Pushing It

I've already mentioned the successful morning spent diving with Sabah Parks research staff on 24th June 2009. I've now had a chance to create ID cards for the endangered Bumphead Parrotfish Bolbometopon muricatum and the sumptuously decorated Angelfish Pomacanthus semicirculatus. Additionally, the day offered up a new species of Triggerfish for the aggregated TARP fish list - Balistapus undulatus (this photo comes form the Philippines but I will be uploading my poor quality image in due course), as well as a first sight of the Goby Eviota sigillata, and in a 1 metre deep foray amongst some mangrove roots (alongside tangled ropes and other manmade debris but no crocodiles): the Dartfish Parioglossus rainfordi. My personal checklist of fishes photographed in TARP now stands at 439, with the aggregated list of fish-with-evidence at 559. Of these, 444 have been noted in the last 4 years.

I'm hoping also to gain access to a list of fishes identified here by a Japanese marine biologist working with Sabah Parks a couple of years ago which I think will add 20-40 more to the list in due course. By the time I leave Sabah permanently later this month, it would be great if I had been able to coax the list to top 600 species: this would be tremendously significant for TARP and I hope it would be a stimulus to enhance the park's protection and help ward off future attempts at such astounding schemes as building a bridge to Gaya island, or a ring road and residential developments on it (believe it: I've seen the proposals vegetating where last left after being rejected, but who knows what monster resurrection might be attempted by a future Frankenstein).

Today's photo shows a Sabellid worm jockeying for space amongst a host of large coral polyps off Sapi island on 24th June 2009.

Cardinal Park

A ferocious squall hit Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on the morning of 17th June this year. Totally unexpected, the blue sky darkened in minutes and the rain flew in sideways. A calm shallow muck dive off Gaya island was transformed in minutes into a maelstrom of cloudy mud, with visibility below 1 metre, and tall waves on the surface. We abandoned it after 20 minutes, but not before surprising myself with two new Cardinal fishes - Apogon endekataenia and A. hartzfeldii. Moving to calmer sites in the shelter of Sapi island for the rest of the day, I was gratified to see another new Cardinalfish - Apogon fraenatus - and a new Goby - Valenciennea sexguttata. Two of these four are new on the aggregated TARP fish checklist too, bringing it up to 553 confirmed (and 4 unconfirmed) species.

The poor vis, even at Sapi island (where my buddy and I lost the rest of the group in one bank of particularly mirky soup) meant my focus switched to macro, and I am particularly pleased with the photo here of the centre of a partially unfolded Feather star.

Why 'Gregory'?

With its dual rhinopores at the front and gill fronds at the back, this astonishingly coloured Nudibranch can slither around in broad daylight (this one off Gaya island on 18th February 2009), safe from predation because of its toxicity - as advertised by the wild & wacky colour scheme!

As I've noted before, even snorkelling in TARP can throw up surprises - 14th April at Sapi island was no exception. As well as a much better picture for Sergeant fish Abudefduf septemfasciatus and my first sighting of an adult of the Damsel fish Chrysiptera unimaculata, three new guys appeared: tiny, unafraid Dragonet Anaora tentaculata, the Gregory Stegastes fasciolatus, and an initial phase form of the Wrasse Stethojulis bandanensis. And I'm hoping to go again this coming weekend - maybe I'll get a better shot of the latter; nice!

2% More

It had to be done sometime: a photo of a nemo-fish - this one is Amphiprion ocellaris (family POMACENTRIDAE) photographed off Gaya island on 18th February 2009. All in all it proved a satisfying day including photos of 8 new fish species taking my checklist total up to 408.

Really satisfying was the Blenny Ecsenius monoculus (apparently strictly limited to Sabah and the Sulu islands of the far southern Philippines). Goby Eviota guttata was cute too along with Gazza minuta (a little Toothpony). Under a jetty drifted a silent shoal of the Cardinalfish Sphaeramia orbicularis (a black and silver version of the better known Pyjama cardinal), and loitering around its crevice in a big coral bommie in shallow water was my first Dottyback for TARP - Pseudochromis fuscus. A couple of handsome Filefishes - Pervagor janthinosoma - squared off against each other in the presence of a potential mate (otherwise normally they are very shy and retiring). Out to sea off Sapi island in a deep outer reef, I saw my first Greensnout parrotfish - Scarus spinus (it's a lovely site with many types of Parrotfishes, relieving some of my previous fears about their apparent scarcity in TARP). Lastly in a mixed shoal of Barracuda, I photographed Sphyraena flavicauda for my first time in the park (I've seen it several times before here but not got the camera to it).

