discoslug's Identifications

Two adults of the Subject species are present (a dark one, very out-of-focus, nearest to viewer, and a brown one, in focus, behind and to its L).

For the record I note a 3rd pipefish behind the Posidonia at lower R corner, but it is sufficiently obscured that the species can't be ID'd with any confidence. I think it is in Vanacampus genus, possibly V. phillipi. I'm fairly sure it is not in Histiogamphelus genus.

'Hotspot' dive from shore. Near the old tree stump which was huge back then.
I've long ago posted an observation (7 sequential pics in 1 submission) of what I think is this same fish, however I now post this (different photo from same dive) particular image because I've reviewed it closely and can't exclude a small brown clingfish as being present behind and to R of subject's head. More likely artefact ,ie part of the brown algae, but the sorts of clingfish we get in this bay are expert mimics of exactly that type of weed, and I still wonder if some such temperate marine clingfish taxa - apart from the obvious Eastern and Western Cleaner Clingfish - are actually part-time cleaners of a suite of inshore fish taxa . Specifically the clients would be species usually found in and around meadows and other benthic habitats with little or no rock reef, such as many local pipefish eg Stigmatopora spp. and Histiogamphelus spp. Because this sort of habitat does not suit Western Cleaner Clingfish, but is choice habitat for 'grass clingfish' (as some were once known, colloquially anyway).