Strange looking fish at Saltwater State Park

[nwscubamom]

Georgia and I dove the new reef at SPP yesterday, and on our way back in after exploring the reef, in probably about 20 feet of water, we found this guy. Very weird coloration/pattern. After looking closely at the pics I think it's a Male Kelp Greenling - but what's going on? Mating colors? Guarding eggs? What? He did stick around the same general area - made a loop when spooked.



Have you seen anything like this before? I hadn't.

- Janna

[CaptnJack]

Yup male kelp greenling. Pectoral fin rays, head shape, and behavior are giveaways along with the "blue" spotting which looks like its just starting. I suspect he's just transitioning into a mature adult hence the dark rear, or he might just be weird.

[nwscubamom]

I think he's just weird - because he was full grown in size anyway. Georgia thought he was a ling at first glance! I wasn't sure WHAT it was...But his baby blue spots are a good giveaway.

[CaptnJack]

I think that greenlings are the only fish with spotted or 'dashed' pectoral rays. More than anything those wide pectoral fins + spotted rays scream "greenling" to me. I am not sure if Rock Greenlings are similar or the same, I will have to look at the Aquraium sometime

[nwscubamom]

Good thing to look for! I'll have to pay closer attention to their fins when I see them next. Thanks!

[whatevah]

I think he's just weird - because he was full grown in size anyway. Georgia thought he was a ling at first glance! I wasn't sure WHAT it was...But his baby blue spots are a good giveaway.

Unusual for sure, Janna. At first glance I think he has a lot in common with Whitespotted Greenlings. I've seen a few youthful female Kelp Greenlings that could easily be confused with a Whitespotted Greenling, but I don't think I've ever seen a male with coloration like in your photo.

[Scott G]

Hi Janna,

FWIW, i see coloration like that often, being as that i'm estuary diving so much... i can't honestly tell the white spotted's from the immature kelp greenling at quick glance... and (as you know) they are generally very skittish... so i've kind of given up...

good factoid about the dashed pectoral rays...

Scott

[LCF]

Yeah, my first thought was that it was a white-spotted greenling. I've seen a number of fish that look like this at various sites, and when I looked them up, that was the closest I could get.

[Maverick]

first thing that came to my mind was kelp greenling based only on the pectoral fins and head, then i saw the blue dots. I don't think its a whited spotted ling because they don't have blue, even juvi's lack them, as far as i have seen, or heard of.

[nwscubamom]

It does look a lot like some kind of cross between a white spotted, and a Ling, and a Kelp Greenling, doesn't it? Now, here's another shot of just the head, after he had moved positions to another location. You can easily see the blue blotches with little black dots around them, that are a key ID to the male Kelp Greenling.



I was going through my photos today, because I remembered that Rhoda Green had sent in one a couple years back of a male Kelp, also with similar patterning/blotches. Here's her shot:



- Janna