That's not all though - as you might expect during such a productive day: I got a photo of the awesome bright yellow morph of the Trumpetfish Aulostomus chinensis, as well as the beautifully barred juvenile Wrasse Cheilinus fasciatus. I was also rewarded with better photos of the Fang-blenny mimic Petroscirtes breviceps (previously I had also misdiagnosed it as P. variabilis), Damsel Pomacentrus philippinus, and off Sapi again the Parrotfishes Scarus forsteni (Terminal Phase) and Scarus niger.

Brill!

400th Fish Species Caught on Camera

I'm pretty certain that the soft coral pictured here off Sapi island exactly a year ago (6 April 2008) is a member of the family Xeniidae. That should make up for yesterday's uncertainty.

I bought a digital video camera and housing a few weeks ago, in Singapore. A day or so after testing it out whilst snorkelling, it died on me. It's been awaiting parts from japan for repair ever since. However, the day I tested it (16th February) brought me a surprise: a new species of Sergeant fish (Abudefduf septemfasciatus) hiding right in front of my eyes - sure enough I'd misidentified it a couple of times in the preceding 1year. Sadly, my photo is complete rubbish, being pulled off a test-shot with the video. Still, I know where to go next time to get better photos.

2,000th TARP Fish Observation

January 4th 2009 saw my 2,000th logged fish observation in TARP (I only make a maximum of one entry per morph per location per day). Gradually, I'm uploading some of these to the web (but only one example per morph per location per year; for example Gymnothorax javanicus). Happily enough, it was also my first sight of a fairly large (around two feet long) Grouper Plectropomus maculatus - a pity there are not more large groupers in TARP but there is at least one! (I am still working on that and several snorkel/ diving days since so I have not yet updated my on-line database.) Since working on the TARP fish list in earnest, I have tended to forego taking photos of invertebrates. But as with this beautiful Feather Star (an Echinoderm in the Order Comatulida) photographed off Sapi island back on 25th July 2007, I retain a fascination with the whole, magnificent spectrum of fauna in TARP.

Dolphin Superpod in TARP

Who knows for how long they'll stay, but a superpod of dolphins has been sighted in TARP! Beautiful!

I'm sitting on a day's worth of dive photos, unprocessed so far, but expecting to add two or more fishes to the TARP species list in due course.

I'm beginning to feel the need for another night dive - my last was 22nd April 2008 when this feeding Acropora hard coral (family ACRPORIDAE) was snapped off Sapi island.

Hairy monsters

Nearly the end of 2008 and loads to reflect on this year in TARP Watch (which I won't here). But the place still continues to surprise me: on Christmas eve, I was snorkelling for only an hour off Sapi island and photographed examples of another 5 species new to me here! This takes my total to 389. (The combined total of all known recorded identified fishes since 1992 now stands at 529; contrast this with the most speciose part of the Caribbean: Bonaire with 487 species logged in the REEF database). December 24th's additions were: Needlefish Strongylura incisa, Damselfishes Chrysiptera unimaculata (Juvenile) and Pomacentrus dickii, Sea Chub/ Drummer Kyphosus vaigiensis (also a new family here for me - KYPHOSIDAE), and lastly the Boxfish Ostracion meleagris (this one male).

Perhaps the craziest-haired fish of 2008 is shown here off Gaya island on 11th July - Antennarius striatus (family ANTENNARIIDAE).

Speedboats and sunsets

Will he be pleased? Photographed off Sapi island on 21st July 2006, Ardeadoris egretta (a Nudibranch from the Family CHROMODORIDIDAE) of course will not be asked. The idea though appears to be that the sea village on Gaya will be 'rearranged' and supplemented by 1,000 houses, government offices, and a fire station... all on Gaya itself. (It reminds me of defunct plans to build a bridge to Gaya ++. Maybe that plan is in danger of being re-floated too?) Here's hoping that my friend and his vast but fragile underwater society won't be so overcome by the benefits of 'development' (like construction silt and waste water), that there's little left to TARP but speedboats and sunsets.

Sapi-Suckers

Here's an amazing little creature: a suckermouth rockskipper (Andamia heteroptera - Family BLENNIIDAE; thanks to Jeff Williams for identification help). As the name suggests, its lower lip forms a sucker which it uses to hold itself onto surf-bashed rocks here in TARP (this one on Sapi island on 11th November 2008). He takes my total fish list for TARP to 384.

