Dragonet ‘discovery’ proves ocean’s teeming surprises

I had a grand moment recently when I discovered a new fish. Well, not discovered discovered. Other fish enthusiasts know this species, but it was new to me and that made my day.

I prefer to snorkel in water 2 to 4 feet deep because the light is good and it’s easy to brace myself to shoot pictures. Shallow water is where I’ve had countless memorable moments. As long as they’re under it, many fish and invertebrates don’t seem to care whether the water is 3 feet deep or 30.

My shallow-water habit paid off last week when I saw the sand beneath me move, and as if shedding Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak, a fish appeared. It had big knoblike eyes that moved independently as it watched me. Fins stuck out all over the place, and the fish’s tail stretched out nearly as long as its body.

The 10-inch (with tail) beauty eyed me warily for a minute, allowing me to take its picture. Good thing I got proof of my rare sighting because as quickly as the fish appeared, it disappeared.

Even with a photo, I didn’t know where to start researching this odd fish. So I emailed my photo to John Hoover, author of my favorite local fish guide.

"Do you know what it is?" I wrote.

"Longtail dragonet," he wrote back almost immediately. "Page 86. Nice find!"

Dragonets (sometimes spelled dragonettes on the Internet) are a family of about 160 species of bottom-dwelling fish found in tropical and subtropical seas. Of Hawaii’s eight dragonet species, seven, including the longtail, are found only here.

Longtail dragonets’ sand-colored camouflage is one reason these fish are rarely seen. But besides matching the sand and rubble they call home, dragonets also rest beneath it. When alarmed, they can bury themselves in the blink of an eye.

I thought I had never seen a one before, but upon reading about this family, I realized I had seen one in Palau. The mandarinfish, about 2 inches long and arguably the most colorful fish in the world, is also a dragonet. Type mandarinfish in your search engine and prepare to be astonished.

The longtail dragonet, which reaches 12 inches long, is a real dragon compared with its kin. Most dragonets are less than 3 inches.

If you’re wondering how a woman can study marine biology at UH, snorkel and dive Hawaii’s waters for 30-odd years and still find a fish she can’t even look up, well, that’s the charm of the ocean. I stick my face in it, and like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, I never know what I’m gonna get.

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Reach Susan Scott at www.susanscott.net.