This adorable curlicue is a juvenile Liparis agassizii snailfish, ezo-kusauo (エゾクサウオ) in Japanese.
It is perched upon Undaria pinnatifida kelp, also known as wakame (which FWIW is yummy).
The little ones are...little, say 1-3cm or so stretched out (up to an inch-ish). At this size, Liparis agassizii juveniles are fond of wakame. The reason is obvious once you see this:
Intricate folds make for perfect hideaways. Small crustaceans and other kelp-residents probably make for tasty treats as well.
This species lives in the northern Pacific Ocean, more on the western side than the east it seems. It is related to Liparis tanakae, the species I wrote about at the end of last year. The adults are found in deeper water, down to 100m or so according to online sources.
I have never seen an adult, and I don't know much more about this fish. I cannot find any information on how this species reproduces, though I'd wager the process is similar to that of Liparis tanakae.
There is variation among the young ones. Some are striped, some have no patterns, some are polka-dotted. There are colour subtleties as well. I imagine this is for risk management on a species level. Different costumes = range of potential for remaining undetected—a matter of survival for small fishes with ambitions of becoming big ones.
Photographing little Liparis-es is often pure frustration. Kelp sways. It bends, folds, flops and flutters. Juvenile snailfishes blend in. They hide. And when they do decide to move, the clever little fish flip, zip and poof! vanish.
But every once in a while, one sits still and the kelp moves in exactly the right way.
