Cute Cute Cephalopod

cute cute squid from BeachBum on Vimeo.

There were a good many squid which started appearing when the tide turned shortly after dusk. They kept close to the cover of sargassum seaweed. The squid adopted various poses for the camera but interestingly enough did not try to propel away in a cloud of ink. This could have been because the animals were waiting for small fish to swim by...fishing.
Watch closely and you will see the chromatophores pulsating. Some parts of the cuttlefish, especially near the eyes seemed to have a iridiscent glow. However, these pencil squids did not exhibit the level skin colour changes like that seen in the octopuses and cuttlefish seen on Singapore's other shores. Those were visibly much more dynamic compared to the display showed by these pencil squids.

time of night : about 7.30pm
depth : about 10 to 15 cm
average length : about 7cm

I did have some confusing moments as to whether to describe the cephalopod as a squid or as a cuttlefish. I initially thought they were cuttlefish but later changed my mind because of the pencil like shape of this particular species. Cuttlefish apparently tend to be broader laterally. Well, they are cephalopods anyway!

Read more about them and other information about cephalopods here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squid
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/squid.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/loliginidae.htm
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/taxa/inverts/mollusca/cephalopoda.php
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/01/0108_040108_squidflashlight.html
http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/
http://www.weichtiere.at/Mollusks/Kopffuesser/haupt.html


Question : how does one differentiate between a squid and a cuttlefish?
See one answer here http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/TCP/faq/TCPfaq2b.cfm?ID=5

Another question : why are cuttlefish called cuttlefish?
Click here for the answer!!!

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)

Sundial Snail @ Pulau Hantu 12April2009

sundial snail @ Pulau Hantu 12Apr2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

It's very rare to see this beautiful snail alive. Often, only the empty shells are seen.
The video clip has been speeded up by a factor of 2x. Imagine how slow this snail moves!
Interestingly, the sundial snail has an operculum which it uses to 'shut itself into it's shell.
Notice also has striped antennae.

condo sponge w brittlestars @ P Hantu 12April2009

condo sponge w brittlestars 12Apr2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Various types of sponge are commonly found on Singapore's intertidal reefs. This videoed sponge is ball shaped and contains numerous holes out of which can be seen the many arms of tiny brittlestars. The ball sponge was sized similar to a tennis ball....so you can imagine how small the brittlestars were!...supersmall!!!

The ball sponges can be likened to a condominium which has different apartments each with it's own resident tenant. However, you can find not only brittlestars but also other animals like barnacles. Towards the 50 second mark, you can see, at the lower left part of the frame, a fan like structure sticking out from one of the 'apartments'. This are the feeding tentacles of a barnacle!

Want to know more about sponges, brittlestars and barnacles? Have a look here! :-
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/porifera/suberites.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/echinodermata/ophiuroidea/tinysponge.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/crustacea/othercrust/ciriipedia/cirripedia.htm

Yellow Lipped Sea Krait @ Pulau Hantu 12Apr2009

Yellow Lipped Sea Krait @ Pulau Hantu 12Apr2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Came across this yellow-lipped sea krait on Hantu's wonderful reef. It was busy looking for food in nooks and crannies and did not at all mind the human watching it. It came up for air after diving for about 2 minutes.

This snake has got a highly toxic venom but it is also non-aggressive by nature.
Note that it has a flat tail. This helps propel the snake through water much like a boat paddle.
The specimen in the video was between 40 to 50 cm long and was about 1 cm thick. Adult specimens would be about double the size.

Cute Cuttlefish@ChekJawa 29March2009

Came across this cute little cuttlefish hiding in a Halophila ovalis seagrass pool after an early morning Team Seagrass monitoring survey with the visiting students & profs from Duke University.
Cuttlefish@ChekJawa29Mar2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Around the 31sec mark, the cuttlefish sticks one of it's tentacles down and starts to stir up the sediment....perhaps to create a sediment screen? Hmmm.....a bit camera shy?

More about cuttlefish here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/glittering.htm

More about the trip here on the Team Seagrass Blog :
http://teamseagrass.blogspot.com/2009/03/chek-jawa-29-mar-09.html

brown stripe flatworm @ labrador nature reserve 10Feb2009

brown stripe flatworm @ labrador nature reserve 10Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

This one was about 5cm long. It performed its graceful swimming dance wonderfully.
Wish I could move like that!


