Giant Clam - Tridacna maxima @ Jong 13Nov2008

Tridacna maxima @ Jong 13Nov2008 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
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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

Moon Headed Side Gill Slug @ Big Sisters 31Dec2008

Moon Headed Side Gilled Slug @ Big Sisters Island from BeachBum on Vimeo.

I had shouted 'Octopus, 2 of them' across the shallow lagoon but R shouted back "oh, forget that, come look at this. Octopus can find all the time. This one cannot."

I ignored R as the two octopus looked as if they were hunting together in tandem. Maybe a mating pair. After spending some time with the octopuses, I headed for the shore where R and the rest of the team had found more Side Gilled slugs.

These are apparently rather rarely seen and are unique amongst slugs. They have gills on the side and can 'swim' by flapping their bodies.

See these links for more info :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/slugs/notaspidae/euselenops.htm
http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall.cfm?base=euseluni
http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=euseluni2

Link summarising R's trip to Big Sister's and a bit more :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/12/happy-new-year-from-sisters-island.html

Nemo Dat Duo Habit@ Big Sisters 31Dec2008

Nemo @ Big Sister's Island from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Was suprised to come across a carpet anemone with two very active nemos, one about 5cm and the other about 2.5cm. Almost the entire lagoon at Big Sisters was filled with Sargassum seaweed. The anemone proved impossible to find after I moved away from it and the others in the group gave up looking for it after a good look in the Sargassum fields. The Sargassum cover was so thick that it covered huge portions of the area.

Visit these links for more information on :-
Sargassum : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/seaweed/phaeophyta/sargassum.htm
Anemones : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/gigantea.htm
Nemos : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/pomacentridae/ocellaris.htm