Shots from Tonight at Sandy Bottom

 

Melibe with Eggs

 

Pectenodoris trilineata

 

Gorgonian Horned Shrimp

 

Two Cowries

 

Shrimp Goby

 

Phyllodesmium (1cm)

 

Frankenstein Frogfish

This little Frankenstein Frogfish had me in stitches.


 

Hippocampus dianopterus

 

Hippocampus lendopterus

 

 

The Monster of Tasi Tolu

Our good friend Leslie Harris at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has generously provided an identification and further information about the "Monster of Tasi Tolu". (My apologies for using this title Leslie, but I'm attempting a bit of drama to draw in a larger audience). She has informed us that the photograph is

"the hind end of a chaetopterid polychaete, probably Chaetopterus. People thought that one species in particular, C. variopedatus, was a cosmopolitan species, meaning it lived everywhere around the world. Lately some researchers have been taking a closer look at the worms & realizing that you could easily tell the difference between regional populations, even between habitat populations in an area, and that these are all valid species. Chaetopterids are especially nifty even for polychaetes. They have 3 distinct body regions none of which look as if they belong together. Some of them create mucus nets to filter food particles out of the water as it flows through their tubes."

General information here: http://www.seafriends.org.nz/indepth/nd002.htm
and more specific information here http://www.mbl.edu/marine_org/marine_org.php?func=detail&myID=ITA-67097

Frogfish

It must be frogfish season. This individual (4-5mm) was found at Tasi Tolu tonight.

 

Flathead

Long-snout Flathead, Thysanophrys chitonae

 

Crab and Cluster of Cowries

 

Octopus at Tasi Tolu

 

Eel

 

Friday Night Dive at Sandy Bottom

 

Sea Hares

 

Frogfish

This is perhaps the smallest frogfish I have yet photographed, about 3mm.