Okay, first off, not to brag, but just fact of the matter, if their is only one thing I know a LOT about, it's fish. I can recite the first and last Latin names of about 1000 species of fish, freshwater, saltwater, cold water, and tropical. I've worked at 4 different tropical fish stores, and on a fish farm in Arkansas.

All that said, I have not even the slightest idea what this Great Egret caught here ?

In fact, I was holding the camera on him, and after he hit the water, and came back up shaking his beak, I thought he had just accidentally grabbed a piece of kelp, but snapped a few out of reflex reaction. {I was about 50 feet away, using my 400mm lens..... and even so, these are 100% crops, hence the low photo quality} It wasn't until after I shot them, then used the zoom on my camera and said, "Wow ! That's some kind of plant green fish !

Anyway, I don't know if I have ever seen a fish, of any species, that was so "plant / kelp green" !

If I had to guess, this is probably only the juvenile coloration (for whatever species it is) to help it survive, while it trys to grow. I'd bet the adult looks totally different....

Oh, these were shot in Bodega Bay CA.

Any guesses ?

Peace,

Fish

from the second  picture it almost looks like some kind of shrimp.

               -gk

I agree, either a juvenile/quiescent color, or maybe even spawning colors.  Looks like some kind of goby/blennie/sculpin/bottom hopper.

I'm digging around here hoping to get lucky on it: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/fishid.asp

i was thinking goby as well.

About as close as I see to anything, beyond those crazy deep water hatchetfish, that has a round caudal fin like that is the "Midshiopman" from the genus Porichthys.  But color is way off, though fish can be like chameleons.

Thanks guys,

JF

But color is way off,

But of course we already agree it could be juvenile (blending in with the kelp) colors.....

Ya', know, I bet if I were to take a long handled net, and start scooping up a bunch of that kelp, I could find all sorts of cool little creatures to photograph  That might be a fun macro-photo project.

Hmmmm,

Peace,

Fish

Was going to say...either sculpin or gobie.

Green sculpin.

Tidepool Sculpin maybe? This says they often change their color to green:

http://www.vichighmarine.ca/reports/fishes/tidepool-sculpin

Jake ! You are da' man ! That is totally it !

If this doesn't prove that the answer to every question on the planet, is right at our fingertips, I don't know what does !

Heck, not just some funky scientific writing, and maybe a black and white drawing, done 20 years ago, but freaking Youtube video of the darn thing ! Ha !

You have to excuse me, but being an old guy, this kind of stuff just flips me out !

I'm telling you, young guys todays (given that they have the same extreme curiosity about such things, as I did) are going to know 10 X's what I ever did !

Still amazed....

Fish

Good Job Jake!