sand star w central hole @ cyrene

sand star @ wonderful cyrene from BeachBum on Vimeo.

[Click on the VIMEO link for better quality video]

Came across this sand star (amongst the thousands at Cyrene) which had a peculiar vent at its top. It was opening and closing the hole as if on some periodic cycle. It looked like it was passing water through. This vent was not the madreporite as you can see the madreporite a little to the left. (someone correct me if I am wrong here). Apparently, some star species have an anal aperture at the top side. This is likely what the hole is.

The aperture is lined by a membrane which opens up just below the exterior minute fingers surrounding the hole.

Notice the tiny conical snail shell slightly off centre.
More on sand stars !...
http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/text/p610.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/text/s603.htm
http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/pub/seashore/text/221.htm

anemone shrimp @ surprising cyrene

anemone shrimp @ cyrene reef from BeachBum on Vimeo.
[click on the vimeo link for better video quality]

It's always a joy to wake up really early (5am) and head out of the house in search of adventure. Today (Tuesday - 22 July 2008) was no exception.

Cyrene Reef (Terumbu Pandan in Malay) was full of surprises as usual. There is always something new to discover.

The clip shows an (actually two) anemone shrimp in a carpet anemone.
The shrimp benefits from practising commensalism where it lives in a symbiotic relationship with the anemone which is not harmed. Usually, there are two shrimps...one male (smaller) and a female (bigger). The males are usually less spotted and are more transparent. The females have more noticeable spots.

Have a look here for a more detailed narration of the wonderful trip to Cyrene!
http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2008/07/another-cyrene-walk.html

More links...on Anemone Shrimps :
http://www.divegallery.com/anemone_shrimp_P_brevicarpalis.htm
http://uforest.blogspot.com/2008/03/anemone-shrimp.html
http://budak.blogs.com/the_annotated_budak/2007/07/anemone-shrimp.html

Fancy a scientific article on the life and times of an anemone shrimp? Costs and benefits of the symbiosis between the anemoneshrimp Periclimenes brevicarpalis and its host Entacmaea quadricolor http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v129/p77-84/ - co-authored by Dr Daphne Fautin who recently visited Singapore to research Singapore's anemones (see  http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070708/070804-2.htm and http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007/07/show-me-mone.html)

Dr Fautin's website : http://hercules.kgs.ku.edu/Hexacoral/Anemone2/

Snake@Labrador Nature Reserve

snake @ Labrador Nature Reserve from BeachBum on Vimeo.

This agile snake startled me by landing on some leaves on the ground near my foot and started wriggling towards the railing. It probably dropped from a tree above.

Is it a bronzeback or a paradise tree snake (a.k.a flying snake)? Someone do let me know. (I think it's a Painted Bronzeback - see http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/painted_bronzeback.htm)

It had this amazing sideways head move as if it was saying 'no' and a very red forked toungue which tasted the air at amazing speed. It's agility can be seen when it weaves it's way effortlessly through the green fence.

Does Singapore have flying snakes?
Yes it does ! - see http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/paradise_tree-snake.htm and http://www.flyingsnake.org/.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/05/050512201549.htm
http://jeb.biologists.org/content/vol208/issue10/

Surprising Singapore!

hairy crab @ hantu

hairy crab @ hantu from BeachBum on Vimeo.

See http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/text/c324.htm

See also http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/pub/seashore/text/211.htm

Want to know more about Pulau Hantu?
See http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/hantu.htm

eel-egant hunter @ hantu

Eel-egant hunter @ Hantu from BeachBum on Vimeo.
This was shot on Pulau Hantu, Singapore.
(more on Pulau Hantu here http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/hantu.htm)
It could be an eel blenny {http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/text/c212.htm} or a green worm eel.{http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/marinefish/text/213.htm}
I'm not sure. It was not green at all but a pale white in colour.About 8cm in length.

It was actively looking for food and was busy poking it's snout into every hole.
Eventually, it found a tiny hole in the sand and disappeared into it without re-appearing. Maybe it found another way out or got eaten by something else!

More on this Hantu trip from Wildfilms : http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2008/07/accidentally-hantu.html

octopus surprise @ hantu

octopus surprise @ hantu from BeachBum on Vimeo.
An octopus is always a surprise. This one appeared within a rockpool and constantly changed it's patterns. It's ability to pulsate it's patterns and colours at will and on demand is simply amazing!

More interesting facts ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2818659