a new one on me ...

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 9:16 pm

As I mentioned in another thread, today was a day of firsts ...

- Valerie's first doubles dives
- Rachel's first cold water and first drysuit dive
- My first dive with the new camera
- My first sighting of a certain type of fish

That last one is featured in the following photo show. Valerie identified it as a quill fish or some such ... it's pretty cool looking, as you will see.

Ain't often I get to see something new in Cove 2 ... sure glad I had a camera with me ...

http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/rv8ym2xQ

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Pez7378 · Post by **Pez7378** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:42 pm

As usual Bob, Great (ful) photos! That snakey looking quill fish is cool!

I took my first series of photos with a friends camera (same set-up as yours and everyone elses it seems) at Cove2 last week. NOT EASY!

I am most proud of the small Octo although I did get a nice photo of a red flabellina and another yet un-identified nudi...... white spiky guy with lines through the cereta? yellow tipped with white points.....kinda like a variable dendronotid yet kinda like a white lined dirona?? I dunno, whatever it is its not in Whelks to Whales!

Looks like its almost time for both a fish ID and a photography course!!

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:50 am

OH WOW, OH WOW, OH SUPER WOW!!!!!! It is indeed a Quillfish - Ptilichthys goodei.

Bob, that is a FANTASTIC sighting!!!

Even cooler than a Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker!

Jeff at the aquarium says these guys are only seen within a 6 week window each year - so do your looking NOW I'd say!!

Great photos - I stand in awe!!

Love that underslung jaw - isn't it cool?

Consider yourself one of the very privileged few to have seen this one!

- Janna

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:11 am

Wow, Bob! A Quillfish! Now THAT'S cool! I've never seen one!

Diver_Dave · Post by **Diver_Dave** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:21 am

Right on Bob Nice photos thanks for showing us that guy..I have never seen one before...

Jan K · Post by **Jan K** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:39 am

Superb! Right time at right place and right guy with camera!

divernick · Post by **divernick** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:29 pm

Nice pics of the quillfish! Anyone know why they're only seen during that 6 week window?

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:41 pm

I suspect that they normally inhabit deeper waters, and come up to the shallows (like a lot of fish) to spawn or file their taxes or something.

- Janna

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:00 pm

nwscubamom wrote:OH WOW, OH WOW, OH SUPER WOW!!!!!! It is indeed a Quillfish - Ptilichthys goodei.

Bob, that is a FANTASTIC sighting!!!

Consider yourself one of the very privileged few to have seen this one!

- Janna

Yes, I stand in "elite" company apparently....

-Valerie
(regretting not having her camera since she was trying new gear...)

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:47 pm

Well Valerie,

Silly me thought it was just Bob who saw it!!!

OK, so let's hear some of the circumstances surrounding the sighting! And you better fill out a REEF form too (which indubitably you have already!)

- Janna

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:41 pm

nwscubamom wrote:Well Valerie,

OK, so let's hear some of the circumstances surrounding the sighting! And you better fill out a REEF form too (which indubitably you have already!)

- Janna

Of course! You think I'd let a rare sighting like that go un-surveyed? I plan on printing out some of Bob's pix too (with photo credit given, of course) so the REEFers won't think I was narced or something crazy.

So, we were swimming along at 62 feet and we both spied this wormy, spaghetti looking thing. Clearly not a pipefish because of it's twisty, squirmy movement, but very cool. Tiny little head, but clear protruding lower jaw. Very very cool.

Looked it up ASAP when I got home

and squealed with delight when I'd ID'd it. Called Bob's cell and left a message (he was back in the water).

Coolness!

-Valerie

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:48 pm

Nice pic Bob! What was your depth at sighting?

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:07 am

Zen Diver 2 wrote: So, we were swimming along at 62 feet and we both spied this wormy, spaghetti looking thing.

I'm gonna guess it was about 62 feet. <ducks>

- Janna

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:14 am

Now I'm wondering if what Tom and I saw at Three tree was a quill fish.
Tom only got video no pics. Tom, can you upload the video?

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:04 am

nwscubamom wrote:
Zen Diver 2 wrote: So, we were swimming along at 62 feet and we both spied this wormy, spaghetti looking thing.
I'm gonna guess it was about 62 feet. <ducks>

- Janna

Ahh, the hazards of not reading the entire post.

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:24 pm

BASSMAN wrote:Now I'm wondering if what Tom and I saw at Three tree was a quill fish.
Tom only got video no pics. Tom, can you upload the video?

No, it was definitely NOT a quillfish... definitely a worm of some sort... and I'm working so hard on uploading Day Island Wall pics I've had no time!

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:54 pm

Tom Nic wrote:
I'm working so hard on uploading Day Island Wall pics I've had no time!

What, you're not done yet?

-Valerie

Diver_Dave · Post by **Diver_Dave** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:37 am

No, it was definitely NOT a quillfish... definitely a worm of some sort... and I'm working so hard on uploading Day Island Wall pics I've had no time![/quote]
Looks like a Quillfish to me...Looks the same as in the books ..

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:31 am

Diver_Dave wrote:No, it was definitely NOT a quillfish... definitely a worm of some sort... and I'm working so hard on uploading Day Island Wall pics I've had no time!

Looks like a Quillfish to me...Looks the same as in the books ..[/quote]

Tom Nic was talking about his dive with Bassman. Bob's is definitely a quillfish.

Diver_Dave · Post by **Diver_Dave** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:33 am

Oh I see,was just giving Nic crap lol...

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:58 pm

Tom Nic wrote:
BASSMAN wrote:Now I'm wondering if what Tom and I saw at Three tree was a quill fish.
Tom only got video no pics. Tom, can you upload the video?
No, it was definitely NOT a quillfish... definitely a worm of some sort... and I'm working so hard on uploading Day Island Wall pics I've had no time!

Dudes... read the post!

:-) Bassman was talking about what we saw at 3TN, not Bob's pic! Bob's is a quillfish, Bassman and I were "attacked" by a fast, cool looking, wormy thing that I have video of but no time to edit and upload... (because Val and Sounder insisted that I get the Day Island pics up!) :-)