Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

This forum is for all other types of chatter, including non-SCUBA stuff.
Post Reply
User avatar
Scubie Doo
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3027
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:13 pm

Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Scubie Doo »

Hello all. I have been searching for lumpies in the shallows at Redondo and have been striking out. I thought maybe I was incorrect on the time of year when they appear is larger numbers. However, after searching my photos and dive log, I see that Dec-Jan are perfect times for lumpie sightings.

Just curious if others are seeing or not seeing lumpies. And does anyone have any additional data on when they are more abundant and/or their mating habits?
User avatar
YellowEye
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:08 am

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by YellowEye »

Hi Jesse!
This should be the time of the year. I've only seen 3-4 so far this year, but I haven't looked too much.
Visit pnwdiving.com for viz reports, slack planning, galleries and more!
User avatar
Penopolypants
NWDC Moderator
NWDC Moderator
Posts: 3906
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:37 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Penopolypants »

Where in the shallows are you looking? Usually when I see them they are south of the rope and at just about any depth.
Come to the nerd side, we have pi!
User avatar
YellowEye
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:08 am

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by YellowEye »

Note: I see them bunched up at particular depths. If I don't find them at one depth, I check another depth. Once I find one at a particular depth, I see others at that depth. The depth I find them at varies from dive-to-dive, usually between 30 and 5 feet. And often they're found on healthy-looking brown broadleaf kelp. But sometimes on eelgrass, sometimes on top of golfball sized rocks.
Visit pnwdiving.com for viz reports, slack planning, galleries and more!
User avatar
Scubie Doo
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3027
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:13 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Scubie Doo »

Penopolypants wrote:Where in the shallows are you looking? Usually when I see them they are south of the rope and at just about any depth.

That's the spot :) I know exactly where to find them. Problem is, they aren't there. I've tried various depths as YE mentioned. I will keep searching...
User avatar
fmerkel
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1037
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 6:45 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by fmerkel »

Last spring there seemed to be unusually large numbers of newly hatched lumpies. I thought maybe the loss of starfish provided for less destruction of eggs...maybe. I thought this winter might see a particularly good crop. Not so far, but then the weather has been poor, temps a bit higher, and viz in the shallows quite lackluster. I don't know if all/any of those conditions contribute, but something seems to be going on.
To Air is Human,
To Respire, Divine.
User avatar
enchantmentdivi
Amphibian
Posts: 806
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:24 am

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by enchantmentdivi »

The last time I dove Redondo was Thanksgiving weekend, following 2-3 particularly large storms. I noticed that a ton of eel grass had been ripped from the shallows, along with a lot of the pink/green aggregating anemones, and deposited down around 40 ft all along the shallow line. I took this as a bad sign for the lumpies. :(
Jenn
User avatar
Grateful Diver
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5322
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 7:52 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Grateful Diver »

I've seen a couple this year, but they're not out in anything remotely like the numbers I'm used to seeing this time of year. Not sure why ... perhaps it has to do with changes in water temp or quality. Sadly, I've watched Redondo (in particular, since I dive there so often) go through some remarkable changes over the past decade or so ... none of it good. I suspect some of it may be due to the changes they made in routing stormwater runoff into the water these past few years ... that stuff tends to poison the wildlife, particularly in the shallows and intertidal zone ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix

Come visit me at http://www.nwgratefuldiver.com/
User avatar
YellowEye
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:08 am

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by YellowEye »

This sucks!
Does anyone know if any formal studies have been done here?
Does the MAST center monitor the water quality?
Visit pnwdiving.com for viz reports, slack planning, galleries and more!
User avatar
ljjames
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2725
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:46 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by ljjames »

It could be all the freshwater and sediment has pushed them down a bit deeper than the formerly very prolific eelgrass bed?

+1 to what Bob mentions as well :( Polluted stormwater runoff sucks.
----
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
User avatar
YellowEye
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:08 am

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by YellowEye »

Seems like it should fire an alert in the REEF data base!
I wonder if they scan for population crashes
Visit pnwdiving.com for viz reports, slack planning, galleries and more!
User avatar
Tom Nic
I've Got Gills
Posts: 9368
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:26 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Tom Nic »

YellowEye wrote:Seems like it should fire an alert in the REEF data base!
I wonder if they scan for population crashes
If you want to see a population crash do a search for Ling Cod at inner Sound dive sites over the last 8 years, in 2 year increments. It is a precipitous drop, almost as much as the Sea Stars, but not quite.

Lumpies are not a commonly reported fish period.

Oh, and this is a great commercial for doing REEF surveys - the more done the better snapshot we have.
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
User avatar
YellowEye
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:08 am

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by YellowEye »

Ugg. The Lingcod crash could come from overfishing. Do you know about nudis?
Thanks Tom!
Visit pnwdiving.com for viz reports, slack planning, galleries and more!
User avatar
Tom Nic
I've Got Gills
Posts: 9368
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:26 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Tom Nic »

YellowEye wrote:Ugg. The Lingcod crash could come from overfishing. Do you know about nudis?
Thanks Tom!
The nudis are limited in the number of species that they monitor, and I've never run the nudi results in the surveys. You should drill around www.reef.org and play with they database. It is open to the public and there is no charge.

We combed the South side this morning and narry a lumpie, or much life at all in the shallows.

Bob's Reef has life on it - I was particularly pleased to see several Young of Year Brown Rockfish settled on the rocks and doing well.

Image

There were THOUSANDS of Shiner Perch down by the Carousel boat. It was crazy. I wish I had a better camera set up to shoot them wide angle.

Image
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
User avatar
Dusty2
I've Got Gills
Posts: 6388
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:04 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Dusty2 »

I noticed a big drop off in the nudie populations the last couple of years but it could be cyclic because it seems to be feast or famine with some of them. Things like clowns that at one time were everywhere got to be very spotty the last couple of years and the shaggies are much less common too. Both of which at one time were everywhere at Redondo. I think that the spinies may have spiked and now are in decline. I can remember when there were very few sightings. Our winter storms have had a very big impact at Redondo in particular.
User avatar
Grateful Diver
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5322
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 7:52 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Grateful Diver »

The winter storms may have had an impact, but I can't help but think that the reduction in life we're seeing there ... particularly in the shallows ... has more to do with the recent changes they made to the stormwater drainage system about four or five years ago. I don't think the correlation in timing between the two is coincidental ... stormwater runoff not only dumps pollutants into the water, it also changes the salinity and pH levels ... and that impacts habitat.

The more development ... the more pavement ... the more runoff we're dumping into Puget Sound. At some point, dilution simply can't be the answer anymore ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix

Come visit me at http://www.nwgratefuldiver.com/
User avatar
YellowEye
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:08 am

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by YellowEye »

I made the following graph of Redondo sightings with some data on the REEF db. Thanks for the pointer Tom! It seems to me that this data could be quite noisy and dependent much on the surveyor's dive path and where they're looking.
graph.png
Visit pnwdiving.com for viz reports, slack planning, galleries and more!
User avatar
Tom Nic
I've Got Gills
Posts: 9368
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:26 pm

Re: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Post by Tom Nic »

The roving diver tactic has been used by REEF from the start. It has its limitations, but provides useful data, if not comprehensively complete. One useful distinction is between "expert" data and novice.

I think it especially useful measuring trends over time, the Lines that I mentioned before.
More Pics Than You Have Time To Look AT
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
Post Reply