JANUARY
Bronze whaler sharks around
Northern Arch.
Rare and exquisite Vercos
Tambja nudibranchs appear along with: Morose Tambjas [mating];
Green Tambjas;
Gem nudibranchs [egg
laying] ;
Clown nudibranchs [mating];
Variable nudibranchs.A. roboastra, the handsome
cannibal nudibranch, and pelagic nudibranch
Glaucus atlanticus.
Coral shrimps with teal
green eggs.
Sunfish schools, up to 15
may appear.
Juveniles of: black angels,
demoiselles, triggerfish, goatfish, combfish, mado.
Blue-dot triplefin males
seen in sex colouration, acting aggressively.
Stingray baby 15 inches
[newborn] sighted. Gestation is 11 months.
Yellowfin tuna sighted.
Pink maomao may sleep below
100 feet .
Elegant wrasse females seen
in school of 12.
Demoiselle nesting is at
peak intensity.
Sandagers wrasse may spawn.Paper nautilus sometimes occur.
February
Green Tambjas spawning on
green bryozoan bushes.
Sharp-nosed puffers court and spawn.
Triggerfish juveniles abundant in kelp; tiny lime-green rainbowfish.
One spot demoiselles sighted.
Short-tail stingrays mate.
Some demoiselles quit nesting now and shelter under ledges.
Eagle rays seem pregnant and sluggish.
Rainbowfish and combfish start spawning repeatedly.
Crested dealfish sighted.
Clavelina sea squirts have usually all left-a few tiny ones may still
remain.
March
Ophidiaster brown yellow snake
stars group spawn.
Juveniles of demoiselles, just post -larval, now very abundant in kelp and
under ledges.
Baby crays under ledges.
Black angel juveniles from previous year now 6" long ; tinge of blue on
anal fin.
Exotic wrasses appearing more and more: watch out for: Thalassoma lunare;
T. amblycephalus; T. lutescens; Pseudojuloides
elongatus; Anampses elegans; Coris dorsomacula.
Crimson cleaner females transform into males.
Giant sea hares may appear - also sporadically in later months until June.
Coral shrimp sheds shell.
Yellow moray wrapped around scorpion fish -may be stealing milt as eels do
trout.
Very tiny juvenile crimson cleaners and Sandagers wrasses like animated
slivers.
Blue knifefish at Northern Arch.
Yellow damselfishes seen in school of 16
Likelier month to see giant packhorse cray- sporadic throughout year.
April
Some triggerfish juveniles now 4";
juvenile
blue cod;
juvenile slender roughies; and baby bigeyes.
Hammerhead shark sighted.
Adult combfish may be abundant some years, even in groups of a dozen.
Sightings of exotic wrasses reach may reach peak intensity with growth and
aggregation.
Red moki spawn at dawn.
Stingray squadrons in archways diminish during this month.
Hawksbill turtle sighted.
Tubularia athecate hydroids resembling dandelions at Northern Arch south-
east portal.
Striped boxfish Ostracion solorensis sighted near Hope Point.
Lots of sharpnosed puffers in this area, sometimes feeding mid-water on
gelatinous plankton.
Oblique triplefins showing interest in rock surfaces and may be readying to
spawn.
May
Eagle rays seem to mate on
Fred's Pinnacle
Abundant juveniles of: crimson cleaners; bigeyes; slender roughies; combfish;
lizardfish; sprat -size koheru.
One spot demoiselles may reach levels of 1:90 ratio with the two spots.
Lined whelks mating.
Coral shrimps with eggs.
Orange wrasses begin group courtship and spawning.
Grouper may arrive at The Slot ( Pinnacles at the Poor Squires) this early
in some years.
Bluefish gather in schools and linear convoys.
Mottled triplefin [May-Aug] and Variable triplefin [May-Oct. but esp. June
-July] start their winter courtships.
