NSW Department of Primary Industries, The Lord Howe Island Signal
Visiting photographers Brett Newmarch and Claire Greenwell, recently came across an unusual fish in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP) and provided this account:
“On Saturday, 2 November, 2024, Brett went snorkelling at Boat Harbour at approximately 12:30pm. It was a calm, sunny day on a falling tide with good underwater visibility to ~20 m with a water temperature of 23 degrees. An abundance of zooplankton, including salps (a planktonic tunicate), filled the upper 50 cm of the water column.
After about 30 minutes, Brett came across an unusual looking fish hanging vertically in the water column. It was characterised by a silver body, approximately 6 cm in length, with spotted markings and appendages up to 40 cm long. The fish was propelling itself in the water column with its dorsal fin, similar to that of a seahorse. When attempting to photograph the fish, it rotated away, making it difficult to attain a side-on view.
Brett managed to take a series of photographs to aid in the species identification. The fish was identified as a juvenile Scalloped Ribbonfish, with photographs validated by the curator for fish at the Australian Museum.”
This article appeared in The Lord Howe Island Signal, 30 November 2024.
