During an early afternoon dive on August 25, I noticed this critter hunkered down at the base of Small Wall. It was around 8 inches long. Sorry for the poor quality of the image... I had only a second to get the shot before it scurried off toward the north. Does anyone have any idea what this is?


I've scoured my fish identification reference books to no avail. My first thought was that it might be some kind of batfish, but the head on this critter is quite different. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Deborah

Deborah, here is my picture of a batfish, taken off the coast of Panama City Beach, FL., where the sightings are extremely rare apparently.

LOL... now I can't find my darn batfish.

looks like a broken soap fish

I also vote for a bent, or 'broken', Soapfish.

Freddie and Glen, I believe you're right. The head looks exactly like that of a soapfish; no telling why it was so "bent" when I saw it. I don't believe the fish was injured, based on how quickly it swam away as I approached. This is the first time I've seen a soapfish - on Bonaire, or anywhere.

Kelly, I've got a batfish photo from last year, taken in Curacao by my husband (at least we think that's what it was.) The head's more squared-off, although this photo isn't good enough to make that clear:


Thanks for all your help!

--Deborah

Freddie looks more like a muddysoapfish LOL ;)

Here is a picture of a batfish I found in the archives, but still not MY batfish! lol

Soap Fish fer sure. I call them backscatter fish.

Stop the presses I found my picture. I love the search feature of this site. lol

Cecil - why do you call them backscatter fish?

O.K. so Deborah nailed a soap fish.

Can anyone tell what kind? From the habitat range in the DeLoach book, my guess is "greater."

How rare or common is it to see a soapfish in Bonaire waters? I don't remember anyone else mentioning one, but perhaps I missed it.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Deborah,
It is a Greater Soapfish. They often seem to just fall to the bottom (and into coral and sponges) to sleep during the day. They are voracious night feeders though. Susan

Susan -

Thank you. My education is expanded.

Have any thoughts on how common are greater soapfish in Bonaire waters?

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Thank you, Susan! Perhaps this soapfish had been asleep, which might explain its "bent" position. I was the last in a line of about a dozen divers moving along the base of Small Wall during that dive; no one else noticed this fish, but we probably inadvertantly interrupted its sleep. I appreciate knowing they're nocturnal and will pay attention during future night dives.

--Deborah

I would guess there are many hundreds of greater soapfish in Bonaire, at a guess, once you recognize them you see them lying around everywhere. They're weird fish, they lie on their sides, hidden away if possible.

Deborah- I like your work and your web page...

My first thought was soapfish too...here's one I saw on my trip last August

Hmm, maybe this time I'll see a batfish now that I know what they look like!

Hi
I believe Deborah's second picture is a Rock Hind (Humann second edition P.153)
Mick

Mick, I think you're right. I didn't see this fish, but my husband said it was small... maybe five inches long. So perhaps a juvenile or adolescent rock hind in the pale phase? The coloration near the eyes looks exact. Thanks for the clarification.

And thanks to you, Timmmmmmmy!

--Deborah

How about spawning Soapfish -This was on top of the Machacha wreck last Christmas

Tim, because the spots look like backscatter. Look at Bab's picture.

Charles writes: "Have any thoughts on how common are greater soapfish in Bonaire waters?"

I would think they're fairly common. There's often one under the Carib Inn dock in about 3 feet of water.

John R

Thanks to all for expanding our knowledge about soapfish and their population in Bonaire waters.

I am particularly attentive to John R's post because we are snorkelers and are delighted to know we might have a chance of seeing one in shallow water. We'll be looking!

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Charles,
Most of the critters I've seen as a diver I saw first while snorkeling.

On one dive vacation, I was getting over a sinus infection and had to stay out of the water until I had finished my antibiotics (only one day). On this 'no dive day', I was walking in the shallows at CocoView in Roatan and I happened upon a young eagle ray looking for food in the sand. I wasn't even snorkeling.

Mare

Mare -

Now you have got our attention! How much we can see if we'll just learn to see.

Eagle rays must be as graceful as ballet dancers as they fly through the water. Another creature that is right at the top of our wish list.

Thanks for the intelligence.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Soapfish are relatively common on Bonaire dive sites. My wife and I saw them on the majority of dive sites visited - they tend to hide away and you have to look carefully to see them but they are not uncommon. the picture at the top is definitely a soapfish IMO.

We saw a couple of soapfish off the docks at Belmar...so Charles, you can find them snorkeling They do look like they are dead...little fakers! LOL!

Susan, is that a soapfish?

Brian, nice mating picture...;-)

I have seen many Soapfish while snorkeling in Bonaire. They love to lye flat up against something and they blend it and are easily missed.

When I first started diving, I noticed whatever moved.
Only later did I start noticing what didn't move. That's when I began seeing soapfish on every dive. They are everywhere in Bonaire waters.
But they tuck themselves away and play dead.

I didn't know what that fish was the first time I saw it in Bon either. Its eyes we're looking different directions, it looked completely weird.

I haven't been out on BT in a while, but I get to claim the red lipped batfish pic from this May at Bari. Word has it that the batfish has moved to deeper waters, 50-80ft instead of the 15-20 ft we saw it in.