Chaetodon ocellatus
Size: juveniles 1-2"; adults to 6"
Habitat: inlets and rivers, late in the season
Notes: The adult fish is shown above, the juvenile below.
The best time to view or capture these fishes is at night when they are asleep. During the day they are wary and very quick. Nighttime coloration is completely different from daytime - dark vertical bars and blotches over the entire body.
"Head boats" like the one shown are our major competition every morning - racing out to get to the best spots first. If you want to know why dive boats leave so god-awful early in the morning, this is one reason. Their behavior depends on the captain - many are friendly and accommodating, others are downright rude, and some won't even answer the radio. Dive boats sometimes recover lost anchors for the friendly boats, which can be quite a production, since some of them have very big anchors!
More: Charter Fishing Boats ...
