The endangered Roanoke logperch is a member of the darter subgenus Percina, all of which flip stones with their snouts to expose hidden prey (mostly immature aquatic stages of insects). From Roanoke River, Montgomery County, VA. Noel Burkhead, USGS.
These fish are well camouflaged in the red-diminished light at depth. They come to life though when you light them up with a strobe.Most gunards live in deep water but you occasionally find them in estuaries like this one in Sydney Harbour. They have interesting pectoral fins; the front few rays of each fin have been adapted for walking, a bit like lobster legs, whilst the back rays form a colourful flat structure like the blue-edged fins in this eastern spiny gunard.
Don't let it fool you, this little one can spring into action and disappear in an instant.Maybe it's that huge pectoral fin?Blackbanded DarterPercina nigrofasciataBaltzell SpringsChiopla River Water Management Area, Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD)Jackson County Florida, USAOlympus OM-D E-M514-42mm II LensPT-EP08 Underwater Housing, PPO-EP01 Lens Port & 14-42mm Zoom Gear