The Eyes Have It!

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 8:09 pm

(Sounder sings the Buffalo Sculpin song, swaying back and forth, with hands in the air)

Maverick · Post by **Maverick** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:19 am

Bob is yours a salmon? I know it might be hard to take a picture of a salmon but maybe you didn't take the picture.

Maverick · Post by **Maverick** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:25 am

is #6 a mosshead or decorated warbonnet, John?

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:30 am

Maverick wrote:Bob is yours a salmon? I know it might be hard to take a picture of a salmon but maybe you didn't take the picture.

I did take the picture, and it's not a salmon.

Hint ... I took the picture on a night dive at Redondo ... and it's a fish you'll see there on almost every night dive ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Maverick · Post by **Maverick** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:36 am

is it a surf perch or shiner perch?

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:41 am

Maverick wrote:is #6 a mosshead or decorated warbonnet, John?

That would be a......NEGATIVE! $\:D/$

Remember the hint that I gave earlier - I said earlier that it IS a Sculpin of some kind.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:42 am

Maverick wrote:is it a surf perch or shiner perch?

Nope ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:42 am

John Rawlings wrote:
Maverick wrote:is #6 a mosshead or decorated warbonnet, John?
That would be a......NEGATIVE! $\:D/$

Remember the hint that I gave earlier - I said earlier that it IS a Sculpin of some kind.

Sailfin Sculpin?!

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:50 am

Tangfish wrote:
John Rawlings wrote:
Maverick wrote:is #6 a mosshead or decorated warbonnet, John?
That would be a......NEGATIVE! $\:D/$

Remember the hint that I gave earlier - I said earlier that it IS a Sculpin of some kind.
Sailfin Sculpin?!

I already guessed that ... and then remembered that sailfin sculpins have a large dark stripe through their eye.

I'm gonna guess that it's a scalyhead ... and now that I'm typing it, I think I already guessed that too ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:53 am

Hint on #9, since no one is even guessing...

-Photo taken on a Night Dive at Redondo, and is the only one I've ever seen.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:04 am

Tom Nic wrote:Hint on #9, since no one is even guessing...

-Photo taken on a Night Dive at Redondo, and is the only one I've ever seen.

Bay pipefish?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:23 am

Grateful Diver wrote:
Tom Nic wrote:Hint on #9, since no one is even guessing...

-Photo taken on a Night Dive at Redondo, and is the only one I've ever seen.
Bay pipefish?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Nope. Bigger!

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:35 am

Grateful Diver wrote:
Tangfish wrote:
John Rawlings wrote:
Maverick wrote:is #6 a mosshead or decorated warbonnet, John?
That would be a......NEGATIVE! $\:D/$

Remember the hint that I gave earlier - I said earlier that it IS a Sculpin of some kind.
Sailfin Sculpin?!
I already guessed that ... and then remembered that sailfin sculpins have a large dark stripe through their eye.

I'm gonna guess that it's a scalyhead ... and now that I'm typing it, I think I already guessed that too ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

DING DING DING DING and DING!

Bob GOT it! It IS a Scalyhead Sculpin! I'll post the photo when I get home and have access to it.

- John (Whew!)

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:38 am

Tom Nic wrote:
Grateful Diver wrote:
Tom Nic wrote:Hint on #9, since no one is even guessing...

-Photo taken on a Night Dive at Redondo, and is the only one I've ever seen.
Bay pipefish?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Nope. Bigger!

Slender cockscomb? I saw a couple of those there last night ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Maverick · Post by **Maverick** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:48 am

Bob is yours a gunnel?

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:02 am

Maverick wrote:Bob is yours a gunnel?

Mine is not a gunnel.

Another "guess" at Tom's would be snake prickleback, although you should be seeing lots of those on night dives at Redondo ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:14 am

Hey Tom,

My bet is that yours is a Blackbelly Eelpout.

- Janna

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:38 am

nwscubamom wrote:Hey Tom,

My bet is that yours is a Blackbelly Eelpout.

- Janna

Ding Ding Ding Ding! At least, I hope that is what it is! It is the first I've seen, though not uncommon from what I'm told.

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:52 am

Yours is indeed a Blackbelly Eelpout, and sadly one of the things that gave it away was the start of a purplish tumor under the eye, typical of this species at Redondo. :(

- Janna

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:57 am

Shows ya what I know ... I'd have thought that thing in the picture was a northern ronquil.

Anyway, that's not what my eye in #9 is ... and it's the only one unguessed at this point ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:59 am

So THAT'S what that pink color is! I've spent a BUNCH of time trying to figure out Tom's shot and, frankly, I didn't have a CLUE!

Great one, Tom! I learned something new! And major kudos to Janna for coming up with the answer!

- John

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:02 am

Grateful Diver wrote:

I'm really stumped on this! The only fish I can think of that I see on night dives at Redondo that I don't normally see during the day there would be Sailfin Sculpin and Blackbelly Eelpout....and neither of those fit. Give us another hint, Bob!

- Janna

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:10 am

nwscubamom wrote:Yours is indeed a Blackbelly Eelpout, and sadly one of the things that gave it away was the start of a purplish tumor under the eye, typical of this species at Redondo. :(

- Janna

Yikes! Who would have known?

Too bad about the tumor... any idea of cause? Nice to know I was right, and thanks for the definite ID!

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:27 am

nwscubamom wrote:
Grateful Diver wrote:

I'm really stumped on this! The only fish I can think of that I see on night dives at Redondo that I don't normally see during the day there would be Sailfin Sculpin and Blackbelly Eelpout....and neither of those fit. Give us another hint, Bob!

- Janna

Don't get too hung up on the night dives part ... I just see them more often then. It's a very common Redondo sighting.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:41 am

Here's an easy one... #11