There was a strong outgoing current on this dive, and lots of fishlife under the pier. Lots of juvenile Moonlighters, often in small groups. A reasonably good-sized school of East Australian Whiting were found to the West of the pier. Several Gunn's Leatherjackets were spotted near the pylons, as well as some Horseshoe and Mosaic Leatherjackets. A large Smooth Ray was poking around, and coming in close for a look at us. Kirsty spotted a Big-belly Seahorse, and a school of Calamary Squid, and an interesting little Sea Cucumber which we couldn't identify.
The Moonlighter has six dark bands down each side, over a body that graduates from silver to yellow. Juveniles have a large white-edged black spot on the dorsal fin near the rear of the body. Adults are either solitary, or may be found in pairs. They can grow up to 35 to 40 cm.
Magpie Perch look quite different as juveniles and adults. Juveniles have a pronounced dorsal fin, starting just behind the eyes, but this fin seems to disappear in adults. The middle dark band can be either black or grey in adults, and they can change colour by lightening these bands almost instantly. Juveniles are often seen nibbling/sucking bits from the pier pylons, and adults continue this method of eating, sucking small invertebrates of the bottom.
Red Mullet (Goatfish) have two long barbels under their chin, used as feelers to probe the sea floor for prey. There are around 60 species in this family, and most are referred to as Red Mullet, as they all turn bright red at night, when stressed, or after death. They can vary in colour from white to brown. The species most commonly seen in Port Phillip would probably be the Bluespotted Goatfish, which has a dark stripe running from they eyes down the side to the base of the tail, as well as thin blue lines or spots also running down the body.
Juvenile Gunn's Leatherjackets are common under piers. Adults change to a longer body shape, and are often a green or yellowish brown, and are not seen as frequently as the juveniles.
Juvenile Victorian Scalyfin. The Victorian Scalyfin is one of the larger members of the Damselfish family. It is territorial, and will aggressively defend its cave and the patch of algae that it farms. They can vary in colour from grey to black, or yellow to orange. Large males can be almost black, with a thin blue margin.Since I started diving again I have only seen young Scalyfins at Rye and Flinders. There are lots of mature Scalyfins around, so obviously I'm not looking in the right places...
Very well-camouflaged, if you can find them the Big-belly seahorse is easy to recognise, with a number of tassels on their head. They can be brown, white, yellow, grey, orange, or have a mottled colouration. As with other seahorses, the male carries the fertilised eggs in a brood pouch on the belly. A pregnancy lasts about 30 days.
The Biscuit Star can be found in a variety of colours, but will generally have 6 plates along the edge of the body between each arm tip.
Australian Salmon are not closely related to the true Salmon from the Northern hemisphere. There are two species (East Australian Salmon, and West Australian Salmon), which can't easily be distinguished by external appearance, and both species can be found in Port Phillip. Adults reach around 90 cm, and can be found in very large schools.
There are many species of Encrusting sponges (left) and a couple of species of Golfball Sponge (above right). Encrusting sponges are very common on jetty pylons in Port Phillip. Golfball Sponges grow to a maximum of 4 cm.
The largest of all stingrays, the Smooth Stingray can be as long as 4.3 metres and weigh up to 350 kg. They can be quite inquisitive, and it isn't uncommon for them to circle around divers several times, and come back again and again. Not agressive, they do have a large venomous spine on the tail.
The Victorian Scalyfin is one of the larger members of the Damselfish family. It is territorial, and will aggressively defend its cave and the patch of algae that it farms. They can vary in colour from grey to black, or yellow to orange. Large males can be almost black, with a thin blue margin.
The Southern Yellowtail Scad grows to between 30 and 50 cm, with the smaller animals typically seen in inshore areas. It has a bright yellow tail, and a distinct black spot on the gill cover. Often found in large schools of similarly sized fish, it is hunted by larger species such as Tuna and Kingfish.
Juvenile Gunn's Leatherjackets are common under piers. Adults change to a longer body shape, and are often a green or yellowish brown, and are not seen as frequently as the juveniles.
Eggs of a Southern Calamary Squid. The most common Squid seen in Victorian waters, the Southern Calamary looks like a cross between a Cuttlefish and a Squid. The arms, head an body look like that of a squid, but the fins extend all the way around the mantle. Spawning occurs at night, and the females attach clusters of eggs to the seabed, or in this case to one of the pylons on Rye Pier.
The Yellowfin Leatherjacket looks similar to the Sixspined Leatherjacket, but has scribbles on each side of the body, and fine filaments projecting from the skin. The fins are pale yellow, and the tail is mainly yellow or orange, with a white trailing edge. Commonly seen in seagrass beds, adults are also seen on sheltered reefs. Males are much more colourful than females.
Juvenile Gunn's Leatherjackets are common under piers. Adults change to a longer body shape, and are often a green or yellowish brown, and are not seen as frequently as the juveniles.
Unidentified Leatherjacket.
The Eleven-armed Seastar is the largest seastar found in Southern Australian waters. The arm radius is about 25 cm. If broken off, each arm can regenerate into a new individual. Found in sheltered habitats, they actively hunt molluscs such as mussels and scallops, and are also prolific scavengers.
Divers: Kirsty Batchelor, Peter Batchelor
Weather/Sea: 5 Kts Southerly.
