

     Sadly, over the last month we haven't seen very many unusual fish in the less than crystal clear water.  Luckily, in the last couple of weeks we have a found several immature Barred Filefish.  This fish looks and behaves just differently enough from the adult that one might confuse it with something else.

Adult Barred Filefish, Kailua Pier, 3/23/11

  
     The adult Barred Filefish, as i'm sure yu will recall, comes in a rainbow of grays, with several light bars ventrally.  Its one of the bigger fish on the reef.  Even though we don't get extremely close, it is easy to identify.  And although the Barred Filefish doesn't encourage a close approach, its not particularly skittish, either.  It isn't common to see it ducking into the coral.  finally, the adult does not usually do any peculiar posturing.  In its boring gray way, it just sort of hangs out

    The immature is surprisingly different.  First, it is the color of dark chocolate.  When you first encounter it, it may have a constellation of distinct, punctate white spots over the entire  body.  The most striking feature of this baby is the bright orange tail.  On two different days, in the rubble on the

Ironman side of the pier, we have encountered a few individuals of this immature.   The first time I was so taken with the bright orange tail that I thought I might have an aspricaudus. the Yellowtail Filefish common in Bali and rare as hen's teeth in these very Sandwich Islands.

      The first thing you will notice about my picture is that it isn't very good.  What can I say, when the water isn't clear, this is the sort of picture I'm stuck with.  Second, look at the way he is spreading that bright orange tail.  some filefish, like the Fantail Filefish, posture with a spread tail routinely.  When approached, this fellow spread his tail almost every time.  Additionally, he completely and instantly lost those handsome white spots.  I'm really sorry that I don't have a picture of the spots, but try as i might, I could not get close to the fish without the spots disappearing.  and the last thing about this fish's behavior is that when you approach, he doesn't swim away (like the adult Barred Filefish would.)  He darkens his spots, spreads his tail and finds cover in the coral.

David R's picture of  P.  aspricaudus

   I have not personally taken an acceptable picture of the Yellowtail Filefish.  I have seen it once briefly in Hawaii.  I'm borrowing a photo from David R. so you can see what it looks like .  In John Hoover's Ultimate Guide he has a pretty good picture of the Barred Filefish immature.  Prior to that, I don't think any fish guide you might have laid your hands on would have showed this shy fish with the orange tail.  I'm sure with David's fine picture as a foil, you can appreciate how one might be confused.

    So you try not to be confused and I'll do the same.  and good luck to both of us.

jeff

What's Happenin'?

    It seems like the number of blogs has decreased.  With that in mind, the editorial board has decided that I push one out so you know what we've been up to lately.

   Last week we went snorkeling two days in a row at Kahaluu.  I was struck by the fact that I did not see a

Watch out for hungry Stripe Belly Puffers!

single stripe belly puffer.  I went there the second day expressly for the purpose of verification.  This fish was a sure thing at K Bay and I can't imagine what happened to them.  Whether or not you are a fan of The Simpson's , you probably know that pufferfish are poisonous...a full step past inedible.  It was a miracle that Homer survived the novice sushi chef and its unlikely that spear fishermen are going out of their way to take puffers.  This sort of leaves Al Gore and habitat change. 

      But Stripe Belly Puffers are not extinct.  Just last night on the Honolulu news they reported a SBP biting a child somewhere on Oahu.  They had our mentor Jack Randall live on channel 8 telling us that this is unusual behavior for a pufferfish.  So they're still out there, just not in K Bay.

     The word on the street was that a big swell was coming in.  Before we could be boxed out I rounded up

Sofie says, "Kick up your pinkies at the Dog Beach!"

 my Canadian colleague Doug Rode for a trip to the Dog Beach.  Honokohau was calm as could be, unlike the day when Charles, Sofie and I braved the waves.  True to its name, there were dogs on the beach.  There was a great big Hawaiian with a great big Rottweiler and a couple other dogs.  We set out on the calm bay.  About twenty yards from shore I felt some scratching on my thighs.  Was Doug in trouble?  The scratching increased and I realized that a dog was attempting to crawl over my back.  I rolled over and the dog looked me in the face then bore off and continued swimming.  I thought it was inconsiderate for a dog owner to throw a lure where I was swimming, but there was nothing out there.  Doggy was just going for a swim and for some reason he wanted to swim in my lane.  That dog ain't got no manners.

    After our close encounter with a quadruped we had a pleasant swim in the warm clear water.  Heller's Barracuda was a no show, but Potter's Angelfish, the Black morph longnose and a female Hawaiian Hogfish were there, along with a pod of dolphins out in the channel.. 

    Finally, today I went solo to Paul Allen's Reef.  The swell is now coming in as promised and it was rock and roll out on the PAR.   It was a  very pleasant physical experience, swimming with the fishies in the warm surging water.  The water wasn't clear as it was chock a block full of bubbles. 

    Just after I made the turn for home, I encountered a small turtle.  After a heart to heart talk with my editorial board, I have chosen to embrace the turtle.  And today I want to share an epiphany with you, my six readers.  (May the Great God Ku bless and protect each and every one of you.)  When one encounters a turtle swimming free it is amazingly easy to get close and take a picture.  Over on K bay, if you try to get too close, some jerk is crawling up your bung holio, telling you how protected the turtles are.  Out on the PAR with the rollers breaking on the reef, maybe not so much.  Its just you and Senor Tortuga....But I digress. 

    The reason you can get close is that the turtle has a critical choice.  If it swims faster, it will use up its

The swell pounds the wall on the PAR.

 oxygen reserves at a markedly increased rate.  And it will have to surface soon.  If you're a turtle and you don't live in K Bay, deeper is safer.  This guy changed direction a couple times, leading me within a couple feet of the breaking waves on the wall of the PAR,  but he did not increase the rate or power of his strokes.   Turtles are not Albert Einstein.  They don't think this thing through...they have a hard wired algorithm that weighs heavily in favor of swimming economically.   all this aside, it was a blast swimming with the little turtle as the waves pounded the nearby reef. 

    Well, that's it from the PAR.  In the words of Crush (the paterfamilias turtle from Finding Nemo)  Ook ook a choo.

jeff