Bubbles from the Naturalist Jerry's tank - by Jerry Ligon

Juvenile Trunkfish-Bari's First

I have always thought that I have been privileged to live a life a bit unlike everyone else, especially since I discovered Bari reef here on Bonaire. Bari reef is a bit removed from the everyday world.  It is the #1 reef in the entire Atlantic for fish diversity.  Bari is now credited with 388 species, and the only competition for this title are other dive sites on Bonaire: Tori's reef is credited with 341, Something Special, 340, Front Porch, 331.  This data is compiled through the active fish surveyor program established by REEF (Reef Environmental Foundation) stationed in Key Largo, Florida.  By the way, of over 100,000 surveys turned in for the entire region of the TWA, Bonaire's reefs have accumulated over 19%, right here on this little tiny island, so it is obvious that divers know where to come to see many species and to enjoy outstanding diving conditions.  For Bonaire's fish list, the total species count has just reached 500 species with the inglorious addition of the Red Lionfish, back on 26 October, 2009 by 2 alert and well-informed guests from Bonaire Dive and Adventure who were diving on Nukove.

What makes this Bari Reef such a legend are the local experts-owners of the condos who have made Bari their living laboratory of discovery.  Other divers who visit for one or two weeks also make smaller contributions, but it takes consistent dives on one particular reef in order to know what is there and to recognize a new face when seen.  I'm speaking of Marge and Jim Lawson, Jim and Candace Platz, Cassandra and Franklin Neal, Jim and Judy Gradditch, Louis and Louie Petrich and Eileen Mcfarion.  Louie is the 11 year old who became the youngest to join my Century Club list by identifying over 100 species on ONE dive.  He also is now in the Expert Level of fish surveyors through REEF. I know of no other reef anywhere with the kind of talent that is displayed here on Bari Reef.

Just as one example, the Gradditch's discovered a tiny yellow, recently settled little tyke which they knew to be a member of the boxfish family.  Others that are also attention-getters within this family are the 2 species of trunkfish, Smooth and Spotted.  Their recently settled tiny juveniles are more like a pea with spots, and no visible means of transport.  They move around as if they have conquered levitation, and everyone is delighted to see one and they become the most looked for of special creatures on the reefs.  After Jim and Judy made this keystone discovery back in March, 2010, word spread and almost all of us regulars were delighted to finally add a yellow boxfish to our species list. 

Photos were taken of this initial find and its identity was determined to be Trunkfish, Lactrophrys trigonus, based on the photo in Reef Fish identification book by Humann and DeLoach.  There is a cautionary note under the photo of "Trunkfish Juvenile-about the size of a marble and too small to confirm identification to species.", on page 390.  Our identification was in error. The Trunkfish Juvenile was in reference to a trunkfish of some sort, and not The Trunkfish.  The caption should have read, "Boxfish Juvenile.. ."and not Trunkfish Juvenile.  The before and after photos taken a month apart show that what we had assumed to be Trunkfish, L. trigonus, which has no projections over the eyes and no lateral projections going by the photo in the id book.  So, if Humann and DeLoach had the photo captioned correctly, this mistake would not have been made, because the "after" photo, taken a month apart,  shows this little guy to now have sprouted horns over the eyes and to also has developed lateral projections, which now makes the identity Honeycomb Cowfish, Acanthostracion polygonia. 

Here are the before and after photos taken by Marge Lawson

Before photo, taken in March by Marge Lawson

After photo, taken in mid-April by Marge. Note development of tiny horns and the lateral projection.

So, what did we discover?  That the "experts" who write the identification field guides, and produce the videos, infrequently are incorrect or incomplete in their publications.  Yes, it is up to the hawk-eyed divers and photographers to help complete our knowledge.

I also want to mention Cassandra and Franklin Neal, who always dive using a flashlight, even in daylight.  They have learned how to discover an rare and beautiful eel called a Red-faced Eel, Monopenchelys acuta, which only grows to a length of 6 to 7 inches.  Field guide lists it as "extremely reclusive; hide deep within reefs and areas of large rocky rubble. . .shy; retreat when approached."  Franklin found one, last week, mid-April, 2010, on Bari at around 43 feet and not far from the Samur.  All together, they have found at least 12 Red-faced Morays, from many different dive sites, and seem to be the champions in finding this elusive species.

Photo by Cassandra Neal of Red-faced Moral.  Max size is 6 to 7 in.  Think of a soda straw, but orange.