Fish ID Help from my Maui trip

[Kirgan]

All,

My wife and I were in Maui in June. While we were there we took some time to do both some snorkeling and some diving. On one of the days we were just snorkeling outside of the condo we rented, I noticed something fluttering on the sand below. As I went down to get close enough to take a picture, it covered itself a little with sand.

I took its picture, but I don't know what it is. Can anyone else tell me? I am trying to label all my pictures on my flickr site. This one and one or two others I haven't been able to ID yet. The URL to this fish is below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquatic_explorer/172526382/in/set-72157594173744592/

BTW, here is a picture of a toby that I have not been able to identify either. I did find one picture similar to it in a fish ID book I bought while there, but the specimen in the picture did not have the spots going all the way down its side - the spots ended at a white line. So, I wasn't sure if it was the same one or not. If you can identify this one as well & possible point me to a book or fish id web site that has a picture of it , please let me know.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquatic_explorer/172521842/in/set-72157594182101322/

Here is another one that looks like it might be the same type of Toby - even though it is a little lighter in coloration.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquatic_explorer/172522256/in/set-72157594173752127/

Thanks,

--Mike

 

[Vie]

The Toby looks like a Hawaiian Whitespotted Toby (Canthigaster jactator).

http://www.hawaiisfishes.com/fish_of_month/past_fom/fom_06_04.htm

 

[bluemagoo]

The first pic looks like a juvie stonefish/scorpionfish; don't know the scientific name but the generic Hawaiian word is "nohu". Fairly common and easily recognized by the bright orange flashes at the base of the pectorals when it's startled out of its rest position.

 

[friscuba]

Actually, I'm not sure if there's a scorpion fish in that picture or not. There is definitely a lizzard fish head covered in sand comimg down from the top of the page, you can see one of it's eyeballs and the outline of it's head and body. Part of it's nose and other eye is obscured by the the shell or whatever it is that looks like a scorpion fin. There may be a scorpion type critter in the photo but I can't readily tell.

Hawaii has several species of lizzardfish. At least one of them seems to like to burrow to where you can barely see it.

Now after a second and third look, it could be some type of scorpion, but that head shape just says lizzardfish to me.

 

[bluemagoo]

Hmmm, didn't think of that. It could very well be a lizardfish. But two things made me think "nohu": One, the triangular-shaped head (which is pointing up, slightly rightward, toward the "2006") looks stumpy and bulky; something you'd expect of a fish that feeds by vacuum-effect. I picture a lizardfish head as being more torpedo-like streamlined. Second, at both rounded bottom corners of the head, there looks to be shell-shaped fan of brown centered and outlining each corner. This reminds me of the stonefish's pectoral fin flash; it's usually orange but a yellowish brown or plain brown is not at all unusual. I'm not sure what to make of what appears to be a fairly thick dorsal fin lying sideways at the bottom of the picture but somehow it just doesn't seem right for a lizardfish. I also imagine seeing a few thick dorsal spines between the bottom corners of the head. Anyway, a clear view of the rest of the body or swimming motion probably would've settled the id.

 

[Shaka Doug]

I think you got yourself a picture of a juvenile scorpionfish. There's no lizzardfish in this shot. First I rotated it and then I did a little color correcting and cropping and this is what I got. Part of the right pectoral fin is below the sand.

DOH! I can't seem to ad in the attachment. I'll try PM'ing you my new picture and maybe you can upload it.

 

[KrisB]

I'm with Vie on the Toby, and Doug on the Scorpionfish... though it might not be a juvenile, but a smaller species.

 

[Kirgan]

Thanks for everyone's help. It sounds like everyone is in agreement with the Toby, so I'll consider it identified.

As to the other fish, if you haven't tried looking at the higher resolution versions of the picture - that may help with the ID attempts. To do this, once you pull up the picture, you can go to the right side of the web site and most of the way down on the page - under "Additional Information". There you will see an option for different sizes. Select that and you can pull up the picture listed as the original. It will be a much higher resolution picture, so you should be able to see a lot more detail.


--Mike

 

[justleesa]

Sorry, bit late on this - I agree it is a devil scorpion - I can see the spines and the hump just behind its eyes.

This is what we have posted about the Hawaiian spotted toby in our Meet the Locals forum

 

[friscuba]

OK, I see it now. I was looking at it from a different angle, thought I saw a buried lizzardfish looking downward. Funny how a change in perspective changes what you see.