Need help with a Butterfly Fish.....

Dear WP Chums - me again!

Did a wonderful dive at a site in St. Vincent called Sub-Rock. Towards the end of the dive came across this chap swimming mid-water. Usually they scarper before I can get a shot, but this poor little fellow seemed dis-orientated and did not mind me taking a number of shots before it headed back to the safety of the rock face.

Sorry if I'm a bit of a dunce, but I can't find an ID - it appeared to be fully grown. I assumed that it was a Long Snout Butterfly fish, but it doesn't match the pictures that I have.

By the way on the same dive I spotted something that apeared to be a group of Strawberries, never seen them before so got a shot, and found an ID - Strawberry Tunicate, what an apt name - picture for your enjoyment!

Kay Wilson

Indigo Dive,

St. Vincent.

It looks like its a Bank Butterflyfish or Chaetodon aya. Mostly a deep water species so its disorientation may have been due to the fact it was shallow. Anyway, nice shot and definitely a keeper for your collection.

I don't think that it is Chaetodon Aya, I have a feeling that it might be a genetic variant of Long Snout Butterfly fish - Chaetodon Aculetus, but not being a scientist and all, am at a bit of a loss! The Long Snout does not have the dark line across the eye, this is yellow, and neither does it have a dark spot behind the eye.

Is it possibly a mix of Bank and Long Snout? Or just a different colour variety??

Thanks,

K

I don't think that it is Chaetodon Aya, I have a feeling that it might be a genetic variant of Long Snout Butterfly fish - Chaetodon Aculetus, but not being a scientist and all, am at a bit of a loss! The Long Snout does not have the dark line across the eye, this is yellow, and neither does it have a dark spot behind the eye.

 

Is it possibly a mix of Bank and Long Snout? Or just a different colour variety??

 

Thanks,

 

K

Ok not exactly sure what species of butterfly fish this guy is but I did find another picture of him online

http://www.johneasley.com/gallery/albums/U...tterflyfish.jpg

This might be a good one for Les Wilk, at first glance I thought it was a longsnout but I can see what you are talkin about with the black band across the eye. The other picture I found is exactly like yours, the dark spot, line and orange patch at the base of the tail (Yours looks to be a more mature specimen). Sorry can't be of more help, it may be just as you say a variant of a longsnout, same thing happened to me and my WHITE variant of a whitenose pipefish

Your other photo is of:

Strawberry tunicates, Eudistoma sp.

Marli

Sent my picture to Reef Net, and Les Wilkes replied with this message:

Hi Kay;

Yes, it's a longsnout. Our photos and videos of that species show a

wide variation in colour for the eye stripe, from pale orange to

dark brown. Yours is at the dark end of the spectrum.

Regards

Les

_______________

Les Wilk

ReefNet Inc.

www.reefnet.ca

So end to mystery!

Thanks All!

K