Comparison to a Mandarinfish:
It is believed that I am based on the Mandarinfish, also known as the Mandarin Goby, Green Mandarin, Striped Mandarinfish, Striped Dragonet, Green Dragonet, and - my personal favorite - Psychadelic Mandarinfish. When I heard this as a youngster, my curiousity made me look into it. Now for the basics: This fish, like me, is a reef lover. Sorry, dude, but those deep dark seas just ain't for me. Give me those sunny coastal waters with their mazes of living stone (coral.)
The Psychadelic Mandarinfish is a constant snacker by day. Believe me, man, I like my snacks, though, I'm not limited to day time. Ever heard of a midnight snack? Yeah, I invented that, dude.
What does Mr. Psychadelic snack on? Why, he likes Harpacticoida (ewww!), Plychaete Worms (man, why! You're not a bird, dude!), Gastropods (escargot...not so bad.), Gammaridean Amphipods (trippy, man...English please?), and fish eggs (finally! Caviar I can go for right now, with a bit of dip and...), and Ostracods (aliens!)
But, here, my friends, is the "pièce de résistance"! Out of all the vertabrates on this wide blue world: There are two, count them two, that have blue pigmentation due to cellular pigments.
-and one of those two rad fish is the great Psychadelic Mandarinfish!
That, right there, is just scratching at the shell, man. There is plenty more to find out, but no need to bore those not interested in all that. Just know that, through my researching and following of the Mandarinfish on the field, I have connected to them as my spirit animal.
It is believed that I am based on the Mandarinfish, also known as the Mandarin Goby, Green Mandarin, Striped Mandarinfish, Striped Dragonet, Green Dragonet, and - my personal favorite - Psychadelic Mandarinfish. When I heard this as a youngster, my curiousity made me look into it. Now for the basics: This fish, like me, is a reef lover. Sorry, dude, but those deep dark seas just ain't for me. Give me those sunny coastal waters with their mazes of living stone (coral.)
The Psychadelic Mandarinfish is a constant snacker by day. Believe me, man, I like my snacks, though, I'm not limited to day time. Ever heard of a midnight snack? Yeah, I invented that, dude.
What does Mr. Psychadelic snack on? Why, he likes Harpacticoida (ewww!), Plychaete Worms (man, why! You're not a bird, dude!), Gastropods (escargot...not so bad.), Gammaridean Amphipods (trippy, man...English please?), and fish eggs (finally! Caviar I can go for right now, with a bit of dip and...), and Ostracods (aliens!)
But, here, my friends, is the "pièce de résistance"! Out of all the vertabrates on this wide blue world: There are two, count them two, that have blue pigmentation due to cellular pigments.
-and one of those two rad fish is the great Psychadelic Mandarinfish!
That, right there, is just scratching at the shell, man. There is plenty more to find out, but no need to bore those not interested in all that. Just know that, through my researching and following of the Mandarinfish on the field, I have connected to them as my spirit animal.
A Big Fish Story
You have heard the saying "That's just a big fish story", right, dude?" Well, take a seat, because I have one doozy of a fish tale for you.
It wasn't all too long ago, really, that I had begun my search of the world. I and Squidly had no homes yet, but I did have my camera, bag, and journal. I was set to find myself a place in the world. I travelled near the shores, avoiding the undersea valleys whose depths held the unknown and the land. I did swim along the land most of the time, but I rarely stepped upon it except to rest - for I was in search of a special home. I was looking for a place that wasn't fully on land, but not fully submerged either. For, you see, I am the kind of Mako that needs to breathe dry air. Although I can hold my breath for hours, I prefer to not drown in my sleep.
One night, I found myself a bit too far out to sea in search of food when a storm began to roll in. I watched it before looking back to where I knew land was. There was no point of heading back to land, for by the time I hit shallow water, the storm would be upon me and tossing the upper seas. Intead I dove down into the corals below, away from the turning waters, still on my hunt for food. Through the corals I swam, catching a few small fish as I weaved my way through the maze below. It had turned more into a waiting game than a a hunt as the waters darkened with the loss of the sun. The fish began to dart away into their homes, leaving the waters empty, save for me, the coral, and...a strange colorful object floating in the water. Slowly, I approached it - my tail lazily propelling me forward. I stopped at five feet away, just close enough for me to see through the darkness that it was a lone fish darting away. Having nothing else to do, I gave chase as my predator instinct bid me to. Away it swam, and I right after. The strokes of my tail were quick and strong as I sped through the sea. Around and over corals and through old broken drift wood long waterlogged to the sea floor, only the corroding iron bolts holding its planks together. My eyes remained focused on the bright yellow and blue fish. I began to near it, when suddenly...CRASH! The fish was gone, and I found myself stuck in the window of a ship. Wiggling, I worked my way through and began to explore. After some investigation, I concluded what had happened to this ship: Once a mighty vessel, it had hit an unseen outcropped of rocks, splitting its timber in half so that the back sank to the ocean floor. The top grounded mostly above water upon the stones. Popping out of the water and into the grounded front half of the ship, I took a look to the sky to see that the storm had passed. Dusk had set, and that land looked to be a mere quarter mile away. Had I found it? Had a fish led me to it? Yes. I had found my home thanks to the help of none other than a Mandarinfish. It took time to fix it up. I built a connecting hall between the front and back of the ship and patched up the holes. I may have still been looking, man, if not for the guidance of a little radical fish.
