shrimp

Anchialine Pool

An anchialine pond is a brackish water pool near the ocean. The Kona coast of the big island is scattered with such pools.

Near the ocean the water table is quite high, often just a meter or so beneath the surface. These recent lava flows are highly fractured, riddled with cavities and lava tubes. Here the abundant fresh water from the mauna comes down to meet the seawater. The young lava rock is rich in nutrients and life flourishes in the dark crevices and chambers.

Shrimp Gallery

Lottin's Snapping Shrimp — Lottin’s Snapping Shrimp (Alpheus lottini) deep in a califlower coral head (Pocillopora meandrina)

Marbled Shrimp — A marbled shrimp (Saron marmoratus) between boulders in a cave floor, 40ft depth

Flamebacked Coral Shrimp

Banded Coral Shrimp

Banded

Postcard from the Reef – Snapping Shrimp

Put your head below water near any tropical reef and the first thing you hear is the cacophony of snaps. This is the popping or crackling noise of hundreds of snapping shrimp. Rarely seen, these small shrimp are everywhere, I find it amazing that these small shrimp have such an impact on the reef environment.

This pair was deep in a cauliflower coral, not easy to photograph. Even worse, I was snorkeling, not diving, it took three dives, and three attempts to get the photo…