Corals in the wild

[Gregcoyote]

Was a underwater photographer for a while and I am going to post some shots of stuff you won't see at the LFS.

This is a grove of black coral shot at night at about 120' of water. This is about as shallow as this coral will grow in the wild. A big piece of red fire coral sits alongside to guard it. Yes, when it's alive it is white. Shot on Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman where a huge pirate battle was fought.

[Gregcoyote]

While not a coral, he sure likes them. A nice sleeping parrot fish. A subfamily of the wrasse, this guy was about 60 pounds. Largest I ever photographed was 4' and approximately 300 pounds...it was a big supermale like this one. Will post pictures of it later. A smaller 12" parrot will make up to 90kg of white sand per year as they digest stoney coral fragments. You can just see his pajamas, it is a cocoon of mucus he spins around himself at night.

This fish is the definition of not artificially reef safe. Maybe a smaller one...

[Gregcoyote]

My wife Debbie getting cleaned on a night dive. While not a coral (although it is a coral banded shrimp...) it was a funny shot as this big shrimp decided she was ready for a cleaning. Shot in Hawaii.

[Gregcoyote]

Anyone guess what this is? Shot in the wild. Starts with a "T"

[Rutrag]

Tunicates?

[Gregcoyote]

Yep...tunicates.

[Hondatek]

Tunicates is that a coral or a type of anemone ?

[Gregcoyote]

They are really neither, they are an invertebrate of the family Chordata. There are about 3000 species in this family also known as sea squirts. A total filter feeder that is all over the reef and competes with corals. Can be kept in a reef but must be feed.

[Hondatek]

Very interesting . I think I will learn a of different things from this thread . Thanks

[Gregcoyote]

My new avitar is a spotted moray that I liked to feed. He was about 4' long and very near sighted as all morays are. You have to be careful when feeding them and let go of the food just inches from his jaws or he will not smell it. When he does, his strike is as fast as a snakes. I fed all sorts of moreys for years and never got bit, but did have to abandon my scuba gear once as a big morey got into it with me looking for more food. Not recommended you do this by hand at home.

[Gregcoyote]

Simon enjoys watching the reef.

[Gregcoyote]

Last shot for today. Fish eye view.

[Rutrag]

Originally Posted by Gregcoyote

My new avitar is a spotted moray that I liked to feed. He was about 4' long and very near sighted as all morays are. You have to be careful when feeding them and let go of the food just inches from his jaws or he will not smell it. When he does, his strike is as fast as a snakes. I fed all sorts of moreys for years and never got bit, but did have to abandon my scuba gear once as a big morey got into it with me looking for more food. Not recommended you do this by hand at home.

If you look on YouTube (and I saw the full story on the Discovery Channel I beleive), there is a guy who hand fed a very large green moray (I think) hot dogs. It got his thumb one day and wrneched it off. They actually removed his second largest toe and surgically replaced his thumb with it. Neat story but lesson learned.

I snorkeled in Hawaii and they had a sign on the beach warning of the dangers of the local wild life that was made up like a cartoon. They had a moray singing "Put your hand in a crack and you won't get it back. That's a moray!" (To be sung to the tune of "That's amore."

[Sqasnatch]

That's hilarious, not the guy getting bit put the tune.

[redsea]

WOW, I would love to do that! Was it difficult getting your SCUBA license?

[FTMMWS]

Thanks for sharing,,great shots
I saw that video also

[Gregcoyote]

Originally Posted by redsea

WOW, I would love to do that! Was it difficult getting your SCUBA license?

No, but you need to be comfortable in the water and know how to swim. I worked as a assistant dive instructor for a few years and we taught many different kind of people how to dive. Kids learned fast because they have no fear...but they are a bit of a challenge because of this as well.

And yes, feeding Morays is very dangerous. A bit like feeding sharks. Not recommended to ANYBODY. It is what I chose to do and was lucky to not get a scratch. Using a feeding stick is recommended, but the problem is the fish will smell your food and may become quite aggressive in trying to rob you of it.

[Gboy66]

Originally Posted by Gregcoyote

No, but you need to be comfortable in the water and know how to swim. I worked as a assistant dive instructor for a few years and we taught many different kind of people how to dive. Kids learned fast because they have no fear...but they are a bit of a challenge because of this as well.

Lol ya i went scuba diving last spring! Im very comfortable in the water red sea, so it was definitly easy. We actually saw a moray, and some massive pipe fish. Even witnessed probably 30 yellow tang cleaning a sea turtle's shell

I plan on getting my full scuba certification for my birthday in a month

[Gregcoyote]

The business end of a very large Jew Fish. About the size of a small couch. You would probably need at least a 90 gallon aquarium to house this fish...

[Sqasnatch]

If it was the size of a small couch, wouldn't you need like a 900 gallon to house him