You have heard the saying "That's just a big fish story", right, dude?" Well, take a seat, because I have one doozy of a fish tale for you.
It wasn't all too long ago, really, that I had begun my search of the world. I and Squidly had no homes yet, but I did have my camera, bag, and journal. I was set to find myself a place in the world. I travelled near the shores, avoiding the undersea valleys whose depths held the unknown and the land. I did swim along the land most of the time, but I rarely stepped upon it except to rest - for I was in search of a special home. I was looking for a place that wasn't fully on land, but not fully submerged either. For, you see, I am the kind of Mako that needs to breathe dry air. Although I can hold my breath for hours, I prefer to not drown in my sleep.
One night, I found myself a bit too far out to sea in search of food when a storm began to roll in. I watched it before looking back to where I knew land was. There was no point of heading back to land, for by the time I hit shallow water, the storm would be upon me and tossing the upper seas. Intead I dove down into the corals below, away from the turning waters, still on my hunt for food. Through the corals I swam, catching a few small fish as I weaved my way through the maze below. It had turned more into a waiting game than a a hunt as the waters darkened with the loss of the sun. The fish began to dart away into their homes, leaving the waters empty, save for me, the coral, and...a strange colorful object floating in the water. Slowly, I approached it - my tail lazily propelling me forward. I stopped at five feet away, just close enough for me to see through the darkness that it was a lone fish darting away. Having nothing else to do, I gave chase as my predator instinct bid me to. Away it swam, and I right after. The strokes of my tail were quick and strong as I sped through the sea. Around and over corals and through old broken drift wood long waterlogged to the sea floor, only the corroding iron bolts holding its planks together. My eyes remained focused on the bright yellow and blue fish. I began to near it, when suddenly...CRASH! The fish was gone, and I found myself stuck in the window of a ship. Wiggling, I worked my way through and began to explore. After some investigation, I concluded what had happened to this ship: Once a mighty vessel, it had hit an unseen outcropped of rocks, splitting its timber in half so that the back sank to the ocean floor. The top grounded mostly above water upon the stones. Popping out of the water and into the grounded front half of the ship, I took a look to the sky to see that the storm had passed. Dusk had set, and that land looked to be a mere quarter mile away. Had I found it? Had a fish led me to it? Yes. I had found my home thanks to the help of none other than a Mandarinfish. It took time to fix it up. I built a connecting hall between the front and back of the ship and patched up the holes. I may have still been looking, man, if not for the guidance of a little radical fish.
A Strange Encounter
One day, not all that long ago, I had quite the encounter. I was on a strange shore, a bit out of my territory, exploring into the tree line that followed the river. I must admit that it is rare that I see other sentient beings like Makos out there. Usually on my trips I run into only normal animals. To find other Makos, it normally takes going into one of the social hubs of our society. You can guess my surprise as I was watching this fox, and it began to speak. My ears shot up, and, I have to say, I did run for the river. I may be a friendly person, but foxes aren't supposed to talk, you know! So into the river I went, watching the surface in case the fox had chosen to follow me. Not too long after, I did indeed see a shadow over the water. I swam there for a moment, watching the hardly moving showing before popping back up and spraying water at its face to try to scare it off. The fox stumbed back, landing on, not one, but two tails! Shaking her head, she exclaimed, "HEY!"
I sank back into the water, waiting for it to go away. Only my eyes and top of my mane showing above. The strange bieng walked over and stoof over me, its tails waving behind it.
"Hello," it said before sitting down on the shore once more. "Why are you hiding?"
It was talking to me! This strange non-Mako that could talk was talking to me! Slowly, I rose from the water until the tops of my shoulders were showing. "Hello? Um...why are you able to talk?"
"Why wouldn't I be able to talk? You're not the only talking species out there you know."
Slowly, I crawled out of the water and sat on the shore beside her. As I began to pull out my journal to write down this moment, I saw her doing the same and paused, looking up at her. "Is that a journal?"
"Why, yes, it is. Looks like you have one too."
"Y-yes...what's in yours?"
"The stories of my travels and the people I meet."
