Sincere thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented during last month’s A to Z Challenge. It was a fun event and definitely worth doing. I found several new blogs to read, and it’s always fun to try something new.
Posting will return to my regular Monday-to-Friday schedule now that the challenge is over, but I have one last item of challenge-related business: the Big Surprise.
There are plenty of websites with pictures of green-spotted dragonets:
and starry dragonets (aka “scooter blennies”):
but very few with both, and fewer still with images of the starry dragonet raising his “warning” fin. The fin is part of what gives the dragonet his name, because when the male extends it it looks quite a bit like a little dragon.
Mine raises his all the time. It rarely gets the response he’s looking for.
Johnny (Cash) desperately wants our green-spotted dragonet, Flappy, to respect his authority and his space. Whenever he thinks Flappy’s swimming a bit too close, up goes the warning fin, sometimes with shaking for emphasis.
But Flappy isn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
When he sees Johnny’s fin, he doesn’t think “uh-oh, big fish ahead.” He tips his head to the side and swims right up for a better look. He can’t seem to decide whether this Neat New Thing is food, a possible mate or just some intriguing new coral, but he never misses the chance to examine it up close.
And closer.
And even closer.
Eventually poor Johnny puts the fin down and swims off. The process repeats a couple of times a day, and although Johnny gives it a valiant effort, Flappy just isn’t smart enough to understand he’s supposed to find this intimidating.
In fact, he’s more disturbed by his own reflection (which he tries to challenge numerous times a day).
Johnny’s determination and Flappy’s delighted – if misguided – response leads to some of the most entertaining moments in the tank, and thanks to my friend Wing, the rest of you get to see it too.
Love it! Flappy is awesome!