Seen the same day was also my first sighting of the adult Spadefish: Platax teira (I've seen the juveniles around already).

Sapi: Slides, Swells & Suckermouths

It's been good to get back in the water after travelling recently. Given the rains and the wind however, Sapi island proved a bit of a mess (not of course the manicured front tourist beach). Landslides have brought two big trees down onto the second beach, which is also covered in soil and rocks from the slips and the water was yellow (pity the poor lagoon fishes). The waves were uncharacteristically big breakers too, stirring up sand further out in the lagoon. Overall, not at all pleasant. I only managed to snap a few blurry shots but hurried back as my brother, visiting for a few days, got seasick snorkelling with me in the big swells. Lazing by the rocks on the beach however turned up a lovely surprise: Jeff Williams tells me they were Suckermouth rockskippers - preferring to sit just above the water line on surf-bashed rocks. I'll be plugging them it into my database in due course and coming back to the blog with a name and ID panel.

Meantime, enjoy this opalescent little crab - possibly Lissoporcellana quadrilobata of the Family PORCELLANIDAE - which I snapped on a large ghostly white Dendronephthya soft coral out on the mud off Sapi island on 11th July 2008.

Crazily named Damsels

A macro shot of an anemone tentacle shows some fascinating detail - one can almost imagine that each nematocyst sack is visible in this photo taken on Plate Coral Reef off Sapi island on 11th July 2008.

This weekend I've been able to catch up on feedback from Gerry Allen regarding several Damselfishes I questioned him about recently. It turns out that as I suspected, two are actually new species to me: Pomacentrus armillatus and Pomacentrus burroughi. In addition, he confirmed my diagnoses for several colour morphs - the adult Neoglyphidodon melas and Neoglyphidodon oxyodon, and an intermediate form of Pomacentrus cuneatus.

I was also pleased to hear back from Jeff Williams regarding a new species of Blenny for me seen earlier this week whilst snorkelling - Nannosalarias nativitatis. In total now, my Checklist for TARP fish species has reached 383.

Beautiful Monster

Like a troll under the bridge, this potential killer of a Box jellyfish (Family CHIRODROPIDAE) loiters under the gangway down to the floating pontoon and the speedboats at Jesselton harbour; departure point for TARP.

As well as this beautiful monster, Eid (Hari Raya to Malaysians) on 1st October 2008 also offered up several new fish specimens to me whilst out snorkelling at Sapi island. First off the Parrotfish Scarus oviceps. Next, a shoal of Sweepers Pempheris oualensis. Last but by no means least, a couple of majestic juvenile Batfish Platax teira. Still awaited is the diagnosis of a Blenny new to me, not yet identifiable in any of the sources I have access to. For now then, my total of species photographed in the Park and logged in my Checklist rises to 380.

In addition, I am pleased to have much improved photos of two Damselfishes which I have habitually only managed to photograph blurred blotches of before: Dischistodus melanotus and the juvenile form of Neoglyphidodon melas.

Cleaner shrimps & fish bombs

9th September 2008 saw this cleaner shrimp (Family PALAEMONIDAE, Genus Urocaridella) leave the resident Stingray in the tyres off the south side of Sapi island, and make his way hopefully towards my camera housing. Pretty. Pity about the poor visibility in the park though, which below 18 metres off Sapi got down to only 2 metres! Anyway, above that, it was a nice enough couple of dives involving a new Boxfish species, for my checklist. Including the return to Agil reef off the west end of Gaya island where I picked up a couple of new species of fish (more in a later blog), and some nicer photos of some rarer stuff previously seen, it turned out to be a productive day.

Incidentally, an alleged fish bomber was recently arrested in KK.

Happy Birthday Malaysia!

Sincere words from a Brit. It's not often that I can get close up to, and auto-focus on a fish's face, but perhaps in celebratation of Merdeka day, this Damselfish (Dischistodus prosopotaenia) gave me a flash on Saturday 30th of August 2008 whilst diving off Sapi island. Let's hope there'll still be somewhere beautiful for his descendents (and perhaps ours) in TARP in 2057 when Malaysia reaches a century.

The last week has seen me snorkelling or diving in the park three times and I hope soon to get an update on several new species I've noted.

Looking good!

