sgbeachbum

Friday, February 13, 2009

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

Thursday, February 12, 2009

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

Monday, February 9, 2009

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.