In the summer, I go to my grandparents cabin which is almost right on the ocean. Close enough that during certain times of the year, the stairs leading from their deck need to be pulled up or the tide will carry them away. I've been going there since I was born and have always enjoyed looking through the tidepools and catching little fish. Up until a few years ago, the only fish I see are flounders, bullheads and sand lances. Usually just the young ones none over a few inches long and wide. However, I remember one day a few years ago I saw a bunch of weird things that I'd never seen before.
First, there were eel-like things. TONS of them. Not as many as the flounders and bullheads, but still one or two every few steps. I was scared at first, but it didn't take long before I was picking them up. They definitely moved/swam like an eel...They looked exactly like this:
http://www.imontvbitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/eel.jpg
Some were black like in the photo, some were dark/medium brown. I thought they could be young American eels, but American eels live on the east coast of North America not the west.
I found another eel-like thing floating in the deeper water as the tide was coming in. It was almost dead. It was hardly swimming and would turn sideways. It was much much bigger than the eels found previously, but in comparison to them, it wasn't as long. I don't know if that makes sense. The other eels were long and slender. This one was quite thick and just over a foot or so long. It too swam like an eel. This one was a light brown-orange/red colour. It looked like a green moray eel...But, it wasn't green and wasn't proportionately long enough.
Then, there was a bright yellow fish that looked just like this:
http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/images/PP%20goby%20clown%20yellow%20%20m.jpg
It didn't show signs of being in distress and swam fine. It looks very similar to the clown goby, but I don't remember seeing the pink spot on it's cheek and clown gobys aren't native to here. =/
So...anyone know what these fish might be? I'm assuming that the yellow fish was dumped in the ocean by an irresponsible owner, because if it was in fact a goby, I don't see how it could have gotten from Asia/Australia waters to a Vancouver tidepool! Though, I should note that the beach is private and very few people walk along it other than the owners of the cabins.
First, there were eel-like things. TONS of them. Not as many as the flounders and bullheads, but still one or two every few steps. I was scared at first, but it didn't take long before I was picking them up. They definitely moved/swam like an eel...They looked exactly like this:
http://www.imontvbitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/eel.jpg
Some were black like in the photo, some were dark/medium brown. I thought they could be young American eels, but American eels live on the east coast of North America not the west.
I found another eel-like thing floating in the deeper water as the tide was coming in. It was almost dead. It was hardly swimming and would turn sideways. It was much much bigger than the eels found previously, but in comparison to them, it wasn't as long. I don't know if that makes sense. The other eels were long and slender. This one was quite thick and just over a foot or so long. It too swam like an eel. This one was a light brown-orange/red colour. It looked like a green moray eel...But, it wasn't green and wasn't proportionately long enough.
Then, there was a bright yellow fish that looked just like this:
http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/images/PP%20goby%20clown%20yellow%20%20m.jpg
It didn't show signs of being in distress and swam fine. It looks very similar to the clown goby, but I don't remember seeing the pink spot on it's cheek and clown gobys aren't native to here. =/
So...anyone know what these fish might be? I'm assuming that the yellow fish was dumped in the ocean by an irresponsible owner, because if it was in fact a goby, I don't see how it could have gotten from Asia/Australia waters to a Vancouver tidepool! Though, I should note that the beach is private and very few people walk along it other than the owners of the cabins.