Fish ‘n’ Rocks

What’s the connection between pairs of fish and ‘rocks’?

Answer: Whenever you find female and male fish together, you will always find ‘rocks’!

This photo shows a breeding pair of Crested Pipefish (Histiogamphelus briggsii) at Rapid Bay jetty recently: –

You can see the gravel and limestone chips on the substrate, along with a few Goolwa pipi valves, courtesy of recreational fishers.

The valves contain much calcium, coalesced by that species from inanimate to organic, an element transformed into one of nature’s countless artworks. A humble bivalve itself resembles, very superficially, a pair of wings (and on it goes).

This was my entry point for my dive: –

I’ve now arrived, circuitously, at a truth so very obvious.

All is connected, continua are the only reality.

Geology and Biology are inseparable.

Here is another photo of the two pipefish: –

Do these two pipefish, as Great Southern Reef endemics, matter more than inorganic substances such as limestone and methane?

Or less?

Neither! They are equal in importance – in life and in death.

So, at the human social level, those things we call Societies, it seems a merger of rocks and temperate marine lifeforms is feasible.