I have a strange red/white transition on the backs of my calves; some kind of vitamin deficiency perhaps? No - too much snorkelling in booties off Sapi island yesterday with insufficient thought given to suncream. It was worth it though, being a lovely day to snap loads of pics. Still analysing them, but one particularly caught my eye: a juvenile Butterflyfish Chaetodon rafflesi - I've only seen adults in TARP and then only twice in two years so it's rather pleasing to see that such a beautiful fish must still be breeding in the area.

By the way, my photo also taken off Sapi island back on 19th March 2007, appears to show a specimen of coral from the Family ANTIPATHIDAE. To put it more bluntly, I think we have Black coral growing in the park!

It's amazing!

A Robust ghost pipefish Solenostomus cyanopterus (family SOLENOSTOMIDAE) - a gorgeous fish amongst a swathe which I saw for the first time on 2nd July 2008 (this one off Sapi island). I'm still putting together the details, but along the way I also managed to take better pictures and upgrade ID panels for 12 fishes already seen (Acanthurus xanthopterus, Vanderhorstia ambanoro, Vanderhorstia nobilis, Cheilinus trilobatus, Chrysiptera rollandi, Scarus rivulatus - Initial Phase, Apogon chrysopomus, Cheilodipterus artus, Chaetodon trifasciatus, Parapercis clathrata, Balistoides viridescens and Cantherhines pardalis) and add new colour morphs for another 4 (Abudefduf bengalensis, Neopomacentrus cyanomos, Arothron nigropunctatus and Scolopsis monogramma).

Marine Research at Sabah Parks

Here's a Hawksbill marine turtle who's photo I took on 2nd July 2008 off Sapi island; very relaxed and so without disturbing him I was able to fire off a number of nice shots.

This is exactly the sort of fellow that Irwan Isnain and his colleagues at Sabah Parks are determined to protect; I met with him yesterday at his office on Manukan island and had a really good time - it's fantastic to meet some of the people passionate about TARP and working for the government. It was a great opportunity to compare notes on fish species lists for the park too - including the complete list put together in 1992 during a visit by Gerry Allen. In addition, it turns out that a Japanese researcher has put together a supplementary list based on his own photos taken in the park between 2005 and 2007. As yet, the list is unpublished but it appears to have over 80 additions to Gerry's original - taking his list towards the total he predicted. It's a pity not to have sight now of the supplementary list as it remains confidential for the time being, but in due course I'm sure it will come out; hopefully it will also mention the fishes from Gerry's list which have been seen since as well: when the three lists can come together, I think we will be very close to a comprehensive perspective on all of TARP's fish species ever recorded (though there are indications that the number is less than it used to be).

Latest dives - 2 fish species re-named

It's taking some time to catch up with all my recent diving - and more to come. A good number of fish species new to me at the park are coming to light: more in due course. However, I have been able to tackle the difficult question of the identity of what I had called Pterois lunulata - now having been able to count the columns of scales I am pretty confident that the species in question should actually be Pterois russelii (the Plaintail Turkeyfish). In addition, I have recently turned up a second species from the Goby genus Oplopomus which I believe is the real Oplopomus caninoides but I am not ready yet to add it to my checklist, so for now I have modified the original mistaken O. caninoides and description to read Oplopomus oplopomus. The checklist has also been modifed.

Incidentally, these two cleaner shrimps (Periclimenes sp. - possibly P. holthuisi) from the family PALAEMONIDAE living in an anemone on the sand off Sapi island's main beach, were very interested in me as I took photos of Nemo fish living with them on 2nd July 2008.

304 fish species in TARP

31st May 2008 was gorgeous - blue skies and calm waves; this sea hare Aplysia dactylomela (a kind of giant sea slug from the family APLYSIIDAE) also seemed to think so as it charged across the sand off Sapi island to this clump of algae before grinding it to bits.

I gorged on my snorkelling session too: a better photo to upload with an improved description for one of my fish ID panels (Thalassoma lunare), a youthful colour variant to add for another (Lutjanus fulviflamma), an un-logged juvenile for a previously adult-only species (Halichoeres argus) and an adult photo for a species previously represented only by a juvenile (Pomacentrus chrysurus). Incidentally this caused me to concede that I had mistakenly recorded another such adult previously as Pomacentrus armillatus (which I have now removed from my checklist). Amazingly, this single snorkel session added 6 new species too, which (counting the discarded species) brings my total of observed species in the park to 304. Species added were Cephalopholis microprion (which stimulated a slight modification to my description of Cephalopholis cyanostigma), Cheilio inermis, Chromis viridis, Ctenochaetus striatus, Neoglyphidodon oxyodon and Pteragogus guttatus.