Two Seahorses from Tasi Tolu

 

White Frogfish

Lendell founds this magnificent white frogfish this morning at Tasi Tolu.


 

Stiped Eel Catfish

These striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus) are small (7-8cm) but pack a powerful venom in their fin spines. Repeated stings have even been reported to be fatal. Of the world's 2,000 species of catfish, most are freshwater, with only a few species living in the oceans.


 

Banded Pipefish

This banded pipefish was carrying a double strand of pearly pink eggs



 

This is for you Nick!

This Gorgonian and incredibly small pygmy seahorse are located in just 15 meters of water along the side of the USS Liberty at Tulamben. This pygmy makes the red species look like a giant.




 

Photo Contest

Below are the eight photos I am entering in this year's ScubaFest photo contest.






 

 

Ghost Shrimp from Tulamben

 

This is probably a juvenile Thorny-back cowfish due to the prominent spine in the middle of its back. A closely related cowfish, the Longhorn, does not have the spine.


 

I caught this goby cleaning out its den.


 

 
 
  

 

These two ghostpipefish, perhaps Robust or Rough-snout, proved rather difficult to focus on and photograph together. At first, I thought the larger individual was covered with algae or hydroids, but the closeup photos show a distinct pattern of 'skin flaps' all along its body. The smaller has only a few of these skin flaps on the underside of his (the male is usually smaller) snout.



 

This Cockatoo Waspfish (2.5 cm) is relatively 'clean' for a waspfish. My reference book says that this species is known to mimic rotting leaves and even simulates rotting spots and encrusted algae.


















While most Dragonets are exceptionally colorful, this white species (2 cm) was found at 5 meters.


 

These two crabs and nudibranch were all found on the same sea cucumber. While the crabs are commensal to their 'host' cucumber, we were quite surprised to find the Pleurobranchus forskali hitching a ride. The sea cucumber also has several small anemone attached.