Today's Photos

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

I for the first time saw a juvenile Chaetodon ephippium at the yacht harbor, 3cm. It was actively swimming around a rope to seek foods. A juv. of Ch. melannotus, 2cm was together.

The Saddle-back (or Saddled) Butterflyfish (Ch. ephippium) is not so rare in Miyazaki, but such a tiny one can not be encountered at shallow waters so often. It loves more unclear, sity areas. It was found at the depth of 50 cm. I am sorry for the poor photo.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This morning I found a pipefish, 10cm long at the surface, and also saw the Saddleback Butterfly that was swmming yesterday too.

This pipefish seems Chorythoichthys schultzi, but I am not so sure.

 

[jason edward]

It looks more like a Fistularia sp. to me... you are so lucky to be able to take pictures like that! Please, keep posting more, it is very interesing. Would love details of where you are located. Do you collect your own fish?

Jason

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

>It looks more like a Fistularia sp. to me...

Jason,

Many thanks and you are right !

I asked Dr. Senou yesterday and he replied that it was not a pipefish but a commetfish, as you pointed out. It seems Fisturalia commersoni rather than F. petimba (Senou). Anyway such a young is rarely seen in nature so he would like to add this photo to his web on FishBase of Japan. Yes, I have taken several photos of it and I will post some here soon.

This morning I could not have found it there. I always visit the same place, a yacht harbor of Miyazaki City, southeastern Kyushu, southern Japan, some 10 minutes from my home by car if the weather is good. I see every moving animal and photograph with a digital camera with a 'teleccopic lens' to magnify. I started this in June this year and now I have more than 400 photos, including those of 8 spp. of butterflyfishes.

Some are unidentifiable and I am to send a CD to Dr. Senou this week for his ID's.

Many thanks again.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

The same individual taken yesterday.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This week the climate was not so good but I found a group of batfish of 6 specimens, 15-20cm long at the same yacht harbor. They were feeding well on a jerryfish.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

I got a 11cm long Cirrhilabrus scottorum, male last night.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

I found a pipefish (this time it seems true) of 7cm long at the harbor.
You can see its rounded tail..... I cannot identify it yet.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This is a 5cm male of C. adornatus from Sumatra. It already has a vivid male coloration.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This is a male of Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, 9cm in display. I got it three days ago and it soon showed a gorgeous coloration frequently.

 

[Anonymous]

That last one is killer!

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

You have a wide variety of beautiful fish that you get to see in its natural habitat. That's awesome.

Great pictures!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Hiroyuki,

http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/Sp ... hp?id=6659

:?: :?:

It doesn't look exactly the same to me but it is the closest I could find.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Thank you , Matt.

I have no idea which species I have photographed, but you may be right.
The species, however, ranges the Ryukyus in Japan. Miyazaki is far north of the islands, and I will ask one of the describers today.

It needs better shots to identify correctly or needs to capture. In the yacht harbor people are prohibited to catch any animal, so I only take photos. It seems so easy to catch but probably needs a special permission......

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

The pipefish might be a new one (Dr. John Randall, & Prof. Yukio Iwatsuki of Miyazaki University). I was asked to catch it as soon as possible for Jack's examination. Thank you for your note. Matt.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

This morning I collected two pipefishes and a trumpetfish at the yacht harbor. Pipefishes seem a named one and perhaps differing from the one I saw there some time ago.

Here is the trumpetfish, 15cm. It is actively swimming in a small tank.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

It is a 6 cm long male of Paracheilinus cyaneus from Sulawesi. It is now exciting with blue area on body and head, but fins are still red.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

A male, 7cm, Paracheilinus carpenteri. It is an exciting coloration.

A young male (6cm) of Cirrhilabrus filamentosus.

A juv. of Cirrhilabrus balteatus from the Marshalls. It is only 4cm long.

 

[Len]

Excellent photos again, Hiroyuki! The juvie Cirrhilabrus balteatus looks nothing like the adults I know.

 

[Anonymous]

The pipefish might be a new one (Dr. John Randall, & Prof. Yukio Iwatsuki of Miyazaki University). I was asked to catch it as soon as possible for Jack's examination. Thank you for your note. Matt.

Wow! 8O