Did you that there are over 18,000 species of flatworm?
Read more about flatworms here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/worm/polycladida/gratus.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/worm/polycladida/polycladida.htm

Terumbu Raya Pan 09Feb2009

terumbu raya pan 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

A pan of Terumbu Raya just off Pulau Semakau's seagrass lagoon and reef. You can make out the Sargassum ring around the edge of the submerged reef. At higher tides, this ring of sargassum provides a raised barrier around the entire reef providing a refuge for fish and marine creatures of all sizes. Together with the Pulau Semakau Reef and Seagrass lagoon, this area is an invaluable oasis of refuge for marine life and go a long way to ensuring that the local marine ecosystem is able to replenish, sustain and grow.

The reef is close to Pulau Bukom which houses Shell's massive refining complex(the silver tubs and red&white chimneys seen in the pan).

Find out more about Raya's magnficent reef :-
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/02/reefs-of-raya.html

hermit crab @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009

hermit crab 1 @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.


hermit crab 2 @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.


hermit crab 3 @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.


hermit crab 4 @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.


hermit crab 5 @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

The movement of this hermit crab caught my eye as I scanned the rubble. I thought i saw a rock move and went over to investigate. This was a rather large hairy hermit crab...not commonly seen on our shores...and more rarely seen on submerged reefs like Terumbu Raya.

It seemed at home on the 'dusty' sand. and went on picking at the sand and sargassum for morsels of food. Video 4 shows it's ability to right itself up. Almost the whole body comes out of the protective shell (a snail used to formerly inhabit it) and the crabs pulls itself the preferred way up. Strong wave action can frequently turn the shells and it is important for hermit crabs to be able to set themselves under cover soon enough.

For more on hermit crabs see :-
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/crustacea/anomurafi.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/crustacea/othercrust/anomura/hermit/veryhairy.htm

See also http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.com/ !

frog fish @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009

frog fish @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
This frog fish flipped itself into a small puddle just as we were preparing to leave Terumbu Raya. It got itself noticed and out came the cameras again.

The puddle was really small and got cloudy really fast. The edge of the camera was only about 5cm away from the fish. There are 2 kinds of frog fish seen on Singapore shores, the spotted tail and the black ones. This one videoed is most likely the spotted tailed one. It was generally brown with a slightly reddish tinge.

Note the foreground is filled with tiny fish fry and other tiny swimming creatures. Each puddle contains so much life and yet they appear to be just simple pools of water.

This fish is rarely seen and I've come across 3 in the last 2 years! Before realising that Singapore had them, I had thought that one needed to go diving in exotic places such as Bali or Borneo to see such amazing fish...but I was very wrong as Singapore's shores had them too ... and one does not need to go diving to see them!

Find out more about frogfish here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/antennariidae/trisignatus.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/antennariidae/black.htm

nemos & giant carpet anemone @ t raya 09Feb2009

nemos & giant carpet anemone @ t raya 09Feb009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
This medium-sized giant carpet anemone was in a shallow pool with hardly about 5cm of water. I saw a large nemo dive from below the outer folds into a corner of an adjacent rock. It was a small corner and so the nemo stuck out visibly.

On a second look, i realised there was a smaller nemo in the middle of the anemone. It was just at the surface of the water nestled in the anemone and it seemed like it was gasping for air lying on it's side. It must have been hiding in the anemone's inner folds before running out of air and causing it to be near the water surface. Easy prey for a wandering bird. After flapping around a bit, it disappeared into the inner folds safe away from sight.

Find out more about :
Nemos : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/pomacentridae/ocellaris.htm
Giant Carpet Anemones : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/gigantea.htm

banded frilly phymanthus anemone @ t. raya 09Feb2009

banded frilly phymanthus anemone @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
size : about 6 to 7 cm across
note the central 'volcano' mouth.
Read more about this anemone here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/phyband.htm

octopus @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009

octopus @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
This small octopus shot out from below a clump of sargassum and swam towards a rock. It's colour effortlessly changed from a dark red to a pale mottled pattern to fit the rock it swam to. It quickly slid below the rock to hide.

My guess is that the one observed in the clip was a two-spot octopus.

Read more about the types of Singapore's octopus here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/twospot.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/smooth.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/octopusnoid.htm

chequered cardinals @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009

chequered cardinals @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

At low tide, all the small fish take to hiding in the remaining shallow pools. With a dense growth of sargassum algae, the fish have a good amount of hiding places. This group of cardinals were swimming from pool to pool. Fish are difficult to video as they tend to be more sensitive to movements. However, these cardinals co-operated just fine.

