With the relatives here, we finally made a visit to the Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney. The aquariums feature a fascinating assortment of our local, underwater neighbours , including prickly sea urchins, all varieties and colours of starfish, delicate shrimp, flower-like anemones and exotically, beautiful jellyfish.
My favourite was this ancient looking Wolf-eel. Apparently he isn't really and eel – more of a longish fish. His face just oozes character. Apparently, young Wolf-eels live close to the surface of the water and as they age they descend to live at lower levels. They mate for life and protect their eggs until the young hatch. Some grow up to 8 feet long and weigh 40 pounds. That is pretty big for a fish with long canine teeth!
Eventually, old Wolf-eels find a comfortable crevice in a rock on the bottom of the ocean, move in and stay curled up there for the rest of their lives.
I'm always amazed and delighted when I find a species so completely different from us – yet at some level, maybe his appearance - a vaguly familar jawline or simply the commonality of old age that reminds me that we are all connected.
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