Category: Postcard from the Reef

Photos from the wet

Postcard from the Reef – Unidentified Flatworm

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?

Unidentified Flatworm
An unidentified flatworm (Pseudoceros sp?) found at 30ft on a wall at Kua Bay

Postcard from the Reef – Barracuda

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!

Heller's Barracuda
Amongst a school of Heller’s Barracuda (Sphyraena helleri)

Postcard from the Reef – Juvenile Rockmover Wrasse

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…

Juvenile Rockmover Wrasse
A juvenile rockmover wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus) imitates floating seaweed above the coral

Postcard from the Reef – Me

Pete shot a nice photo of me as we dove Kua Bay. It is an action shot too! Well, at least it shows my usual action on the reef… Nose into the coral, camera front, shooting something too small to see from any distance. Thanks Pete!

Andrew Shooting
The author, Andrew Cooper, doing the usual… Photographing the reef life. Photo by Pete Tucker

Postcard from the Reef – Different Occupants

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 Snail
Pimpled basket (Nassarius papillosus) displaying it’s odd polka dot color scheme, depth 25′ at Puakō
Pale Anemone Crab
Pale anemone crab (Dardanus deformis) using a pimpled basket snail shell at 30ft depth, Puakō
The 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.

Postcard from the Reef – Nudi Porn

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?

Varicose Phyllidia
A pair of varicose phyllidia (Phyllidia varicosa) at 35ft depth, Hoover’s Tower, most likely mating