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Bonaire Nature & Nature Organizations: Spotted black peas?
Bonaire Talk: Bonaire Nature & Nature Organizations: Fish and Sealife of Bonaire: Spotted black peas?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pierre Kaufmann (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Monday, February 6, 2006 - 11:28 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

When I was diving on Bonaire last week I saw this little thing bouncing around in amongst the corals that looke like a big black pea with yellow dots. I tried to take photos of it, but gave up because it wouldnt hold still enough for me to get a shot of it making things really fuzzy. anyone have any idea what this was?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1947) on Monday, February 6, 2006 - 11:36 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

It sounds like a juvenile trunk fish.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #16717) on Monday, February 6, 2006 - 2:02 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Darlene, I agree. Pierre, did it look like this? This is about the size of a small fingernail.

Picture taken by Tom Cousino
juve trunk fish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By pat murphy (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #789) on Monday, February 6, 2006 - 5:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

yep, a baby trunkfish. looks like a pea floating aimlessly in the water.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carl S (BonaireTalker - Post #24) on Monday, February 6, 2006 - 5:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

barb pic
Another one. Picture by Barb Sebestyen

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #16722) on Monday, February 6, 2006 - 6:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

And VERY difficult to photograph! They usually are in the coral and floating with the current or just swimming/floating and to get a picture of them isn't easy! I have one, but it's not as good as Barb's or Tom's above.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #587) on Monday, February 6, 2006 - 7:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Spotted black peas ... I always think of baby trunk fish as little marbles ... I sure do love them!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mare (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1278) on Monday, February 6, 2006 - 9:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think of them as little dice! Lucky little dice!
M

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eileen BT Mommy x 2 (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #9502) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 6:36 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

They are too cute!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pierre Kaufmann (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 7:56 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yeah! That looks like what I saw - especially Carl's shot. I think the one I saw was smaller and rounder tho. Thanks!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cecil (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4421) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 10:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

This is the one I caught last year.
Juvenile Smooth Trunkfish

They are cute. The funny thing about this one is the out of focus spots. They are on the fish! I have other pictures of the same fish with the same fuzzy spots. Since that time I have noticed this on other fish. It's god's way of making us all a little myopic.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dr. Director (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #124) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 1:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Attached are two photos of very small juvenile trunkfish, taken a year apart with a Canon S400. Both show how hard it is to really get them in focus.

description

description

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2305) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 2:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I believe fuzzy spots are God's way of confusing swimming predators, eaters or photographers.

If you can't bring your target into focus, you don't how far away it is, quite, so where do you strike. Or when does your camera's autofocus stop hunting??? And these little guys never stop moving so you can't really manually focus and it can be a long wait for one to swim into focus.

Ain't nature grand??!!??

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gail Thomas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #897) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 3:18 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think the smooth trunkfish became my favorite fish when I first encountered those little swimming balls and found out what they were. The teeny fins were going so fast, it was hard to tell that there were fins,and the head hadn't started to emerge yet, and so I swore that I saw little swimming marbles! What a design..... Mom Nature at her best!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2571) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 3:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dicefish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #16746) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 3:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Seb...wow...my new desktop

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Back to Jeanine, or is it Tribs? (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2011) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 6:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes Seb...what Cyn said!!!!

They are just so darn cute!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gail Thomas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #898) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 7:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Great capture, Seb! Did you pay him to pose for you?!! ;)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rona of Black Durgon Inn & Scuba Center (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 9:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Is there even a remora small enough? :-)

Great pics, and nice close-up Seb. I love these little guys.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #16754) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 10:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hmmm...Rona and the baby remora...;-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By wish I had gills (BonaireTalker - Post #48) on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 11:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Rona, of course there are remora's small enough.
This is the rare "pygmean spotted pea-fish sucker":
pea-sucker

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eileen BT Mommy x 2 (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #9509) on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:59 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wow! Great Pics!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pierre Kaufmann (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 7:42 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wow! Great pics - definitely no doubt what I saw now! Although I'm pretty sure there was no remora on the one I saw! :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2572) on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 8:59 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks guys, they are cute little fishes, ain't they?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #16757) on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 10:59 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Gills...LMAO...nice photoshop...

