Colorful Fishes and Complex Drawings
(FYI..I have an encyclopedia by species if you want to see what each species looks like).
I think my skills are finally up to tackling some of the more complex fish species out there, so I drew up a few over the holidays. The simple Jacksmelt was added because I catch them all the time off the piers of SoCal, and sandbar shark because they are in the surf all the time on the east coast, as warm-up. Then I added a few species of triggerfish, including: Orange-lined, Redtail Triggerfish (found in California and Baja), Titan (found in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans), and Niger Redtoothed Triggerfish(found in the Indo-Pacific too). I also added a few salmonids that are complex including Gila trout (New Mexico and Arizona), and Masu (Cherry) Salmon (from Japan).
Pacific salmonids are really interesting as a genus. The trout species are likely descended from 'precocious par' or juvenile looking fish that get reproductive before the go to sea, that got trapped inland by various geological events. These include rainbow trout, golden trout, Gila trout, cutthroat trout, redband trout, and relatives. The salmons (like Coho, Chinook, Pink, Sockeye/Kokanee, and Masu) are the one that spawn mature, and die soon after...the ultimate in 'dying to love' scenario. Now the interesting questions are for sea-run cutthroats and steelhead. Likely after becoming the trout form, they got a chance to reconnect with the ocean? Note that some steelhead/rainbow trout go 'steel' event after being separated from the big water for many generations.
Note if it appears in my Cafepress or DBH sites, it is also in my Spoonflower site on cloth and wallpaper (or soon will be).
Life is amazing!
Bryce