Read more about the chequered cardinals here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/apogonidae/margaritophorus.htm
http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/marinefish/text/275.htm

spooked halfbeak @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009

spooked halfbeak @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

There was a flurry of splashing in a pool behind me and when I turned around, there was a fish jumping across the shallow pools and on to the sand. It was obviously trying to reach a deep pool with sufficient water but it was out of luck as the whole area within a few metres was all devoid of any significant water holes.

I waited for the halfbeak to quieten down before gently grabbing in the palm of my hand and carrying it to a deep pool closer where there was a rocky overhang for it to take shelter away from the passing gaze from the fish eating birds overhead.

Find out more about halfbeaks here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/fishfi09.htm

purple&pink 'wiggly star' anemone @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009

pink&purple 'wiggly star' anemone @ t. raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Here is a short clip on the pink-purple 'wiggly star' anemone from Terumbu Raya. It was in less than 10cm of water in a shallow pool.

The tentacles were purple with pink tips except for the vertical tentacles which were all brown. The diameter of this specimen was about 4 cm across.

Read more about it here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/star.htm

More about the trip here :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/02/reefs-of-raya.html
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/02/maiden-trip-to-terumbu-raya.html

noble volute @ semakau 08Feb2009

noble volute @ semakau 08Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

This small noble volute (about 8cm long) was cruising in a seagrass patch containing :
Enhalus : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/seagrass/enhalus.htm
Thalassia : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/seagrass/thalassia.htm
Syringodium : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/seagrass/syringodium.htm

Being a predator, it was looking for prey (other snails) using it's siphon or snout to trace chemical trails left behind by other snails.

Status : Vulnerable. So DO NOT remove it from the shore if you come across one!

Find out more about noble volutes here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/gastropoda/volutidae/nobilis.htm

fanworm 4 @ semakau 08Feb2009

fanworm 4 @ semakau 08Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

clip showing yet another fanworm.
This one was in a good location on a mound of sand with its tube sticking out. The current of water flowing by was strong and yet the 'fan' did not retreat into the tube. I tried to cause a retraction by dripping water right above the fan. After a few tries, towards the 1.21 min mark, the fan was retracted in a split microsecond! Amazing reflex action!

Read more about Fanworms at :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/worm/polychaeta/sabellidae.htm

strange anemone @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009

strange anemone @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Came across this strange anemone (most of them are new to me anyway!).
Appearing black from far away...it was actually closer to a very dark reddish brown from up close.

my foot, being in the wrong place, was responsible for mucking up the water coming into the pool which contained the anemone...this is evident from all the particles floating into the scene. I decided to abandon the anemone for the time being and looked around for something to mark the spot. The good thing about submerged reefs like Terumbu Raya is that floating rubbish tends to float on with each high tide. There was almost nothing to be seen except for a coke can which had got stuck in the mud. I emptied it and placed in on a nearby rock and moved on.

Later Stephen came by and said he had seen the anemone too but that it had disappreared into a hole. When I went back to the coke can...the anemone was nowhere to be seen....all that remained was a hole in the sand. And it was about time to leave the terumbu.

More about this anemone here :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/02/strange-anemone-from-pulau-semakau.html

Turns out that this is Actinostephanus haeckeli and it is "known from the western rim of the Pacific."

Cool! that Singapore has them too!

More about the trip here :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/02/reefs-of-raya.html
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/02/maiden-trip-to-terumbu-raya.html

fanworm 3 @ semakau 08Feb2009

fanworm 3 @ semakau 08Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
This fanworm also does a split second retreat into the tube. Amazing speed!

fanworm 2 @ semakau 08Feb2009

fanworm 2 @ semakau 08Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Watch out for the split second moment when the 'feathers' retreat into the tube. Faster than your blink!

fanworm 1 @ semakau 07Feb2009

fanworm 1 @ semakau 07Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Fanworms are one of the more pretty animals on the reef.
They are sensitive to sudden disturbances and will retract into their tubes as the slightest hint of trouble.
Read more about them at :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/worm/polychaeta/sabellidae.htm

Close Encounters with a Large Fish @ Semakau 07Feb2009

Close Encounters with a Large Fish @ Semakau 07Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Was alerted to this large fish (measured at 90cm by the Site 1 Seagrassers) caught in the shallows by the Team Seagrassers at Site 1 on Semakau. It must have been caught in the shallows because of a 200m long net stretching across most of the seagrass lagoon. It was gasping for air when I got to it. Careful about the sharp protusions just beyond the tail section, I used a plastic bag floating nearby to grab hold of the tail and lifted the fish cautiously. It was too weak to splash about and I lifted it clear of the water looking for a deeper pool. The low tide had drained the whole seagrass area of most of the water and I had to carry the fish towards the Sargassum boundary close to the edge of the reef. Once in the water again, it took about a minute to swim upright before heading in the right direction...out to sea.