And I agree, they are cute, probably the cutest juve fish out there:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rona of Black Durgon Inn & Scuba Center (BonaireTalker - Post #32) on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 11:23 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Pierre, isn't it great to have a name to go with the identity.

Gills, something told me you would "have" a picture like that! I am still laughing!! Poor little guy.

With a miracle sighting of the rare "pygmean spotted pea-fish sucker", and the nurse shark, maybe we all need to dive with Gills!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Becky Hauser (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #220) on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Gills - LMAO!:-) Love the name!!!!

I agree with everyone else... they are the cutest little things ever!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Laura a.k.a. Snowfire (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #237) on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 8:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Are these little guys common? I hope so, 'cos I'd so love to see one. :-)

Also -- Is this where undersea critter questions go? The "Bonaire Nature" section of the forum doesn't seem to have any new posts in it...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #379) on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 11:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Laura,

Saw a few on our last trip, like anything else, once you learn to look for them you will see them.

As to your 2nd question, seems as good a place as any.

David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #16779) on Thursday, February 9, 2006 - 10:58 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Laura, my last trip was the first time I had seen one. I think because my buddies were not aerobic divers and we spent a lot of time looking and taking our time. They are in the shallower water, 35 feet and above, hang in the corals. And David's right, once you have seen one, you know where and "how" to look for them. I also saw a lettuce slug for the first time the last trip, and then of course, from then on, saw one on almost every dive!

And yep, if it's a critter question about something you saw/would see on Bonaire, this is the place:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael (Marty)DeReus (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Thursday, February 9, 2006 - 8:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cecil, I think the out-of-focus areas in your photo are due to the picture being taken through a very transparent pectoral fin. Do you think that's possible? They are still cute little guys, including the adults.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Beverly Fillio (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #181) on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 2:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

great pictures, hope there are some around this next month

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Laura a.k.a. Snowfire (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #259) on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 2:38 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cyn -- It's not, apparently. :-) My question about sea urchins has been moved to the "Nature" section.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (Moderator) (Moderator - Post #98) on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 2:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Laura, we just "created" that section as we didn't have a dedicated section prior to answer/ask Bonaire marine life questions. So, after the mods discussed, we created a new section, "Fish and Sealife of Boniare" and thus your thread was moved. We will need to move this one over there as well:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Laura a.k.a. Snowfire (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #264) on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 11:00 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Ah, I see. :-) :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Freddie Hughes {Moderator} (Moderator - Post #119) on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 11:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Moved by moderator to a more appropriate thread

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3034) on Monday, February 13, 2006 - 10:37 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I love "Bumperfish"!! Thanks all!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian Kempe (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Thursday, March 24, 2011 - 4:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We didn't have a name so we've been calling them coco puffs. I have three of something similar in my tank. I live on the beach in south Florida and go out daily scooping up Sargassum seaweed and collecting the fish that hide in it. Lately I have been finding fish that are the same size as a pea or smaller. They are dark greenish brown and almost perfectly round except for a tiny bump of a mouth. They have tiny pin point eyes and it takes a few moments of observing their movement to recognize them as a living creature especially since they are hiding among piles of rotting seaweed balls that look identical to these fish. Compared to the pictures here they have no spots. further while a hint of a short strip of fin can be seen on their rear, I cannot see any on their side, though I presume they are there just to small for the naked eye. The photos you have on here show fins clearly visible. They must be very close relatives at least. Ill try and get a good picture tonight. Side note. I recently caught a sargassum frog fish fully five inches long. Is that unusual.

(Message edited by lbts4me on March 24, 2011)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3288) on Friday, March 25, 2011 - 3:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Brian,

You will need to do as the biologists do and watch the tiny fish grow to find out who they become. Standard practice with new bitty things since fish change so much as they grow up.

 


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