Nano Gobies

The Green Finger Sponge (Lotrochota birotulata)
usually forms branched bushes; this one is
growing on a Common Sea Fan (Gorgonia
ventalina).
as long as I am, but undoubtedly four times as heavy.
It stood up to the 6.5-foot (2-m) Reef Sharks, which
quickly got out of the way of the grouper as soon as it
launched an attack. When I tried to position myself for
an extra-close portrait, it occurred to me that the underwater
camera would have fit into the grouper’s mouth
with room to spare, but it simply rolled its eyes at me.
AN EXCITING FINALE
Given all this excitement, I had been paying less attention
to other creatures in the area. On the sandy bottom
these included the Southern Stingray (Dasyatis americana),
the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas), almost extinct
elsewhere, and various species of sea cucumbers (Astichopus
multifidus, among others.). The sociable Tarpon
(Megalops atlanticus) had retired into the clefts of the
reef. Their large, striking, silvery-metallic scales require
careful use of the flash, to avoid the reflection resulting
in unusable photos. Similar problems
can occur with the Horse-eye Jack (Caranx
latus), shoals of which crossed our path on
our way back up.
Meanwhile, the sharks had reassembled
around the waiting boat, so we were happy
to extend the usual safety stop for as long
as the remaining compressed air allowed.
To avoid getting divers in my photos, I remained
at a distance from the group and
recorded the patrolling sharks in a variety of
shots. They usually swam past at a distance
of around 6 or 7 feet (2 m). Sometimes they
approached head-on, but then turned aside
in plenty of time. They appeared to be using
all their senses to determine what these bubbling
creatures who had invaded their territory
might be. “Are they dangerous?” “Are
they competitors?” Perhaps these were the
questions that the sharks were asking and
trying to answer through their instinctive
examination of the aliens.
A hefty bump and the simultaneous gentler
blow of a tail awoke me violently from
such thoughts. While I was admiring the
powerful elegance of the sharks and waiting
for worthwhile photo opportunities, a young
Caribbean Reef Shark had approached unnoticed
from behind and was trying to solve
the puzzle in its own loutish way. I decided
to keep the unfriendly youngster in sight, but
this plan was doomed to failure, since 15–20
conspecifics were assembled around us. The
ruffian soon abandoned the anonymity of the group to
launch a new, unexpected attack. At first I wasn’t aware
that it was the same inquisitive fellow that I had been
watching through the camera’s viewfinder, because he
was on a course that would take him close to me as he patrolled.
I first realized when he suddenly changed course
and closed the remaining 6 feet (2 m) between us. There
was no time to readjust the camera, but I managed to
take two photos before the shark grabbed my camera.
Had he mistaken its silvery housing for a favorite fish, or
was he just curious? When I pushed him away, he let the
camera go without leaving behind any noticeable traces
of his razor-sharp teeth. This indicated a gentle bite with
the gums, perhaps to enable the shark to investigate this
object of special interest more closely and check out its
taste. Because Caribbean Reef Sharks can be persistently
troublesome, after this exciting experience I was more
careful to watch my back.
CORAL
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