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Rhinopias eschmeyeri and diver-Anilao, Philippines |
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Rhinopias eschmereyi-Ambon island, Indonesia |
My first experience with Rhinopias was like so many other's at Air Prang 2 dive site in Lembeh, they had the two in residence.
Then after discovering Anilao we began to find them here too.
The Rhinopias are part of the scorpaenidae family and carry many of the scorpionfish traits. There are three different kind, aphanes-No photo listed
eschmeyeri and frondosa. The colors range from red, yellow, white, to deep purple, lavendar and even green have been reported. The sighting are sporatic and may be linked to mating but this is pure conjecture on my part. Like other scorpion fish the eyes are on the top of the head and the facial features are compressed.
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Rhinopias frondosa-Yawn baby yawn |
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Rhinopia eschmeyeri-walking along the bottom using its claw's |
Reaching forward and dragging as depicted in the two photos. The Rhino falls onto its face while moving in a rather funny but effective manner. Funny to watch but effective in the sense of hunting. The Rhino resembles a wounded fish when it moves across the bottom. When an unsuspecting fish moves in for an opportunity kill, the table is turned and predator becomes the prey.The Rhinopia also employs a drop jaw strike for feeding, often called a gape feeder. Like other benthic fish, they depend on two primary things for survival, their appearance and their strike speed. Once their prey draws near enough the Rhino drops it jaw pulling in a large volume of water sucking in its victim with one quick movement. Often times the victim is almost the same size as the victor.
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Rhinopia eschmeyeri-walking along the bottom using its claw's |
Good luck on your hunt!!
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Rhinopias frondosa-Anilao Philippines Rhinopias frondosa- Yawning sequence |