Hello, this is Koide from Freeway's Sado shop.
For the first time in a long while, I found a hoteiuo (smooth lumpsucker)!
It's been about 4 years!
I'm so happy!
Do you all know the hoteiuo??
The hoteiuo
lives in Canada, the Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk and other
cold regions.
Because it resembles Hotei, one of the Seven Lucky Gods,
it's called hoteiuo.
It grows to about 30 cm,
and believe it or not, it's a relative of the dangouo (a tiny lumpsucker)!
Just like the dangouo, it has a suction disc on its belly 🤗
It usually lives at depths of around 100 to 200 m,
in deep water, but
in Sado, at this time of year, it comes to spawn
in the rocky shallows.
After spawning, the male guards the eggs, and the female's life comes to an end.
The eggs are laid in crevices in the rocks
and seem to hatch in about a month.
Once the male has finished guarding the eggs, he runs out of strength and dies.
While guarding the eggs, his body becomes more and more worn out.
Around early March, you can see the young hoteiuo.
This is what the babies look like.
The hoteiuo has an indescribable expression, and it's one of my favorite fish.
Meeting one again after so long made me very happy 🤗
The adult hoteiuo I found this time seems to be a male.
He wasn't guarding eggs yet,
so I'm hoping he meets a female and spawning takes place.
Once they pick a favorite spot, they stay in the same place,
so I plan to observe him regularly.
From the look of things, I think they're spawning!
A hoteiuo pair (spawning?): two hoteiuo were in a rock crevice. It looks like they're spawning!
youtu.be
Today's dive site: Ogi
① Ryuodo
② Yakushiji
◇ Air temp: -2°C
◇ Water temp: 12°C
◇ Visibility: 15 m
◇ Marine life
• Hoteiuo, Ainame (fat greenling, guarding eggs), School of damselfish, Greater amberjack, Asahianahaze (a sculpin), Olive flounder, School of chagara, Sardines, Amimehagi (a filefish), Kusafugu (grass puffer), Higanfugu (a puffer), Mebaru, Himeika, Golden cuttlefish
① Shiroumiushi ② Aoumiushi ③ Kiiroiboumiushi ④ Hiroumiushi ⑤ Kuromidorigai ⑥ Hiramirumidorigai ⑦ Sumizomeminoumiushi ⑧ Azukiumiushi ⑨ Midoriamamoumiushi ⑩ Hozukifushieragai ⑪ Otomeumiushi, and more
