Continuing with the cute motif that seems to be running through my Izu photos, here is a pair of whitespotted pygmy filefish (Rudarius ercodes), referred to locally as amime-hagi (アミメハギ).
When you see these fish in situ, they don’t look like much. Actually, they blend in with the seaweed and can be difficult to pick out from the background visual clutter.
Only after following one around for a few minutes did I notice the other one…not that it was hiding or anything…just that it was so well camouflaged I simply didn’t see it (though it was sitting in plain sight).
I watched as the two fish came together, flitted around one another, swam apart, came together again…and so on, their motion dictated in large part by the prevailing back-and-forth of the swell.
These filefish have signature pouty lips similar to the Japanese inflator filefish, but their lips aren’t quite the same shade of hot pink…more of a mature mauve maybe.
I noticed that as the swell peaked and reversed direction, the fish sometimes lined up nicely in the current, like a couple of weather vanes spun around by a shifting wind…producing a perfect pose for a piscine portrait.
I love these little guys. It always amazes me to see how thin their front profile is as well; packing so much into such a thin body — the silicon chip of the natural world.
Tony, your marine life encounters in Japan have been spectacular. That area certainly has some very unique marine life. Keep posting more.
One note, though… At first I didn’t think anything of it, but I couldn’t help but notice your are quite adept at lip stick colours. First “hot pink” and now “mature mauve.” You didn’t work for Estée Lauder before getting into the fish world.. Did you?
I’m liking the phrase “piscine portrait”
Laz…actually, I did. Not Estée Lauder, but similar. Long story, best told over a whiskey. The stronger the better.
Julian…I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have your official seal of approval
nice post, I often find myself chasing around these little filefish in deep waters. They seem to just stay out of camera range sometimes. you lined these two up really nicely.
Thanks Scott,
They lined themselves up just right several times in a row, so I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to notice the behaviour.
Tony,
Nice photo. I would like to visit/dive Japan but that would violate my warm water only vow….
This genus includes some of the smallest of the leatherjackets.
Hi Ron,
Surprisingly, it’s only taken me a couple of dives to grow accustomed to the temperate conditions…much easier than I’d anticipated!