The Halimeda ghost pipefish was our favourite fish in Bunaken this week. We have a couple of divesites around Bunaken where the trained eyes of our diveguides find that cutie-pie!
Here is some info about the rarity from Wikipedia: “Halimeda ghost pipefish, Solenostomus halimeda, is a species of false pipefishes belonging to the family Solenostomidae. It can reach a length of 6.5 cm (2.6 in),[1] and is the smallest of the ghost pipefishes. Its body is most often green, but can be red or any other color of the algae or coral in which it is hiding.
This cryptic species looks very similar to the macroalga Halimeda. This uncommon species is related to pipefishes and seahorses. It can be distinguished by its large head that is about the same length as the rest of its body. The caudal fin is small and similar in form and size to the dorsal and pectoral fins.
These fish float nearly motionless, with their mouths facing downwards, around a background that makes them nearly impossible to see. They feed on tiny crustaceans, sucked inside through their long snouts. Unlike true pipefish, female Halimeda ghost pipefish carry their fertilised eggs between their pelvic fins, which are modified to form a brood pouch, until the eggs are ready to hatch.”
It was another busy week for our instructors. Dagmar and Bastian did their open water course with Yayan and were so hocked that they straight went into doing the Advanced Open Water Course. They had so much fun and had some incredible dives around Bunaken.
Kim and Frederic did also their open water courses and loved it to be part of the sea and see all that amazing marine life. Our Divemaster trainee Lauren is progressing nicely in her course and is a great help in assisting in the other courses.
Have a good week.
Your Bunaken team
