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Snorkeling Bonaire: Identification
Bonaire Talk: Snorkeling Bonaire: Archives: Archive 2001- 2007: Archives - 2006-03-01 to 2006-12-31: Identification
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Swain (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 4:25 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

While snorkling outside Bellafonte I saw what I think was probably an eel. It was a bright yellow with tiny black dots all over. Can anybody identify it for me please? I can't find it in the identification charts and I would like to know what it was was. Eel or snake?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cecil (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5262) on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 10:35 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

David almost certainly a Sharptailed Eel.

Sharptailed

There are no sea snakes in the Caribbean. Sharptailed are very cool to watch and if they are hunting will always have some buddies (typically snappers).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mara Mara on the wall (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1532) on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 10:53 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

David,

check out this prior thread (found it via yahoo actually) and see if this is the eel that you may have seen.

yellow eel

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Johnson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #275) on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 4:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It is an eel (there are no sea snakes in the Atlantic that I am aware of) -- my guess is sharp tail

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince DePietro (Bellevue Condos # 9) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #611) on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 5:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

David...Sea snakes breath air (none in the Carib).. The eels on Bonaire have gills like fish.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mara Mara on the wall (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1536) on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 5:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

This may be more like what he saw...

1

picture previously posted by Dennis Pod..(I'd butcher the spelling but it is from the link I posted)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Knobler (BonaireTalker - Post #46) on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 6:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

don't eels breathe through their mouths? I don't think they have gills, hence the open-mouth type pose

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By pat murphy (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1105) on Friday, December 15, 2006 - 2:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

mara, that's what i was picturing. it's reverse phase of either a spotted or chain moray i think. i'm sure someone will have the correct ID.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2623) on Friday, December 15, 2006 - 3:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Scott - eels do have gills and the mouth opening/shutting is the pump action to pass water across the gills.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Knobler (BonaireTalker - Post #47) on Friday, December 15, 2006 - 3:19 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

huh, thanks Brian. Bonairetalk people sure are an educated bunch, part of what makes this board great.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde Loo Hoo Who Was No More Than Two (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #432) on Friday, December 15, 2006 - 6:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Brian, YGM

 


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