Male tubesnout displaying his glowing blue snout to attract the ladies
These pencil-like fish grow to about 18 cm long and have a distinctive slender snout. They can be found across the Pacific northwest from Alaska to California in near-shore shallows to 30 metres. They are often found in large schools just below the tide in rocky crevices, eelgrass beds, and kelp forests where they feast on fish and crab larvae, small shrimp, and zooplankton floating in the water. Females are typically olive green, whereas, males have a bright blue fluorescent patch on their snout and red/orange fins under their body. Breeding males display their glow-in-the-dark blue snout and bright orange pelvic fins to entice the lady fish during Spring courtship and to fend off competing males who venture into their patch of seaweed. Once a male attracts a female, the female will lay small clusters of amber coloured eggs onto the seaweed. The male will build a nest for the eggs by binding together bits of seaweed with a sticky thread he produces, and he will then protect the nest by actively defending it from predators. These seaweed nests are found at depths from 10-20 metres, although some can reach depths of almost 40 metres.
www.aquablog.ca/tag/featured-vanaqua-dot-org/page/136/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulorhynchus
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56021b47e4b04aa9439c6fcd/t/574e4d2901dbae72b1da8f87/14
64749359064/Speciesyoumightseeduringourexpedition.pdf
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