Amazing Transformations Pacific Islands Volume 2

Volume 2 of the Pacific Islands Transformations series has 3 new fish species. Starting with the Yellow Cubicus Boxfish, from the tiny yellow juvenile to the fully grown and changed adult. Next is the Yellowtail Wrasse which starts out looking very much like it should be considered a clownfish with it's bright red body and distinct white stripes, and watch as it changes to it's yellow tail and body covered with iridescent blue spots and the green stripes on it's head. The video finishes with the elegant Emperor Angelfish which begins as a garish blue and white striped body, with a large false eyespot covering the back of it's body. This coloration fades into a subdued blue body with yellow stripes and a black hood concealing it's eyes to distract that vulnerability from predators that often strike at the eye.
Video is by Fran and Gary Nesmith, Editing and color grade Gary Nesmith
Music Samudra Visions

[@mariashaffer-gordon3561]

Another gorgeous video! Thank you for sharing these transformation videos with us. How big was the juvenile yellow cubicus boxfish? Was it about the size of a single dice? I remember the first time I saw a juvenile yellowtail wrasse in the wild. I couldn't figure out what it was, but someone at the Maui Ocean Center told me what it was. I thought one of the yellowtail wrasses in your video was very inconsiderate, overturning a coral and not putting it back the way it found it. If you have footage, initial phase to terminal male redlip and bullethead parrotfish, and juvenile or initial phase to terminal male transformations of some of the wrasses (e.g. pearl, yellowstripe, bird, rockmover, and belted) would be interesting species for another video.

[@nezmoproductions]

The yellow cubicus boxfish juvenile was very tiny, a dice would be an apt comparison. He is being harassed by a 3" damsel fish in the first shot. They don't stay that size for long. When we first found them in the Cook Islands we went in the fall, and the smallest were about 3-4 inches. We went next time in the spring, and these little guys were all over the place. The huge blue male at the end of the transformation was the only one I ever saw, and he exited in a hurry after spotting me. It's hard to not consider the juvi yellowtail wrasse some kind of clownfish due to the coloration. I have a shot of one that was transforming into the next coloration, but I shot it long ago, and couldn't find it for this video. The large yellowtail wrasse turning over the coral is a common sight for the really big ones, it's pretty impressive when you consider he's only using his mouth. The dragon, or rockmover wrasses are also constantly flipping over rocks and coral to find something to munch on. I love to make these transformation videos, I wanted to make something different and show others something I have witnessed , but just finding the appropriate clips among thousands of video clips is daunting, and it's easy to get distracted by something I forgot about. Another factor is that many of the juvenile examples are only around for a certain season, and unless I'm there at that time, I don't get to see them. Most of these videos are comprised from several trips. I am working on new ones, and I hope to have one soon.