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

Discovering a new Singapore shore

Went exploring a new shore and was surprised with what I saw in the 90 minutes I was there.
Tide was low at 0.1m.
RT had already gotten to the shore earlier and was busy flashing away at all manner of tiny marine organisms at the far end of the shore.

I decided to head straight onto the shore not at all expecting to sink in knee deep.
Both legs slipped into the soft soft mud so effortlessly and I was suddenly knee deep in mud. Good thing the tide was very low at that point. I looked over to where RT was and she was sooo far away....too far away and out of earshot. The thought of drowning when the tide came back in occurred. Mustering strength from the thought of drowning, I managed to wriggle onto my knees and crawled out on all fours...that was the only way to stop from sinking into the mud.

Happily free I kept to walking on the sandy shore away from the muddy stretches.

Came across a few small carpet anemones.


and other tiny anemones...








Seagrass was present too with Ovalis patches here and there and even Halodule (probably univervis)




There was also a rather rare sand dollar shell. No live dollars seen though.


Snails were plentiful and their shells were all of a wide variety.


thorny pink sea cucumber :-


ball cucumber


snapping shrimp


ghost crabs - these guys can run very fast! but these chose to play hide and seek



can you see the crab?

other crabs were plentiful too


There was also a horseshoe crab shell. Just one.


striped hermit crab



All in all, it was a wonderful new shore!

Read RT's version and sights here :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/11/rare-sand-dollars-and-other-surprises.html