Gallery Eight
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by
Aquascape Artist, Nick Peters
They live on the rocks in the tidal zone, waves pounding, bubbles swirling all about and eating,"I know not what",that lives on the very same rocks.This is the habitat that I found this Black Blenny, that came to be known as Teco.
Here I am at Captain Don's Habitat,located on the tropical island of Bonaire, walking to the dive locker after finishing an underwater drawing session at forty feet (twelve meters). I'm putsing around after putting my gear away for the day, looking down at the rocks from the landing in front of the locker where the water is shallow enough to see the bottom. Amongst the rocks with small waves breaking, the turbulence creating bubbles and foam , there appear to be little black things scurrying about. "What could they be? " After watching their doings for a while, I decided to do a shore dive the next day and check this out.
Next day: " This is rough, getting pounded on the surface! Why not submerge and try to draw them while lying on the bottom? I'm wearing ankle weights to keep my legs down. Finally made it to the bottom." In approximately four feet (1.2 meters)of water, I see these little Black Blennies on rocks encrusted with orange, purple, red, and brown algae, yellow coral polips with a hard orange exterior , big as my thumb, are also present. These little fish have the timing all figured out, as the crest of the wave rolls in raising the water level over rocks that are not submerged at low tide, they scurry into position to ride inside the waves to the soon to be submerged rocks. Once there, they grab a few bites of whatever they eat that grows there. As the wave recedes they now scurry down to submerged rocks and hang on, with what seemed to be hooks on their pectoral fins that grasp the rock when they hunker down waiting for the next wave, trying not to be swept away in all the bubbles and foam. Incomes the next wave and up they go on the wave elevator for a few more tid bits. In contrast here's this person trying to stay on the bottom without the proper equipment, namely hooks on his fins for grasping rock, being tossed up and down like a YoYo in four then five feet of water, trying to draw these feeding Blennies.
In the end it all worked out well, I did the drawing you see here as they got their hard earned meal.
Oh! Yes! Let me explain how the Blenny in this drawing came to be called Teco.
After storing my dive gear and rinsing the drawing in fresh water, I went to the restaurant for a soda and the person that served me was a Bonarian by the name of, you guessed it Teco. The other divers there wanted to see the drawing. When they saw the Blenny one of them said, "It has eye lashes like Teco". As everyone thought a lot of Teco, they all started a good natured razz session which made him very embarrassed. With all the razzing going on I said, "You'll get the last laugh Teco, because this drawing is going to make you famous", which I could see he did not believe. Well Teco, here's your name sake on the internet for all the world to see. "Fame as I promised!"
The End
Scientific Note-Teco's apparent eyelashes are in reality fleshy papillae.
Click this portrait of Tico and go to a full body picture, which you can print.
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