Mossman in Cozumel 2013 - Dive Day 2 photos

[Mossman]

No more guessing games.

 

[Mossman]

Or maybe one guessing game. Size is right for spiny flounder, but those are rare. Maybe a small channel flounder?

 

[Mossman]

View attachment 158212

 

[marcus8]

Peacock? Coz variety, not as flamboyant as the ones in Bonaire, but still quite lovely

 

[deborahdelamar]

Eyed Flounder. Common here. "Advanced" fish.
The REEF Fish ID Courses ROCK!!!

 

[chillyinCanada]

What's with these Coz fish, Greg? That Queen Angel looks almost as surprised to see you as the grunt was.

 

[Mossman]

View attachment 158213

---------- Post added June 27th, 2013 at 04:52 PM ----------

Eyed Flounder. Common here. "Advanced" fish.
The REEF Fish ID Courses ROCK!!!

I don't think so. Humann/DeLoach says eyed flounder has widely spaced eyes and two dark spots at the base of the tail. This guy's eyes are so closely set they're almost touching. Also it has the single spots along the lateral line and the widely-spaced dark vertical lines in the dorsal and anal fins.

I'm going with channel flounder. Where's my margarita?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Hmm, I dunno about anyone else, but I'm having a very difficult time identifying Attachment 158212 and 158213. On top of that, I'm actually on a pc instead of my smartphone. Oh well, gotta go and pack . . . and clean house.

Thanks for the pics Greg, keep 'em coming.

 

[deborahdelamar]

I see the two tail spots. There have been zero reported sightings of a Channel Flounder in the Mexican Caribbean over the last 10 years, so yours would be quite a find if it is a Channel. The closest locations where they were reported are the Cayman Islands and Belize. Per expert level surveyors, there was only one positive ID -- in Little Cayman -- none in Belize. Channels are primarily found in the Gulf near Veracruz and south of us in Bonaire, Curacao, southern Windward islands (Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad) and South America.

Would you like me to submit your high res to REEF for confirmation?

 

[Mossman]

Hmm, I dunno about anyone else, but I'm having a very difficult time identifying Attachment 158212 and 158213. On top of that, I'm actually on a pc instead of my smartphone. Oh well, gotta go and pack . . . and clean house.

Thanks for the pics Greg, keep 'em coming.

I just don't get it. When I first tried the guessing game, my filenames came through and spoiled the surprise. This time I left the file names in place, but they're renamed to "Attachment XXXXX" and are not displaying unless clicked.

158212 is simply a schoolmaster, you know them. It's more of the coppertoned variation, probably due to all the non-eco sunscreen being used in Coz

158213 is a blue-eye hermit.

---------- Post added June 27th, 2013 at 05:13 PM ----------

I see the two tail spots. There have been zero reported sightings of a Channel Flounder in the Mexican Caribbean over the last 10 years, so yours would be quite a find if it is a Channel. The closest locations where they were seen are the Cayman Islands and Belize. Would you like me to submit your high res to REEF for confirmation?

I can almost make out the two tail spots, so I'll grant you that, but why are the eyes so close set? According to Humann/DeLoach, that's what "easily" distinguishes the Channel from the Eyed (though of course they aren't so region-specific as to note the lack of sightings of the Channel in the Mexican Caribbean). Maybe it's a new hybrid, the Channel-Eyed Flounder?

I'll submit it to REEF only if they promise to name it after me if it truly is a new species.