Klausi

Are you in Okinawa?

Yes. What happens with the whalesharks is the following: Okinawan fishermen used to catch juveniles once in a while as a bycatch. They would always release them. Then, once they caught one which had gotten injured in the process, and put it in a net-cage to nurse it back to health. Then, divers showed up and payed for swimming with the animal. Thus, the fishermen had discovered a new source of income, and from then on the whalesharks did not get released anymore. There is a net-structure in Yomitan where you can do a dive with them for a hefty fee .... Not ecologically responsible at all, but not an introduced species either. I believe Jim Winters had posted a report about this on Wetpixel a while ago.

Thank you all for the feedback. Yes, K. rumengani seems like a very good suggestion, after checking on fishbase. True, according to fishbase this is an Indonesian species, but I'd be very surprised if anyone would have brought this animal to Okinawa for the tourists. Most of the tourist divers here are happy enough when they see some sergant major damselfish being fed So, the range of this fish is larger than previously assumed? Unfortunately these are the 2 only shots I have, I need to get back there on the weekend and look for it again. Best, Klaus

Hi All, I took a picture of a seahorse, which I believe is a juvenile. Does anyone know which species that is? The picture was taken at Yamada point, on the West coast of Okinawa, Japan, a "muck" diving area, ~ 18 m, sandy, with a lot of fish life clustered around some net and concrete structures. The animal was ~ 4 mm long, and hiding at the side of a rock. The pictures might not be the most artistic ones, but it was difficult to aim the lens there, and I think you can all see what the fish looks like. Btw, there were also harlequin ghost pipefish in the area, but I don't think that's a juvenile Solenostomus paradoxus. If you have any idea which species that is, let me know. And, thanks again to my spotter Miho who found this miniature, well camouflaged fish! Klaus

Nice pictures! It is hard to say, but I would guess it is a species of frogfish? Where exactly did you take the pcitures? Best, Klaus