Sluggish Day @ St John's.....
It has been a long time since my last visit to St John's island. So today, I was back at St John's for an intertidal trip.
Here you can see the massive shore protection works done to protect the cliffs after the massive landslides.
Today turns out to be a sluggish day as we saw one Sea slug after another. So what are the Sea slugs that we came across?
The Oval Sea Grapes Seaweed are in season. Among one patch was this Sea slug. Think it could be an Emerald Stiliger slug (Stiliger smaragdinus). It lives and feeds on the Seaweed which it will retain the algae colour pigments in its digestive system. The pigments colour the slug and thus make it looking like part of the Sea Grapes.
A closer look at this Sea Grapes-looking Sea slug. A first-sighting for me if I remembered correctly.
Found this Blue Dragon Nudibranch (Pteraeolidia ianthina) swaying about.
And James found a juvenile too.
There were a lots of this little stripey Armina Nudibranch. Looks like Dermatobranchus albus. I lost count after seeing 10.
A commonly seen Black-margined Nudibranch (Glossodoris atromarginata).
This tiny tiny nudibranch was found on a Brown Seaweed. It was about 5mm. It is an Aeolid Nudibranch. From the shape, I would guess it could be a Cuthona sp. And haha.....look carefully and you can actually see its eyes! Can you see a tiny Black spot just about at the base of its rhinophores?
Another look at this tiny nudibranch. Yet another first sighting for me!
When we were at the sandy lagoon, we saw a Solitary Fan Green Seaweed (Avrainvillea sp.). I was telling James that this type of Seaweed sometime can find slug. And indeed noticed a tiny speck of black spot on the Seaweed. And it turned out to be a Sea slug. This guy was about 3mm. It could be a Costasiella slug (Costasiella sp.). Its rhinophores are uber cute when they were moving about! And this slug is the 3rd First sighting for me.
Of course besides the Sea slugs, there were other creatures sighted too.
Flatworms!
A tiny Pygmy Squid on the water surface trying to be like a piece of twig.
A Shrimp on a soft coral.
Ahh.....so much for after a long absence to St John's island with these wonderful sightings!
Here you can see the massive shore protection works done to protect the cliffs after the massive landslides.
Today turns out to be a sluggish day as we saw one Sea slug after another. So what are the Sea slugs that we came across?
The Oval Sea Grapes Seaweed are in season. Among one patch was this Sea slug. Think it could be an Emerald Stiliger slug (Stiliger smaragdinus). It lives and feeds on the Seaweed which it will retain the algae colour pigments in its digestive system. The pigments colour the slug and thus make it looking like part of the Sea Grapes.
A closer look at this Sea Grapes-looking Sea slug. A first-sighting for me if I remembered correctly.
Found this Blue Dragon Nudibranch (Pteraeolidia ianthina) swaying about.
And James found a juvenile too.
There were a lots of this little stripey Armina Nudibranch. Looks like Dermatobranchus albus. I lost count after seeing 10.
A commonly seen Black-margined Nudibranch (Glossodoris atromarginata).
This tiny tiny nudibranch was found on a Brown Seaweed. It was about 5mm. It is an Aeolid Nudibranch. From the shape, I would guess it could be a Cuthona sp. And haha.....look carefully and you can actually see its eyes! Can you see a tiny Black spot just about at the base of its rhinophores?
Another look at this tiny nudibranch. Yet another first sighting for me!
When we were at the sandy lagoon, we saw a Solitary Fan Green Seaweed (Avrainvillea sp.). I was telling James that this type of Seaweed sometime can find slug. And indeed noticed a tiny speck of black spot on the Seaweed. And it turned out to be a Sea slug. This guy was about 3mm. It could be a Costasiella slug (Costasiella sp.). Its rhinophores are uber cute when they were moving about! And this slug is the 3rd First sighting for me.
Of course besides the Sea slugs, there were other creatures sighted too.
Flatworms!
A tiny Pygmy Squid on the water surface trying to be like a piece of twig.
A Shrimp on a soft coral.
Ahh.....so much for after a long absence to St John's island with these wonderful sightings!
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