By Linda Richter on Wednesday, June 9, 1999 - 8:56 am: |
Here is the list compiled from our local expert, Jerry Ligon, and the REEF list. A few were added that our local divemasters and experts have seen but not surveyed by REEF. And a few were deleted as mis-identified species. Keep in mind the list only covers fish found by divers and snorkelers. Many of our bluewater fish like marlin, yellowfin tuna, dolphin fish and even a confirmed mola mola sighting are not covered in the list.
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By Jack Chalk on Thursday, June 10, 1999 - 5:01 pm: |
Hey Linda,
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By Linda Richter on Thursday, June 10, 1999 - 5:19 pm: |
I'm working on the shark list. So far I have:
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By Jerry Ligon on Wednesday, June 23, 1999 - 5:11 pm: |
REEF has just finished a week of diving,June 19, with over 250 fish surveys taken. We don't have the official species list yet but I am sure we tallied over 220 species with some reported for the first time. For sure we can add short-fin sweeper and snakefish. Will advise when every thing has been tallied. Jerry
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By Jerry Ligon on Wednesday, June 23, 1999 - 5:33 pm: |
Linda, after looking over the shark list that Jack mentioned, I have one other to add. A smooth dogfish shark, Mustelus canis, was brought up from over 500 feet off Klein by a fisherman. When I was shown the shark, about 3.5 feet long, I noticed 3 tiny ones in the bottom of the boat, and the fisherman told me that when he got the shark aboard she gave birth to the pups. I have one frozen in my freezer. It is a common shark inhabiting bays and inshore waters usually found in waters at depths less than 10 fathoms (60 ft) which makes it a possibility of seeing although no one that I know has ever reported a small sandy colored bottom-dwelling shark. It is a very opportunistic feeder and easily caught by using almost any bait. I think we should add any species that we can positively identify that we encounter, even whale sharks, and the mola mola. Jerry
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By H.T.Souverein on Friday, December 31, 1999 - 10:44 am: |
who has seen a Hogfish Lachnolaimus Maximus on Bonaire.
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By Linda Richter on Tuesday, January 4, 2000 - 10:55 am: |
The spanish hogfish is a regular on the reef but not the other Hogfish. I've seen one in the 2.5 years I've lived here.
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By Jean Wood on Sunday, January 9, 2000 - 2:25 pm: |
Three questions:
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By Linda Richter on Monday, January 17, 2000 - 11:54 am: |
I have checked the list with REEF and the Ballyhoo and Mirrorwing Flyingfish have been added. It will take me awhile to compare the two lists and see what is new. Once I have that done I will post an update.
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By Jean Wood on Monday, January 17, 2000 - 10:33 pm: |
Linda,
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By Linda Richter on Tuesday, January 18, 2000 - 9:09 am: |
Jerry explained to me about the low count on certain fish like flying fish. We see them just about everytime we go on a boat ride but since that is not during a dive or snorkel those fish are not surveyed. The Ballyhoo is a surface dweller like the needlefish and houndfish so many divers miss them on their way to the reef. Just like many people miss the obvious Brown and Blue Chromis. They are in the water column but everyone is staring at the reef. Good "hunting".
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By Jean Wood on Tuesday, January 18, 2000 - 9:46 pm: |
Yes, that was a lesson learned from Jerry two years ago on our first visit to Bonaire during the free snorkel tour of Bari Reef. He showed us the worth of looking up and down in the water so as not to miss the non-bottom dwelling species. We've seen many needlefish and ballyhoo (and a 12 member 'platoon' of squid) by snorkling out over the reef and occasionally looking just below the surface. Also to remember to look away from the reef while diving to see what may be swimming by in the deep water.
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By Linda Richter on Wednesday, January 19, 2000 - 2:33 pm: |
With Chet's help comparing lists and sending me the differences, I've completed the new list. Rather than post it entirely to this page, I've created a new web page to hold all the information. Mainly because it is a real pain to try to update and format the list within the newsgroup. The added benefit is if you want to print it out, it won't be as many pages ;-)
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By Jean Wood on Wednesday, January 19, 2000 - 9:06 pm: |
I will definately check out this Ballyhoo thing, because it was during a guided snorkel with Jerry Ligon on Bari Reef that he pointed them out to us (at least that's the way I remember it). By the way, I highly recommend the fish ID snorkel tours of Bari Reef offered at the Sand Dollar; we had never been diving in anything other than Mid-western lakes (we're from northern Illinois) until our first trip to Bonaire two years ago; learned a whole lot about the local fish during that hour with Jerry. Also,we just came in from shoveling 5 inches of snow off our driveway, and it's still snowing.
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By bob neer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #756) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 12:30 pm: |
are these two fish the same type??? is it adapting to the background color???
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By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #3925) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 12:37 pm: |
Top fish is a honeycomb cow fish (note the horns). Bottom one is a spotted trunkfish. Both are in the boxfish family, but different species.
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By bob neer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #782) on Friday, February 28, 2003 - 12:38 pm: |
thanks ;)
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By Bud Gillan (BonaireTalker - Post #74) on Saturday, April 19, 2003 - 8:22 pm: |
Blacktip Shark.
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By Biodiversity Guy (BonaireTalker - Post #30) on Wednesday, January 3, 2007 - 3:26 am: |
Got a new species for the Bonaire Fish list.
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