405_April_24

MARINE BIOLOGY WITH MIKE SCOTLAND - FISH IDENTIFICATION

Raja Ampat GEOGRAPHICAL DIFFERENCES: Here are four photos of Clown Triggerfish. You would expect some variation in their appearance.

Mirror Mirror on the wall. Who is the NASTIEST Triggerfish of all? Without a doubt, it has to be the insanely ferocious Yellowmargin Triggerfish, Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus , They can grow to half a metre and have massive, lethal teeth. I dived with these terrors at Layang Layang in the South China Sea North of Borneo. They attack without much provocation if you get closer than ten metres. The dive guides told me that during the mating season, you simply cannot dive anywhere near these fish. They are so violent and dangerous and will attack without provocation . We were there a week or two before the mating season. You

See if you can spot any subtle differrences in spot patterns or colouration.

copy of the toxic Pufferfish in every way except for the longer see through dorsal fin. The only difference between the fish is the length of the second dorsal fin. I noticed that two of the six baby Pufferfish were actually baby Leatherjackets. What brilliant camouflage! This is a perfect example how the appreciation of mimicry in nature is vastly enhanced by a little knowledge. Marine Biology really does improve your enjoyment of diving in so many ways. Most of us frequently swim past extraordinary animals without realising if they are significant or important simply because we do not know any better. So it is nice to be able to appreciate little treasures when you chance across them. In my humble opinion, the best way to save the planet, so to speak is to educate divers and the general public. Put simply, my passion for marine biology is really designed to get divers to look more closely at the marine life. Once you look closer, a whole world of appreciation opens up and your rewards will be a never ending story of wonder. As you learn many of the tiny little secrets that marine life have, you continually find yourself totally engrossed in the magic to be found in the sea. For more information on Triggerfish look at Tropical Pacific Reef Fish ID by Allen, Steene, Humann and DeLoach. Or Rudy Kuiter’s Coastal Fishes. www.divelog.net.au

Fiji

Layang Layang Borneo

could see them charging at top speed from fifteen metres away and then suddenly stopping about a metre from you. In the peak mating season, they keep coming and bite.

Thailand

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DIVE LOG Australasia #404 - February ‘23