It was small, but I was looking for small, scouring a reef wall at Kua Bay. At first glance I hoped I had found a nudibranch, a closer look revealed a flatworm. A pretty little creature moving quickly across a sponge covered surface. I did not recognize the species, not one of the usual flatworms we see by day. Certainly not another fuchsia flatworm, I had lost count of those early in the dive.
I am not alone in not being able to identify the species. It was not in the book, I had to search the websites before I found any reference to a matching species. The reference on Hoover’s website came without an identification, merely a genus name and a description that perfectly matched the flatworm I had found. Active by day on a shaded wall… Check. Found at 15-20ft… Check, more or less, found at 30ft. Reported from Maui by a known expert in the field Cory Pittman.
The worm does resemble a species known in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Mariana Islands, Pseudoceros bimarginatus. There are some differences in the photos as well. No clear answer, best leave this ID to experts. I have forwarded my photograph.
Thus my identification remains… Pseudoceros sp?
An unidentified flatworm (Pseudoceros sp?) found at 30ft on a wall at Kua Bay
There are numerous guides to the reef life found around the Hawaiian Islands. Most are superficial, suitable for the casual tourist snorkeler at best. Short of delving into the professional level publications there are two sources I use all the time. The books by Hoover, one on fish and the other for the invertebrates, are my first stop when attempting to identify an animal. These well thumbed references are usually found on my desk beside the computer.
Screenshot of the Reef Critters Hawaii AppAnother source I use regularly is the fantastic collection of photographs found on Keoki Stender’s Marinelife Photography website. This is well organized and fairly comprehensive collection of photos that allow a good shot at identification. One advantage of the website over the books is that there are often numerous photos of each species on the website showing variations between individuals and ages of the critter. More than once we have used this website to ID a species from a smartphone on the boat between dives.
What about an app to do that?
To my pleasant surprise I have found that there is indeed an app. Combining information from John Hoover, Keoki Stender’s excellent photography, plus information from a few other contributors, you can now download everything to your phone for easy reference, even without a data connection.
Actually there are several apps in the series. As with Hoover’s books, fish and invertebrates are handled separately. You can get the phone version or the iPad oriented HS version.
This snorkelers guide to the most common invertebrates and other commonly seen water inhabitants in Hawai’i includes 374 gorgeous photos together with extensive notes for each. All content is by an experts in the field: Keoki and Yuko Stender, and snorkeling guidebook authors, Judy and Mel Malinowski. As a bonus, links to underwater videos by Keller Laros, Rob Whitton, Mel Malinowski and others are provided. – Description of Reef Critters Hawai’i
The apps are well organized and quick to use. As with any book, it helps to be able to recognize at least the family of fish or critter, this helps in navigating to the correct section. Scrolling though a list of species, each with a thumbnail image, allows quick choice of possible identifications.
It is unlikely that the apps will replace my use of the books… The listings are not as complete as the books or websites, many of the less common species are missing. There is generally only one photo per species, neglecting some color phases and juvenile stages. Still, a quick ID reference in the phone is quite convenient. There are a number of videos which I find fairly useless, I would gladly trade the memory requirements for a more complete species listing.
I have no trouble with the $4.99 cost of the apps, I consider it a contribution to the folks who have put together the great references I have used for many years of diving Hawaiian reefs.
I did not see them coming. Sweeping in from above and behind I saw them come over the top. With a kick upwards I was in the school, surrounded by beautiful silver fish. A large school of Heller’s barracuda!
These fish feed at night, spending the day hanging out in large schools over the reef. Even resting they move with graceful speed. I attempt to stay in the school for a while, shooting as I go. I am soon out of breath, sucking air from the tank, worth the effort for such a sight!
Amongst a school of Heller’s Barracuda (Sphyraena helleri)
The juvenile rockmover wrasse, sometimes called a dragon wrasse is a wild appearing fish. With an abundance of frilly appendages it moves like a bit of seaweed caught in the swell. In my experience this fish is always found in an open area, a coral or sand flat between large heads or in wave channels.
While not rare, they are not all that common either. This is another fish that is frustrating to photograph, it moves constantly, never quite letting you get close. The only advantage is that it keeps the same territory, making the same circuit, even when bothered by a large, noisy diver with a strobe.
Not a great shot, the fish is not quite sharp and the lighting is poor. Best I have so far, despite several dragon chases. I’ll just have to try again…
A juvenile rockmover wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus) imitates floating seaweed above the coral
Snails move at a surprising speed underwater, much faster than their terrestrial counterparts. This shell was moving much to fast even for a marine snail. A hermit crab, of course. The shell was familiar, I had photographed a snail wearing the same shell a few mere minutes earlier. The hermit crab was using a basket snail shell.
Pimpled basket (Nassarius papillosus) displaying it’s odd polka dot color scheme, depth 25′ at PuakōPale anemone crab (Dardanus deformis) using a pimpled basket snail shell at 30ft depth, PuakōThe pimpled basket snail is quite common, finding a couple of them in the course of a night dive is no real surprise. Finding and photographing the same type of shell, with two different occupants is an odd serendipity.
In the course of identifying the hermit crab I was surprised to learn it was an anemone crab. These usually host an anemone or three on their shells. This crab had none. A new shell? No time yet to recruit the usual anemone? It was fairly small for the species, perhaps a young example.
Yes, I occasionally publish porn… Nudibranch porn.
Search engines must have fun with nudis. Just consider the website Nudi Pixel. A great website, I often use the photos to check my identification of a species. How many surfers hit upon the site looking for something totally different?
A pair of varicose phyllidia (Phyllidia varicosa) at 35ft depth, Hoover’s Tower, most likely mating
