Spring 2020
As of today, 7 October 2020, the project has garnered 2737 observations of at least 423 species. Some of those that have caught my eye recently have been of:
- a near perfect beach cast specimen of a small mesopelagic fish the pennant pearlside (Maurolicus australis) - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52915899
- the fungus Collemopsidium cf. foveolatum a epibiont of the column barnacle - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56897957
- a beautiful image of the small, encrusting coralline alga Synarthrophyton patena - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56887663
- the tiny sacoglossan slug Ercolania felina - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56885349, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/55467985
- the colourful isopod Dynamenopsis varicolor - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56887683
- and an elephant fish (Callorhinchus milii) egg case beach cast in Owhiro Bay - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61372972.
Although looking decidedly worse for wear the elephant fish egg case is of interest to me because it implies this species is breeding within at least part of the marine reserve. I have seen egg cases of this species previously off Seatoun and Eastbourne but a quick scan of the records on iNat shows egg cases scattered throughout the outer part of the harbour, including Oriental Bay, and along the south coast as far west as Owhiro Bay. This species usually deposits its eggs in pairs on soft sediments from a few metres depth down to at least 12 m. The south coast iNat records are clustered in Owhiro Bay and Lyall Bay but its possible eggs are being laid on any suitable substrate from 3-12 m depth between these locations. So next time you swimming over sand, mud, gravel or a red algal meadow keep an eye out for them. The eggs are laid from spring to autumn and take at least 6 months to hatch depending on water temperature. They are golden brown (kelp coloured) when fresh but turn black with age.