What is it?

Despite the effort I have put into learning the many fascinating species that inhabit the reef, there I some that just defy identification. Too many species, often impossible to identify without detailed examination and expert knowledge. This is exacerbated by my habit of looking in crevices and closely examining the small habitats the reef provides. Here are found all too many creatures that are not described in the guidebooks.

I have no good reference when it comes to some classes of animal. Good books exist for the fish that cover almost all species you are likely to encounter on a Hawaiian reef. Hawai'i Sea Creatures by Hoover does a great overview of the invertebrates, but there are just too many to cover in a single volume. There are texts written for and by marine biologists, but those are written in a cryptic jargon that takes a great deal of experience to learn. Learning enough to use these would require an investment of time I just do not have.

It is frustrating to encounter a species I can not identify, and have little hope of identifying. These will always remain an enigma. If, by some stroke of luck, I do find out what it was, there will be something else found on the next dive that gets added to the mystery list.