This trip was a very hard one as the little beggars were in water from 25 to 45 feet and getting large as the ones that were there were last seasons.

This season doesn’t seem to have brought many new ones, so the smallest of the old ones were all we had to work with and they were becoming very cunning.

There were a few other species around that we got,including a Cheatodon reticulatus,but some blue surgeons were what was wanted.

The guys on scuba from the other boat actually found them for us because the water wasn’t the clearest; it was filthy, about 7 metres vis.

Once we were told where they were it was backwards and forwards until all that were needed were collected.

While we were checking out the shallow ones a video was taken of the ones at around 55 feet down.

There were quite a few that we saw and the others saw some more at the larger sizes down deeper that have left the coral and were using the cracks in the structures to hide in.

We only wanted a few and it was good to see so many that made it to near on adult size to be a part of the food chain and begin to breed and help put a few extras on the gold coast reefs soon.

On the way out in the morning we dropped in a few crab pots to pull out on the way back and did quite well with a nice dinner pulled out of the water.

All up a top day.

A wrasse trip is planned soon,the new season ones should be a good size now.

Blue surgeon video

Underwater videos :: Paracanthurus hepatus schooling in coral video by aandtsociety - Photobucket

photos-

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Aandtsociety--South east Queensland Aquarium Society--Marines are a hobby not a mental disorder!

Most years around march,when they are starting to be big enough to catch,we see from 100 to 1000,the video is of one coral head in 20 to 30 heads at the trench edge and there was from what the other guys on scuba said hundreds down a little deeper and that is a pretty much a normal season.

The commercial guys must be getting old,a guy we used to talk to in the past used to always have 30 to a 50 on board along with the rest of the catch.

I remember one year there were heaps of harlequin shrimp around and i wanted to swap him one for a small blue tang for my tank,i was the only one with a display tank,they were dedicated commercial,we didn't have any small ones with us,he said no one wants those things,he gets more for the tangs.

What the!

It,s different now.

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Aandtsociety--South east Queensland Aquarium Society--Marines are a hobby not a mental disorder!

Amazing ,