Breaking a long silence
Since my last post marking the redoubtable Phil Bendle's passing, there has been a steady accumulation of observations of the interesting, beautiful and sometimes bizarre organisms that reside at, or drift past the Poor Knights Islands. The project now contains just over 1230 verifiable observations and in the last two years has really benefited from large contributions by @emr_auckland, @jmartincrossley, @nigelmarsh, @ryan_slattery, @lukas932 and @lcolmer. One of the most notable of these observations being that of a googly-eyed pink clingfish (Modicus minimus) (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42225165). This observation by @ryan_slattery is, as far as I am aware, the first time this species has been photographed alive in its natural habitat. As I am a fish nerd I was also excited to see @albeer23 's observation of a yellow crested weedfish (Cristiceps aurantiacus) resting in the crown of an Ecklonia plant (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61274808).
Among the ranks of the spineless majority these observations caught my eye:
- the strange hitch-hiking hyperiid amphipod Oxycephalus clausi (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/poor-knights-islands-marine-reserve), its salp host has yet to be identified
- the stunning Venus' girdle (Cestum veneris) ctenophore (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61999602 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61999600)
- the amazing fish-mimicking nudibranch Phylliroe bucephala (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61999573), thanks very much to @readgb for the ID
- the beautiful nudibranchs Caldukia rubiginosa (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/62696063) and Trinchesia sp. (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/62696752)
- the unusual hydromedusan Zygocanna sp. (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/62850374)
- and a truly bizzare pterotracheoid pteropod (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/62694637).
Who knows what the summer will bring.
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