A CHRISTMAS GREETING CARD FROM PUERTO VALLARTA 2019

Welcome to this year's Christmas posting from Puerto Vallarta which is my "Holiday Greeting Card" to each and every one of you who read and follow my blog. Since I have published a number of postings on this annual tradition I have decided to to do something very different and share some of our favorite fish amigos from Puerto Vallarta.

This blog posting is dedicated to my "fish man" husband who was not only born under the sign of Pisces, but gave me the gift of introducing me to the amazing marine life of our ocean.

As natives of Southern California it was natural for my husband and I to learn to swim as soon as we could walk. And as a competitive swimmer my husband definitely knew what swimming was all about. But it wasn't until we settled down from our nomadic life on the Pacific coast of Mexico did we learn to appreciate the joys of snorkeling just for the fun of it. In the process my husband has also become quite an underwater photographer which allows us to share our "fish amigos" with friends wherever they may be.

Of late, however, we have seen a very noticeable decline of local marine life which needless to say is very disheartening.  Global warning with its affect on the marine life is becoming more and more obvious to us. The questions we are asking include:  Where are the fish going?  Are the fish heading south to cooler waters?  Are the fish heading further out in search of cooler deeper seas? What will the fish do in order to survive?  These are just some of the serious questions which we all should be concerned with, not only for fish, but for human kind.

It is rare that we do not visit our fish friends on a daily basis and it is my great pleasure to introduce you to this incredible environment.  The following are some of our favorite images from our snorkeling excursions so if you are ready let's visit our fish amigos in this incredible, but fragile environment.

The spotted eagle ray is a cartilaginous fish having a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone.  Eagle rays areovoviviparous which means the female hatches eggs within their bodies and then releases the young as miniature versions of the parent. This ray can be identified by its dark dorsal surface covered in white spots or rings. Spotted eagle rays are most commonly seen alone, but occasionally swim in groups and are commonly observed leaping out of the water.  To me they appear to be "flying" like a bird and I am enchanted with them.

A gorgeous male porcupine fish belongs to the family Diodontidae and is often referred to as a blowfish, balloonfish, and globefish. The porcupine fish is often confused with the Puffer fish, but they are actually two different species. The males can be seen with their gorgeous and striking colors as seen above while the females of the species are "dressed" down in drab colors.

               

The yellowfin surgeonfish is one of several marine fish that change color as they get older. Its body is purplish gray and has a region of dull yellow in front of its eye.The yellowfin surgeon fish ranges in length up to 28" with eight or 9 dorsal spines, or raya, including 25-27 dorsal soft rays, three anal spines, 23-25 anal soft rays, and 16-24 anterior and 17-22 posterior gill rakers.

Wow! This is one spiny fish, but I have never felt threatened by it and with its striking blue/gray body and yellow tail I find them particularly handsome.

 

Porcupine fish, also known as Pufferfish, belong to the family Diodontidae and are also commonly called blowfish, balloonfish, and globefish. The puffer fish has the remarkable ability to inflate itself by rapidly pumping water into its stomach when faced with danger. This increase in size which is almost double vertically reduces the range of potential predators to those with much bigger mouths.

Although "puffers" have evolved to suck in water if lifted out of the water they can also sometimes suck in air. I find this particular individual absolutely stunning with its yellow "wet suit" with my special thanks to my fish-photographer husband and this great photo memory.  The Pufferfish is our favorite local fish friend and to share their world always makes for a special day.

The Moorish Idol is a marine fish species found in our Pacific waters in Mexico. The Moorish idol got its name from the Moors of Africa who purportedly believed the fish to be a bringer of happiness. The Moorish Idol is distinctive with its disk-like body and relatively small fins. The dorsal fin has six or seven spines which are dramatically elongated which form a trailing, sickle-shaped crest called the philomantis.  I find the Moorish Idol beautiful in both its coloring and unusual features.

It is said that purple Yellowtail Angelfish got their name because of their shape with their fins appearing like angel wings and when turned head-down a silhouette of an angel. Belying their name, however, "angels" are very territorial and become quite aggressive as they mature.

And last, but certainly my favorite, is the white-spotted pufferfish which is a  medium to large sized Pufferfish reaching up to 20 inches in length. It is light grey in color with yellow fins and covered with more or less regular white points. The adult is nocturnal, solitary, territorial, and can be somewhat aggressive. I find him very handsome and he always makes me smile. 

A yellow pufferfish who wasn't exactly thrilled to see us, but I believe he got over it.  

Many, many more fish images may also be viewed in our large photograph album by opening the following link FISH FOTO BLOG ALBUM 2019

PS For viewing the album as a slide show click on the upper right hand corner of the first photo and choose slide show.  Isn't technology simply marvelous when you know what your are doing!   😜  

Thank you for joining me and our fish friends and wishing you the happiest of holidays.  Until next time,  Laura