tiny spotted horned slug 04Dec2009

tiny spotted horned slug from BeachBum on Vimeo.
This little slug, Plakobranchus ocellatus, was about 1.5cm long. It could contract and expand it's body at will. It was found rummaging on a muddy shore near a mangrove. There were quite a few of them around on the same part of the shore. It was difficult to notice the spotted pattern until one gets really close. The clip seems to show that the slug was moving fast ... relative to itself. It also had the ability to produce a copious amount of mucous to facilitate gliding over the substrate.
Although it looked largely sand brown coloured from a distance, parts of it were slightly greenish(chloroplasts?), brown-pink and grey. It does looks as if the upper part of the slug was being covered inwards by two parapodial flaps one on either side. However, they were not observed to open similar to how the geographica sea hare 'flies' through the water.

Read more about this slug here : http://www.seaslugforum.net/placocel.htm (CH, thank you for the link!)
Here is another interesting link : http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/solarpow

upside-down jelly@04Dec2009

upside-down jelly 04Dec2009 - Southern Islands ~ Siingapore from BeachBum on Vimeo.

These upside-down jelly(fish) are commonly seen around mangrove mudflats and beaches around Singapore. They turn themselves upside down and rest on the bottom substrate pulsating along all the time to enable the symbiotic algae in their body tissues to receive sunlight from above. These symbiotic algae use the sunlight to make food...some of which benefits the jelly. When upside down, the jellies are frequently mistaken for anemones.

The jelly also uses it's stinging tentacles to catch plankton for food.

Crabs sometimes use the upside down jellies (and some types of anemones as well) to protect themselves by carrying them on their shells.

Size : about 6cm across.

Find out more about this and other types of jellyfish here :
WildSingapore's WildFacts on Cassiopea

Wikipedia on Cassiopea
Jellyfish Facts on Cassiopea
Monterey Bay Aquarium's link on the Cassiopea
Interesting Facts about Jellyfish
The largest jellyfish
The most poisonous jellyfish
What do Jellyfish eat?
Jellyfish species

Elysia ornata Leaf Slugs@Tanah Merah 06Dec2009

Elysia ornata @ Tanah Merah 06Dec2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Came across these Ornate leaf slugs cruising on the sandy bottom at Tanah Merah.
Usually difficult to spot amongst seagrass and seaweed as they are rather small at about 6cm long and greenish. However, this time they were easily noticeable as they were on bare sand. There was very little seaweed around too. Strangely, the slugs were rumaging on the sandy bottom instead of feeding on the Bryopsis seaweed which they are commonly seen on. There was not much Bryopsis in the lagoon. Note the continuous slime carpet maintained between the lower body and the sand whilst the slugs went about 'hoovering' the sand.

Depth (Intertidal) : 10 cm of water. Tide was about 0.3 m.
Location : Tanah Merah, Singapore
Length : about 6 cm
Time : about 7 pm.
Date : 06Dec2009

Read more about the slugs here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/slugs/sacoglossa/ornata.htm
http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=elysorna
http://seaslugsofhawaii.com/species/Elysia-ornata-a.html

Click here for a nice picture of this beautiful slug.

Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait @ Semakau 06Nov2009

Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait @ Semakau 06Nov2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

This beautiful but highly venomous sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) was out hunting amongst the coral rubble once the night sky was dark enough. It was about 75cm long and was swimming actively in the shallow water.

Notice that the sea krait uses it's tongue underwater just like how land snakes do. Interesting how the tongue taste function is used both on land as well as under the water. Note also the laterally compressed tail which allows for great swimming. Since it does not have gills, nor does it have the ability to absorb oxygen from the water through its skin, the snake has to breathe air from the water surface. The snake was observed lifting its snout above the water surface about every 3 minutes.

More Info about this snake :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/snakes/laticauda.htm
http://www.wildasia.org/main.cfm/support/Yellow-lipped_Sea_Krait
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laticauda_colubrina
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/08/two-headed-yellow-lipped-sea-krait.html

Other blogs about the trip :-
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/11/snakes-in-fish-feeding-frenzy.html
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/11/success-at-semakau-giant-clams-and-more.html
http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2009/11/id026-boring-giant-clam.html
http://sgn090608.blogspot.com/2009/11/091106-semakau.html

Hawksbill Sea Turtles @ Kusu Island's captive pool - 21Sep2009

23Sep2009 Update : 48 Hawksbill Turtle hatchlings were released from the Kusu Pool into the sea by ACRES. Quick and effective action at work!

Kusu Island Green Turtle hatchlings from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Endangered turtle hatchlings deserve better care.

21Sep2009 : Visited Kusu Island and was surprised to see tiny turtle hatchlings in the big pool. (Initially thought they were Green Turtles but was later informed that they were Hawksbills instead.) The joy was shortlived as it seemed that the hatchlings were hungry...very hungry. There was no vegetative matter which they could eat and they were trying to bite into dead leaves and twigs and even plastic material as the pool was littered with plastic-bag like items. One of the hatchlings bit into another already dead hatchling. One's imagination could only run wild as to what the cause of death was.

JK took a shot of one hatchling biting a piece of blue plastic rope. Plastic is non-biodegradable and non-digestible. Turtles (and birds alike) can die from ingesting plastic material as the plastic material gets stuck in their digestive tract.

Have a look here to see how fatal plastics can be for turtles :

Rise Above Plastic: Plastic Kills Turtles from Wallace J. Nichols on Vimeo

Blogposts by others who observed the hatchings :-

http://sgn090608.blogspot.com/2009/09/kusu-island-gymnodoris-on-desolate.html
http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2009/09/they-are-cute-but-they-need-better-home.html
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/09/clamless-on-kusu.html

some links for reference :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle

International Coastal Clean Up 2008 - Chek Jawa - Pulau Ubin

ICC Singapore 2008 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Compilation from the 20Sep2008 Pulau Ubin - Chek Jawa CleanUp
with facts about the overall 2008 Singapore data and quotes borrowed from www.OceanConservancy.org

(you'll have to wait a little for the 2009 compliation)