Dive Report: Ft. Pickens Pensacola 08 Aug 2010

[Dave C]

Great pics as usual. I especially liked the fireworm and the jellyfish with the fish associated. As to the unidentified eel, at first glance it looks like some type of snake eel, which is in a totally different group than moray eels. However, I'm at work and don't have my reference books that I can consult. I will look this up later at home. I'm not even sure if snake eels are found nearshore in the Gulf of Mexico. In a quick search on-line, I found this pic of something called a "king snake eel" from an offshore fish survey in the Gulf of Mexico:
Google Image Result for http://manayunkia.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/sunset-retrieval-of-chevron-traps-2.jpg
Cursor down through the photos to see the snake eel. The head in the photo looks a little like the head in your photo. Snake eels live in burrows in the sand and often have their head sticking out. I've seen them out swimming along the bottom in the Caribbean. Morays live more in rocky areas.

 

[Hetland]

Color-corrected photos (some of them anyway) below:

 

[Puffer Fish]

Nice report and great images... Fort Pickens is such a interesting place... you got several images of things I don't have....and wish I did.

Thanks for posting

 

[Dr Dive]

Great post and pics, X. Wonderful as always. I've been a Pickens fan for years. There's always something cool to see there. Well worth driving over or taking a day to visit. Nice work.

 

[Dr Dive]

You too, Hetland. Great images. WOW!

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

Nice report

 

[MRXRAY]

Thanks all. Hetland, Nice shots. The one at the Organ is a real nice shot with the Anemone and the fish!

 

[Dave C]

Great pics as usual. I especially liked the fireworm and the jellyfish with the fish associated. As to the unidentified eel, at first glance it looks like some type of snake eel, which is in a totally different group than moray eels. However, I'm at work and don't have my reference books that I can consult. I will look this up later at home. I'm not even sure if snake eels are found nearshore in the Gulf of Mexico. In a quick search on-line, I found this pic of something called a "king snake eel" from an offshore fish survey in the Gulf of Mexico:
Google Image Result for http://manayunkia.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/sunset-retrieval-of-chevron-traps-2.jpg
Cursor down through the photos to see the snake eel. The head in the photo looks a little like the head in your photo. Snake eels live in burrows in the sand and often have their head sticking out. I've seen them out swimming along the bottom in the Caribbean. Morays live more in rocky areas.

I looked at my fish books and I am pretty sure this is a snake eel. It may be a "spoon-nose" snake eel, which is supposedly common inshore in the northern Gulf and occasionally is "found in the saltier bays". Good discovery. Just shows you never know what you may find if you are observant and spend enough time in the water.