What kind of fish was it? The info learnt from the Leaf Monkey Fishy Workshop pointed to the direction that this was a fast swimming fish due to it's V tail and narrow horizontal profile. Probably one of the 'Jacks'.

Short Clip on the long long net which prevented the fish from heading out to sea.

200m+ long net from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Short Clip on tiny juvenile fish which got stuck on the long net.

(if the small fish get caught too...then where are the bigger fish going to come from in future?)

tiny juvenile fish stuck in long net @ semakau 07Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Cutttlefish@CyreneReef 14Nov2008

Cuttlefish@Cyrene 14Nov2008 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

This was an interesting find. A small cuttlefish hiding out in the seagrass lagoon on Cyrene Reef which is located in the middle of a busy industrial port surrounded by a super busy container port and a equally busy petrochemical hub!

Got spooked when the cuttlefish inked before torpedoing away.

For more info on Cuttlefish, see : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/squid.htm

more about the trip and other finds here :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/11/clear-skies-over-cyrene.html
http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2008/11/evening-with-cyrene.html
http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2008/11/evening-with-baby-nemo-at-cyrene.html
http://budak.blogs.com/the_annotated_budak/2008/11/cyrene-deathstar.html
http://budak.blogs.com/the_annotated_budak/2008/11/the-crabby-side-of-cyrene-reef.html

Juvenile Batfish@Cyrene14Nov2008

juvenile batfish @ Cyrene 14Nov2008 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

This is a large video so do wait for it to stream fully before viewing! or join Vimeo to download the file. Click on the Vimeo link for better quality viewing.

Came across this juvenile batfish hiding amongst the seagrass pretending to be a dead leaf. It just calmly floated along confident with it's camouflage.

more about the trip and other finds here :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/11/clear-skies-over-cyrene.html
http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2008/11/evening-with-cyrene.html
http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2008/11/evening-with-baby-nemo-at-cyrene.html
http://budak.blogs.com/the_annotated_budak/2008/11/cyrene-deathstar.html
http://budak.blogs.com/the_annotated_budak/2008/11/the-crabby-side-of-cyrene-reef.html

Read more about Juvenile batfishes here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/ephippidae/ephippidae.htm

WaterSpider@Cyrene14Nov2008 II

Water Spider @ Cyrene 14Nov2008 II from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Another clip on the amazing ability of the water spider to walk on water!!!!

WaterSpider@Cyrene 14Nov2008

WaterSpider@Cyrene14Nov2008 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

It is hard to believe that a spider could survive on a submerged reef. This is a reef which is totally covered by seawater most of the time. The rocks and substrate are only visible at the lowest of tides. And yet organisms like the water spider can survive perfectly well in such a water world!

The clip shows a spider walking (or rather running) on water....something water spiders have probably been doing for thousands...perhaps even millions of years!

Read more about water spiders here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/arachnida/desis.htm

Common Sandpiper @ Labrador Park Nature Reserve

Common Sandpiper @ Labrador Park Nature Reserve from BeachBum on Vimeo.
This is a large video so do wait for it to stream fully before viewing! or join Vimeo to download the file. Click on the Vimeo link for better quality viewing.

01 Feb 2009 : Came across this Common Sandpiper (not-so-common nowadays) whilst at Labrador Park Nature Reserve. This one seems to be a resident bird as it is frequently seen on the promenade seawall looking for food.

Read more about this bird species here :
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Actitis_hypoleaucos.htm

Giant Clam - Tridacna maxima @ Jong 13Nov2008

Tridacna maxima @ Jong 13Nov2008 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
This is a large video so do wait for it to stream fully before viewing! or join Vimeo to download the file. Click on the Vimeo link for better quality viewing.



The ViddYou clip is exactly the same as the Vimeo one above...posted to test out the download speeds and stability of the respective servers....Vimeo seems to provide for much faster streaming.

