This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 8:38 pm and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, Information, Sites, Snorkeling, Snuba. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Photo Courtesy Dr. Jack Randall
The Hawaiians called them núnú, which has no particular meaning, just a name. They are beautiful, but if you are a reef fish, or shrimp, they are deadly. The trumpetfish is an ambush predator. Capable of changing color to blend with their surroundings and its inhabitants, these fish can mimic sea grasses or hang upside down in the water column, nearly motionless, waiting for the right fish to swim below them, then quickly suck in their meal. According to Dr. Jack Randall, the ventral part of the mouth is elastic and membranous, with minute teeth, so the fish taken in can be longer than the predator’s mouth. They have been witnessed using several crafty methods. One is to swim with surgeonfishes and ambushing a smaller fish as the surgeons break up the schools then swim through. Another is to swim alongside a larger fish to make it easier to not be spotted, and yet another is to turn yellow and hang with the butterfly crowd. That way, hanging motionless, you would not be easily spotted. Anyone who think fish are stupid really don’t know their tactics at all. As we learn more about the different behaviors of individual species, we are always reminded that we know so very little, but the wonderful thing of it is the amount of knowledge we gain by observing leaves the true marine life lover thirsty to learn more.
There are only three species of this fish in the world. In Hawaii they are seen gray-brown, or yellowish orange-brown.
Snorkeling in Hawaiian waters couldn’t be more perfect this time of year. We are in the middle of very warm temperatures, both out of the water and in. The fish are waiting!
July 31st, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Sucking Trumpets Of The Reef | Maui Snorkeling Trips…
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