P5201485 - Male cabezon guarding eggs! He's about 1 m long! These fish usually bolt at the first sign of a diver - except when guarding eggs. So VERY fortunate to have had this photographic opportunity. The egg mass in this image is purple and near the cabezon's chin. There is a second silver-coloured mass further out of view that is presumably from a second female.
I was so lucky here as apparently, when egg-guarding, the males can be quite aggressive. This individual tolerated my presence while in this very alert position - dorsal fin and cirri erect.