At this I popped up in attention, opening my journal filled with pictures for her. "I write down details on animals and things I see." I flipped through its pages. "I like to document the natural world, man."
She took it into her lap, pawing through before passing me her own journal. "I write about stories and people." Looking through it, I saw no photographs, but many pages of words and occassionally sketches of small things like pendants and eyes. Her own eyes continued to scan through my journal, periodically widening in what appeared to be wonder as she flipped through more pages. "These are amazing! Did you take them all yourself?"
I looked over to see what she was talking about. It seemed she was in wonder over my photographs. "Yep!" I held up my own camera, taking a picture of her. She flinched and covered her face a second too late. After that, she wouldn't let me take any more photos, saying how she wasn't pretty enough with her scars to be recorded by my art. We sat around and chatted - two explorers of different worlds. She asked about the different pictures I had taken underwater, and, man, it seemed like her face would light up with each explanation I gave her. When night began to roll in, I invited her to stay with me for the night, but she refused after hearing about where I lived. She explained that she was a creature of land and couldn't possibly swim out there. Especially without damaging her own journal. Before I had to bid her "aduei," she asked me for one favor as one adventurer to another, to leave a photo of my undersea world in the hollow of the tree. The tree we had sat by. She said that she would leave a sketch and a short story of one of her travels if she were to pass by again. We shook on the deal, and I left for home as she strode inland.
Now every so often I return to that spot to leave a few pictures for her. Almost every time I find a few folded pieces of paper. I plan soon to find me a waterproof box which contents stay dry. One day I can take home her stories instead of hiding them again in another tree.
One day, not all that long ago, I had quite the encounter. I was on a strange shore, a bit out of my territory, exploring into the tree line that followed the river. I must admit that it is rare that I see other sentient beings like Makos out there. Usually on my trips I run into only normal animals. To find other Makos, it normally takes going into one of the social hubs of our society. You can guess my surprise as I was watching this fox, and it began to speak. My ears shot up, and, I have to say, I did run for the river. I may be a friendly person, but foxes aren't supposed to talk, you know! So into the river I went, watching the surface in case the fox had chosen to follow me. Not too long after, I did indeed see a shadow over the water. I swam there for a moment, watching the hardly moving showing before popping back up and spraying water at its face to try to scare it off. The fox stumbed back, landing on, not one, but two tails! Shaking her head, she exclaimed, "HEY!"
I sank back into the water, waiting for it to go away. Only my eyes and top of my mane showing above. The strange bieng walked over and stoof over me, its tails waving behind it.
"Hello," it said before sitting down on the shore once more. "Why are you hiding?"
It was talking to me! This strange non-Mako that could talk was talking to me! Slowly, I rose from the water until the tops of my shoulders were showing. "Hello? Um...why are you able to talk?"
"Why wouldn't I be able to talk? You're not the only talking species out there you know."
Slowly, I crawled out of the water and sat on the shore beside her. As I began to pull out my journal to write down this moment, I saw her doing the same and paused, looking up at her. "Is that a journal?"
"Why, yes, it is. Looks like you have one too."
"Y-yes...what's in yours?"
"The stories of my travels and the people I meet."
At this I popped up in attention, opening my journal filled with pictures for her. "I write down details on animals and things I see." I flipped through its pages. "I like to document the natural world, man."
She took it into her lap, pawing through before passing me her own journal. "I write about stories and people." Looking through it, I saw no photographs, but many pages of words and occassionally sketches of small things like pendants and eyes. Her own eyes continued to scan through my journal, periodically widening in what appeared to be wonder as she flipped through more pages. "These are amazing! Did you take them all yourself?"
I looked over to see what she was talking about. It seemed she was in wonder over my photographs. "Yep!" I held up my own camera, taking a picture of her. She flinched and covered her face a second too late. After that, she wouldn't let me take any more photos, saying how she wasn't pretty enough with her scars to be recorded by my art. We sat around and chatted - two explorers of different worlds. She asked about the different pictures I had taken underwater, and, man, it seemed like her face would light up with each explanation I gave her. When night began to roll in, I invited her to stay with me for the night, but she refused after hearing about where I lived. She explained that she was a creature of land and couldn't possibly swim out there. Especially without damaging her own journal. Before I had to bid her "aduei," she asked me for one favor as one adventurer to another, to leave a photo of my undersea world in the hollow of the tree. The tree we had sat by. She said that she would leave a sketch and a short story of one of her travels if she were to pass by again. We shook on the deal, and I left for home as she strode inland.
Now every so often I return to that spot to leave a few pictures for her. Almost every time I find a few folded pieces of paper. I plan soon to find me a waterproof box which contents stay dry. One day I can take home her stories instead of hiding them again in another tree.