June
Dense numbers of very tiny juvenile Sandagers wrasses; female teenagers
developing from yellow stripe juvenile form. Mature
female seen in sex transit to male form.
Sunfish still around .
Bar-tail goatfishes form school of 15.
Scaly-fin triplefins [June-Sept] and Yaldwyn's [June -Nov.],
Spectacled [June- Nov.] and Yellow-black triplefins [June-Nov.] all start
their winter courtships around this time. Males have distinctive sexual
colouration.
Seals aggregating on Pinnacles.
Jewel anemone colony seen to spawn during full moon at month's end.
July
In some years dense Clavelina
bluebell ascidians : Bernies Cave, Taravana Cave etc.
Male seals returning to Pinnacles; a few may come earlier.
Mado courtship and probable spawning: affectionate pairs.
Scarlet
wrasses court. Males very aggressive .
Nudibranchs scarce. Cannibal nudi : Roboastra luteolineata sighted.
Rainbow wrasse spawns. Described in PK Library.
Bar-tail goatfishes new arrivals first sighted: two groups of 3 and 4.
Hapuku in Slot at Pinnacles: some years.
August
Whitefoot paua spawns.
Crimson cleaners spawn intensely. Began in June; will continue until
December.
Splendid perch court - Sugarloaf: groups.
Red pigfish court - pairs or up to 4.
Carpet shark may appear this early.
Crays in berry.
Common dolphins first appear ( plus whales sometimes).
Bottlenose dolphin encounters .
Giant salp may appear this early.
Sea temps begin to rise.
September
Lilac Jason aeolid nudibranchs appear on Solanderia hydroid trees.
Gem nudibranchs sighted after gap: none during July/August.
Triggerfish [or leatherjackets] spawn (court June/Nov) in pairs. Untended nests.
Green wrasse courtship - pairs.
Carpet sharks appear.
Electric ray appears. Last sighted in June.
Eagle rays appear.
Stingrays appear.
Emerald green juvenile Thalassoma lutescens first sighted: beautiful sunset wrasse.
Demoiselles in deeps, lenticular clouds.
Red pigfish courting: male tail stands, both signal spots aglow.
Groper still in Slot.
Crays hatch eggs.
Common dolphins.
Whales ; gannets; orca .
Seals- 30 on Pinnacles haulout.
Bottlenose dolphin encounters P. K. most prevalent.
October
Nudibranchs surge in abundance: morose Tambja
[may be mating]; green Tambja; as well as Jason. aeolids and gems as
previous month. Vercoıs possible. No clowns or variable .
Groper still in Slot. [ past years...]
Dense sea birds - petrels have returned from Siberian feeding ground.
Crimson cleaner spawns.
Combfish juveniles develop yellow tails.
Splendid perch courtship dance continues.
Bar-tail goatfish sighted - small schools.
Scarlet wrasse males in sex colouration.
Green wrasse court.
Demoiselles swim in long ropes; aggregate in dense one organismı clouds.
Male black angels defending nest sites prior to spawning.
Dense Clavelina still in Bernies Cave, Taravana Cave etc.
Groper [hapuku] on Fredıs Pinnacle / also in Slot - Pinnacles.
Giant salp Pyrostremma on Fredıs Pinnacle with white shrimps inside.
Triggerfish feeding on dense gelatinous plankton swarms.
Lilac aeolid nudibranchs on Solanderia hydroid trees.
Paper nautilus appear. Kingfish gorge on them.
New angelfish sighted- yellow tail.
Intensive triggerfish courtship and aggression towards wrasses.
Exotic morse code triggerfish Thamnoconus analis eating giant salp.
Red pigfish courtship: elaborate displays one male, three females.
Pufferfish courtship.
Giant salps on west side: Taravana cave; Trevors Rocks.
This is cetacean month: greatest abundance of Delphinus dolphins; sei; minke,
Brydes whales;
humpbacks; orca occasionally.
Gannet / cetacean / fish meatballs frequent.