My Out on A Swim blog is rated in the Top 20 Coral Reef Blogs in the world.
It serves as a record of what has caught my eye when ‘out on a swim’ in the lagoons of Norfolk Island, as well as providing some short stories about the characters under the waves.
Green moon wrasse, Norfolk Island, 17 July 2024
I’ve been photographing this guy, a green moon wrasse, since 2020, when he was a young adult just transitioning from being a female to a male. Green moon wrasse are said to live five to seven years in the wild, which means that our lovely old friend here could well be classified as an elder. This post is dedicated to this cheeky and inquisitive fish, the boss!
Read MoreMale birdnose wrasse, Gomphosus varius, Norfolk Island
All birdnose wrasses are born female but will change to males if the conditions are right. Its appearance changes radically throughout is lifecycle, from when it is a juvenile, through to being a female and then finally to being a male (known as sexual metamorphosis, or sequential hermaphroditism). For about three weeks you can see that transition taking place in the sequence of photos in this blog.
Read MoreSurge wrasse – Thalassoma purpureum
Wrasse and parrotfish often get confused, but they each have quite differen roles to play on our reefs. Parrotfish are vital to the health of coral reefs. They clean up the surface algae that live on and compete with the coral. Read more to find out how they differ.
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