Was fortunate to visit Pulau Jong, one of Singapore's smallest islands. During the reefwalk, one of the group spotted a giant clam and we were lucky to have a undergrad student, ML, who specialises in giant clams along for the trip. She identified it as a Tridacna maxima instead of a Tridacna squamosa because of the placement of the scutes.

The clip ends just as I get squirted by the giant clam. You can just about see the spout taking aim towards the camera. The clam can aim it's spout due to light sensitive cells in it's mantle (flesh).

more about giant claims :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/bivalvia/tridacnidae/tridacnidae.htm

more about the trip :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/bivalvia/tridacnidae/tridacnidae.htm
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/11/pulau-jong-with-giant-suprise.html
http://colorclouds.blogspot.com/2008/11/of-dwarfs-and-giant.html
http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2008/11/maxima-giant-clam-at-jong.html

pygmy squid @ chek jawa 10Jan2009

pygmy squid @ chek jawa 10Jan2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Came across this tiny pygmy squid at Chek Jawa on 10Jan2009 after the Team Seagrass session.
It was only about 2cm long and it seemed all orange which is a first time for me as I've seen similar squids all spotty before. It was doing a crazy dance going back and forth before finally settling on the sandy bottom.

The tide was coming in and so the water was beginning to turn murky.

For more on pygmy squids, see http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/pygmy.htm

more links :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/01/chek-jawa-with-teamseagrass.html
http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2009/01/first-2009-team-seagrass-trip-at-chek.html
http://teamseagrass.blogspot.com/2009/01/chek-jawa-10-jan-09.html
http://cjproject.blogspot.com/2009/01/2009-good-start-for-chek-jawa.html
http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2009/01/im-team-seagrass-noobie.html

VeryLargeMudCrab @Chek Jawa 10Jan2009

Came across this gianormous mud crab whilst the group was walking back after the Team Seagrass session. It went on the defensive and stretched out it's claws ready to lunge and snap.

An unusual thing about this crab was that there were hardly any growths (except for 1 barnacle like protusion on the back of the shell). I had expected that a crab this size would have more growths. (see http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/crustacea/othercrust/ciriipedia/thompsonia.htm)

More Facts about Mud Crabs : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/crustacea/crab/portunidae/scylla.htm

other blogs from the same trip :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/01/chek-jawa-with-teamseagrass.html
http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2009/01/first-2009-team-seagrass-trip-at-chek.html
http://teamseagrass.blogspot.com/2009/01/chek-jawa-10-jan-09.html
http://cjproject.blogspot.com/2009/01/2009-good-start-for-chek-jawa.html
http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2009/01/im-team-seagrass-noobie.html

New Year's Eve Reefwalk Sampler @ Big Sister's 31 Dec2008

A combination of clips shot on 31Dec2008.
Actors :
2 false clown anemone fish (Nemos) : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/pomacentridae/ocellaris.htm
1 burrowing snake eel http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/ophichthidae/pisodonophis.htm
1 banded fish,
1 Spotted Glass Perchlet :http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/chandidae/spotted.htm
1 fringe eyed flathead fish : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/platycephalidae/nematophthalmus.htm
1 fish probably a Tropical Silverside : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/atherinidae/duodecimalis.htm
1 green luminous hard coral,
1 coral with long brown polyp tubes : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/coralhard/poritidae/gonbig.htm
1 flatworm : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/worm/polycladida/polycladida.htm
1 blue hard coral and fanworm,
1 moon headed side gilled slug :http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/slugs/notaspidae/euselenops.htm
2 two spot octopuses : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/cephalopoda/twospot.htm
1 green shrimp : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/crustacea/othercrust/shrimp/penaeidae.htm

For more on the 31Dec2008 trip , see:
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/12/happy-new-year-from-sisters-island.html
http://leafmonkey.blogspot.com/2009/01/welcoming-2009-at-sisters-island.html

Burrowing Snake Eel @ Big Sisters 31Dec2008

Snake Eel from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Came across this snake-like fish (eel) at Big Sister's Island.
It did not mind my prescence at all and even wandered up to my boot but swam away.
It looked around for food before finally disappearing down a burrow, head first.

For more on the Burrowing snake-eel, see :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/ophichthidae/pisodonophis.htm

For more on the 31Dec2008 trip , see:
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/12/happy-new-year-from-sisters-island.html
http://leafmonkey.blogspot.com/2009/01/welcoming-2009-at-sisters-island.html