Sketchy Comet

Jeff's logbook sketch

On January 2nd, Blog volunteer Divemaster, Jeff Grieg, "spotted an interesting fish which i think is a wrasse, but could not find in books. Dark with white spots, large white spot on short but long dorsal, pointed backside with virtually no tail fin."

The "virtually no tail fin" is distinctive of catfish, of which there are a few species in Hantu. However, "dark with white spots" didn't quite fit the appearance of any of the catfish species known to be present in Hantu, which are the White-lipped, striped, and Black. So we thought, having no tail fin and being spotted, that it might be a blenny eel. But blenny eels are long, and this one, apparently, wasn't.

Jeff knew this would be something interesting, and promptly made a sketch of it in his logbook, with notes of the animal's distinctive features. When he brought it down to Seahounds to share, we first noticed the ocellus on its dorsal fin, then its shape, then its dark colour with numerous white spots. After staring at the sketch for awhile, we realised, to much excitement, that the critter was a comet Calloplesiops altivelis!


Source

The Comet is a secretive fish which is not often observed during the day. When alarmed, it will flare its dorsal and caudal fins, merging the rear edges with the lanceolate tail. With the ocellus mimicking the eye, the fish looks like the head of a Whitemouth Moray Eel, Gymnothorax meleagris. It also looks as if it does not have a tail. However, when relaxed, its fins crease up and trail along as it swims.

Comet occur on coral reefs throughout the Indo-west Pacific, and grows to 16cm in length.


Plate sketch of comet with its fins relaxed. Source: Allen, G. (2000). Marine Fishes of Southeast Asia.