Nerite snails @ Lazarus 20Feb2011

nerite snails @ Lazarus 20Feb2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

These snails had various patterns on their shells and most of them were basking on the rocks not moving much. They seemed to be able to tell when there was something about. Perhaps a defense reaction when large shadows (i.e. the author) blocked out the clear sky. Some Nerite snails however were actively moving about on their slime trails.

The clip mainly shows two nerite snails on the move. One seemed to be on the trail of the other. The frame rate has been sped up 2x (as denoted at the top right corner).
Read more about these snails here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/gastropoda/neritidae/neritidae.htm

Cave Coral @ Lazarus Island 20Feb2011

Cave Coral @ Lazarus Island from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

This was nestled in a corner of the floating pier platform at Seringat-Kias-Lazarus Island. The grouping was only about 6cm across gently swaying with the waves. 

Comb Jelly @ Lazarus Island - 20Feb2011

Comb Jelly @ Lazarus 20Feb2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

This cylindrical transparent jelly was attracted to light. A quick scoop and the jelly was in a small tub for a closer look. James did say he saw a momentary green light from within the jelly. The rest of us seem to have missed the glow.

Blogs & photos by others on this trip :
Russel's facebook photos
Rene's facebook photos
Kok Sheng's Wonderful Creation blog

James' Singapore Nature blog

Read more about this jelly here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ctenophora

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?id=778982

http://jellieszone.com/ctenophores.htm

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/bfg_combjellies.aspx?menuitem=14417

http://www.earthlife.net/inverts/ctenophora.html

Ubin Mega Marine Survey 12Feb2011

A few photos from the morning's sticky chewy, never-gonna-let-you-go muddy mangrove survey...

The volunteers stretched out over the 50m transect

legs disappeared into the mud...not being of much use...might as well plonk oneself down and get comfortable

better to be one with the mud... Dr Tan Koh Siang (in hat) from the Tropical Marine Science Institute shows us how to enjoy the mud and its creatures 

crawling out was a necessity for some of us...myself included

evidence of a close encounter... no questions about how good the mud was

the pile of well used pails and strainers

Perhaps the star find was this tiny octopus ... imagine finding an octopus deep in a mangrove mudflat! 

Here is a short videoclip on the organisms sampled during the survey:

MegaMarine-Ubin 12Feb2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

for many of the volunteers today, it was their first day out on (or rather in) the mangrove mud...from the looks of it...everyone did enjoy themselves...as if it was the perfect oppurtunity to have a second childhood with an adventure in mud...lots of it!

Here are some clips of the muddy venture :

(all background audio is from the scene recorded live. The main songbirds are the melodious straw-headed bulbuls and they are supported by various forest chirpers). The birdsong really made the heavy and sticky muddy work much lighter and everyone settled into a comfortable rhythm quickly forgetting about the mud.

Dr Tan @ work...

MegaMarine-Ubin 12Feb2011_clip 2 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

MegaMarine-Ubin 12Feb2011_clip 3 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

MegaMarine-Ubin 12Feb2011_clip 4 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

MegaMarine-Ubin 12Feb2011_clip 5 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

MegaMarine-Ubin 12Feb2011_clip 6 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Read Ria Tan's blog post about the trip here :

http://megamarinesurvey.blogspot.com/2011/02/pulau-ubin-12-feb-11.html

and also see 

Antonius Mak's facebook for more photos of the findings and hornbills at the mangroves.

Ahmad Syalabi's facebook for more photos of the muddy fun!

And find out more about the survey here :

http://megamarinesurvey.blogspot.com/p/about.html

Mr. Horrida Stonefish @ Tanah Merah 02Feb2011

There were two chaps fishing on the seawall with their rods pointed out to sea. There was a break in the middle of the large pool where the sand had accumulated and some of the seawall had toppled over.
Just about where the men were fishing, I saw the distinctive shape of H. Stonefish.
It was in a small pool between some larger granite seawall rocks which had long since tumbled away from the seawall.
The fishermen were oblivious to the possibility of meeting Mr Stonefish up close and very personal. Decked out in slippers, they would not have had a chance against Mr Stonefish's dorsal spines had they walked his way.

stonefish @ tanah merah from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

A friend, Ivan, had the misfortune of meeting Mr Stonefish in 2010. Here is his account of it ...
http://lazy-lizard-tales.blogspot.com/2011/01/stepping-on-stonefish-year-on-part-1.html and
http://lazy-lizard-tales.blogspot.com/2011/01/stepping-on-stonefish-year-on-part-2.html.

Here is a good introduction by Jules Sylvester :


and by Brady Barr :


On a lighter note, here is something from Billy Connolly :

Billy Connolly - Stonefish or Worst Pain Known to Man

Read more about Mr Stonefish here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/fish/synanceiidae/horrida.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanceia_horrida

banded file snake @ Semakau 01Feb2011

Came across this banded file snake on the sand flats before the seagrass lagoon at about 7pm.

banded file snake - 01Feb2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

It was in the final stages of moulting having shed most of its skin in a pantyhose-like tube. This old skin was banded too and really did feel like hosiery.

The hosiery was cast off with a little help from some human fingers and the snake went about looking for food amongst the many holes in the sand flats which was just beginning to receive the flow from the rising tide.

Touching the snake revealed why they are called 'file' snakes.... probably because they felt like workshop files... rough to the touch. ..like sandpaper.

Read more about it here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/snakes/granulatus.htm
http://singaporesnakes.blogspot.com/search/label/Banded%20File%20Snake
http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/2112.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.per.sg/discovery/factsheet/snakefile.htm