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two Great Barrier Reef Clown Fish
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date: 5/9/2009
Author:Nick Brennan
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Weather: Sunshine with occasional isolated showers
Air Temp: 25.1ºC
Wind: North West 5-10 knots
Water Temperature: 23ºC
Water Visibility: 20m ~
Sea State: Calm
The great run of springtime weather continues here at Lady Elliot Island with very pleasant temperatures, light winds and sunshine! There were some ominous looking black clouds around for some of the morning providing a light shower or two but if anything, the clouds looked as pretty as a picture against the brilliant turquoise ocean and created a scene of intense colours.
The glass bottom boat had great conditions and gave guests the opportunity to get in with our abundant wildlife. The butterfly fish was one of the more striking fish that guests took interest. They watched as it procured coral polyps with its elongated mouth. The guide explained that the butterfly fish are a bit like the gardeners of the reef in that they eat the diseased and dying coral polyps, weeding them out and thus maintaining the overall health of the colony. The guide also showed some guests two Great Barrier Reef Clown Fish that were the residents of a magnificent golden anemone and retreated into its tentacles as snorkelers approached.
The guided reef walkers enjoyed the warm shallow pools of the lagoon that were teaming with fish and invertebrates. One of the impressive invertebrates that were seen today was the pin cushion sea star. It was actually in the middle of feeding on the coral when the guide showed it to guests and had its big sloppy stomach exerted completely out of its mouth. Guests thought this was a hilarious way to eat and imagined if we could go and do a trick like that on the buffet. The other interesting creature to capture guest’s attention was the Christmas tree worm. This creature’s larva actually starts off as plankton that then burrows into the reef and then stays sedentary for the rest of its life. They have the appearance of a Christmas tree with a layered fan like body part that filters plankton out of the water. As the group approached, the animal sucked its Christmas tree back inside the coral in a split second, proving that even though it is only a simple little creature it has very good reflexes. The group saw three Christmas tree worms today and they were very impressive; there was a blue one a copper coloured one and a red one.
It was then a very nice afternoon to relax on a deck chair in the sun with a cold beer or cocktail and enjoy the changing hues of the island as the sun set on another exciting day of discovery.
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Chevron butterflyfish - Nick
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