saw this pic on MSNBC - says this jack-knife fish is often mis-identified as a juve drum...



i'm sure i am guilty;)

ok...we may be safe;)

our juve spotted drums all have a spot on the nose - this jack-knife fish does not...

FYI

Does this mean I have to look at all these little noses!

Bob, you are correct. jack-knife fish. It does look like a juve spotted drum. I saw a pic of one for the first time last week. Had no idea they existed!

Bob, your fish IS and intermediate spotted drum. I received this from a friend.

"In layman's language, as an intermediate the dorsal fin of a Jackknife fish is in the shape of an "L" while the Spotted Drum is a "C". Clearly this is a "C". As adults the differences are obvious."

I think I'm going to have to order the Fishes of the Caribbean software...

here is a photo of a spotted drum juvy
oops hold on..

(Message edited by Scubahb on August 15, 2006)

lets try again..
well that didn't work lets see if I can make it bigger...

(Message edited by Scubahb on August 15, 2006)

This is a good pic of a jacknife fish.

One more

Definitely see the "L" in the pics...and the "C" in the above pics...sure hard to tell though!

ok try once more.. this spotted drum has the distinguishing nose mark..

This one clearly has an "L". The one above looks like a Juvy spotted drum to me.

Here's a link to a juvenile high hat:
http://members3.clubphoto.com/_cgi-bin/members/compact_slide_show.pl?album_item_id=98903631

And another:
http://www.dive-st-vincent-scuba-diving.com/PhotoGallery/2003Mayhew/images/WMayhew_2003_018.jpg

here is a pretty good site as well..
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com/PhotoG/Gallery.asp?Photog=tisg

ere'sa link to the photo I tried to upload (no time to mess with the file size.)

http://www.aquahouse.biz/graphics/underwater11.jpg

thanks Susan, I thought the stripes went a different way on the high hat

(Message edited by Scubahb on August 15, 2006)

Of course, you're talking about JACK KNIFES !! Doh!!

Well, this one is identified as a jackknife but sure looks like a High Hat...
http://www.jujeebeads.com/gallery2/d/1033-2/roll3019.jpg

So they ARE the same! Doh, again!

Serves me right, doing this from work with no Humann available.

I guess the juveniles can be difficult to distinguish, especially the youngest ones. But speaking of Bonaire specifically, I've seen a zillion adult spotted drum in Bonaire, but I can't remember ever seeing an adult jack knife or high hat there. Has anyone else?

I've seen both types of adults in Bonaire.

Me too on the sightings. Actually saw them all on our most recent trip to Bonaire in June. Also if you look at the last stripe on the jack knife it seems to be highlighted or outlined in white while the drum is not. But that's just an observation.

I don't believe the adult jackknifes (knives?) get the spots on their tails, either. Plus, the body shapes are pretty different.

It's interesting how a species can start out looking pretty similar but really change when they're adults.

Susan, kind of like men? lol

Kelly i would have to disagree with you more like woman if you ask me. LOL

Here's another with the black nose markings.