Reader Carl Sufit has contributed some additional underwater shots; his commentary is indented.
A few more from Cayman Brac. I have loads of images to go through from past few trips to Bonaire (going public is a good incentive to actually do so), and can consider sending some after I’ve done so. Many phyla and families barely mentioned so far.
Arrow crab Stenorhynchus seticornis and Sponge brittle star Ophiothrix suensonii (a few arms tucked under the crab) on a tubulate sponge Agelas tubulata:
Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda):
Another pretty trigger fish, the Black Durgon, Melichtgys niger, which can appear as a fairly drab black but has iridescent colors when illuminated:
Your basic Southern Stingray (Dasyatis americana), ready to bury itself in the sand, along with some sort of jack (Bar Jack? Caranx ruber):
And, not as wild as ZeFrank’s Bobbit worms, (I think his video also showed some other common marine annelids), the “social” feather duster worm, Bispira brunnea: (the purple is the base/stalk of a Sea Fan (coral) Gorgonia ventalina:
I don’t see the “social” species nearly as often as the the Split Crown Feather Dusters Anamobaea orstedii. (This image is from a different trip, with another annelid, Christmas tree worm (Spriobrnachus giganteus) in the background. I’ll send better images of those in the future.
Great stuff Carl! But whacky names seems to be the order of the day for underwater organisms – too much oxy? 🙂
Beautiful pictures! What an adventure this must have been. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing
These are all great. Love the barracuda.
I am reminded of the slight angst when diving with barracuda. As there silvery bodies drift by, the jaw full of pointed teeth makes your heart beat faster.
Thanks to all. If anyone can’t see the brittle star in the first image (I was wondering myself, and had to go to the original, larger file to find it and make sure I hadn’t mixed it up), it’s hidden just beneath the arrow crab.
I love corral reefs and your photos give me an itch to go snorkeling again. Thanks Carl!
I can see why Aristotle thought some of these things were “between plants and animals”.