Postcard from the Reef

Curled into the top of a coral head, dressed in nighttime camouflage colors, pretending to be part of the coral. Sitting still just makes it an easy target for the camera...

A Stripebelly Puffer (Arothron hispidus) in nighttime camouflage colors, 35' depth, Mahukona

I have occasionally seen these starfish tucked into the coral by day. When you see just a small part of the animal it is not immediately recognizable as a starfish, just a lump of something that does not match. They emerge at night to feed on the coral itself. Once in the open the five-fold symmetry begins to suggest that you might be looking at a starfish.

A cushion star (Culcita novaeguineae) on the sand at 40' depth, Mahukona

Get out of my face!

The fish seems to pay no heed to my strong mental shout. Some fish seem to follow divers around for a ways, maybe to see what potential food the diver might flush from cover.

OK? Not getting out of the way? Take this... [Flash!]

A Saddle Wrasse (Thalassoma duperrey) at 30' depth, Honokohau

I have found these fish in the daytime, usually deep inside a cauliflower coral and nearly impossible to photograph. By night they emerge to hunt. As with most scorpionfish, they are ambush hunters, sitting on the bottom and waiting for some hapless critter to come too close. Of course the habit of sitting still makes them ideal targets for a camera, they hold their ground even when the strobe goes off.

A Cheekspot Scorpionfish (Scorpaenodes littoralis) near the shore in 4' of water, Mahukona

Gliding across the sand, a handsome sea star catches my eye. These stars spend the day under the sand, hiding from the many predators that hunt with the light. In the darkness it rises and begins its own hunt. While two arms seem to be in the process of regrowing, the star is otherwise quite healthy. I wander off into the dark, wondering what prey the starfish is seeking, what will be eaten tonight.

A starfish (Luidia aspera) hunting across the sand at night, 40' depth, Mahukona

Yet another photo of a Whitemouth Moray Eel on a Kohala reef. Well? they are the most common moray to be found at scuba depths. At this point I have an extensive collection of Whitemouth Moray photos. They are common, photogenic, and quite cooperative, they sit still while you take the photo.

I only found three of them in the afternoon and evening of diving...

A Whitemouth Moray (Gymnothorax meleagris) in the reef at Mahukona

There is a swam of small fish that hover over the reef. In small groups or good sized schools, these fish congregate over prominent coral heads and around the tops of ledges. While many are only a few centimeters long, these are adult fish, the chromis. There are several species of chromis that are common on Hawaiian reefs. And common is the word here, they are everywhere, among the most common fish on the reef.

Blackfin Chromis (Chromis vanderbilti) at 30' depth, Honokonau

Deb spotted this one. I come over the coral head to find her gesticulating at a very large antler coral (Pocillopora eydouxi). These coral are always worth checking out, so many things live amongst the branches. These denizens are fascinating, and frustratingly hard to photograph deep in the branches.

This particular coral had a number of residents... A couple guard crabs and several fish, including this fellow...

Spotted Coral Blenny (Exallias brevis) at 15' depth, Honokohau

Reportedly common elsewhere in the islands, feather Duster Worms are fairly rare on our exposed Big Island Reefs. A nice surprise to see this one fully unfurled and just waiting for a portrait...

Feather Duster Worm Sebellastarte spectabilis in the coral at 25ft depth, Puako

Bright, vivid color, the flatworms are often easy to spot on the reef. The most common on Kohala reefs is the Fuchsia Flatworm. Easy to see where it gets the name...

Fushia Flatworm Pseudoceros ferrugineus at 15ft, Puako

I first thought it was a manta when it appeared over the coral. Manta are a fairly common sight in the bay. I called to the gals snorkeling a few yards away "Manta!" As my wife and her friend headed my way I got a better look, not a manta... an eagle ray. Fortunately for us this ray was in no hurry, and not particularly concerned for a trio of snorkelers on the surface above. It skimmed the coral in circles allowing us a very nice look.

All the years I have been diving in Hawai'i I had never seen an eagle ray. Another of those elusive creatures everyone else sees, just not me. Get back from a dive and half the group comments they saw rays, but not me. The day I can't join the group and dive they will see eagle rays.

Finally, I got to see an eagle ray... Now I will see them everywhere, just the way these things work.

An Eagle Ray Aetobatus narinari feeding on the reef at Wailea Bay

To dive in one of the FRA's is to see more fish.

The difference is remarkable, visible even to a casual diver. We dive up and down the coast, in and out of the FRA's. You just see more fish in a protected area.

In west Hawai'i a system of FRA's (Fish Replenishment Areas), also FMA's or MPA's, limit areas where certain fishing activities can take place. This includes the aquarium collecting trade, responsible for removing hundreds of thousands of fish from the reef each year.

It is hard to say is the reef is healthier, at least from a casual look, that much would take proper data. But the additional fish, particularly the grazing fish that feed on algae, has to have an impact. What we see on the reef is indeed borne out by that data... The effects of the FRA's are the subject of intensive study, and they clearly indicate improved fish populations and coral health in and near protected areas.

Racoon Butterflyfish Chaetodon lunula over the Puako reef at 25ft