This morning we anchored at Isla Santa Catalina next to a huge, craggy pachyderm-shaped structure aptly named Elephant Rock. The day began with hikes ashore where many guests were able to see Catalina side-blotched lizards and the endemic Catalina desert iguana. After a deck barbecue, we set out to snorkel by Elephant Rock. This is a wonderful spot for viewing the diverse tropical fish fauna here in the Gulf of California. From the surface, guests were able to see the beautiful and colorful king angelfish, sergeant majors, and scissortail damselfish. Some fish are not so readily visible though, in fact many fish rely on cryptic coloration to blend in with their habitat; to either hide themselves from predators or hide themselves from prey.
This fish is a spotted scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri mystes) and it is covered with marvelous reticulations and skin flaps that camouflage its body as it sits on algae and invertebrate covered rocks. The stiff spines have poison glands at their bases, so stepping on this creature as it lays motionless would be cause for concern. This fish can not only be found laying on the bottom but in any orientation on the sides and under rocks and the large fleshy pectoral fins are spread out wide to grip the substrate. This predator has a very large gape that allows it to engulf unsuspecting prey that may crawl or swim by this amazing animal; another wonderful example of how form and function are so beautifully packaged in nature.
