Need ID Help

Almost forgot… if there is anyone who can ID this fish? It looks like a bottom fish with its side fins. The dorsal suggests a swimmer. It rests in the coral. It is spotted and has reddish color. My book is not identifying it….

I have seen an interesting fish. I was with a wonderful diver named Marie. She has infinite patience. She remembered a spot we had seen the week before. I forgot what I have for breakfast five minutes later. There was an intriguing fish. It would skitter in the coral and play hide and seek. It did not swim away. But instead it just gave us tantalizing glimpses. As with most subjects my mind wanders and off to another spot.

So yesterday…yes it was yesterday for real…Marie was hoovering for a long time with her big rig camera setup. I wandered over after a bit. She’s spending a lot of time… it might be worth a look.

The landmark is this big giant clam. Ah, something familiar … and I immediately started to peer around for that elusive fish. I figured this to be a lost cause. Hey! It poked its head out. So we played hide and seek. I just hoovered. And the other secret is hold your breath. Holding your breath is a big no no underwater. You need to equalize the pressure in your lungs to the depth so you don’t blow up your lungs. But… the air breathing is very noisy. Very! So hold your breath as much as you can. It also makes hoovering a tough deal since letting air out lets you hoover. Except!!! I was rewarded. This guy came out and posed. All out in the open and let me get several shots in decent focus. Marie was so jealous. She missed it. I got it. Sometimes I am the lucky one. She is so gracious.

If you are a photographer it is not the shot but it is about ‘you got the shot.’ So there is a subtle but definite difference. I do enjoy looking, but it is the actual shot in my camera that I count.