Search found 124 matches
- Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:55 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: It Can't Be...Can It?
- Replies: 8
- Views: 2583
Re: It Can't Be...Can It?
Greetings, I'm also guessing rock scallop although it would make more sense if the shell conformed exactly (wrapped around, if you will) to the piling. As to whether a rock scallop would settle on a piling - I don't think they put much thought into the process compared to some other sessile critters...
- Fri Jan 23, 2015 7:39 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Whidbey Island Critters
- Replies: 5414
- Views: 943474
Re: Whidbey Island Critters
Hi Jan,
Isn't it also pretty unusual to see even one (let alone two) of these cukes in the open? At the Feiro Center and in the intertidal areas around Port Angeles we don't even see their feeding tentacles from about October through March!
Cryptically yours,
Alex
Isn't it also pretty unusual to see even one (let alone two) of these cukes in the open? At the Feiro Center and in the intertidal areas around Port Angeles we don't even see their feeding tentacles from about October through March!
Cryptically yours,
Alex
- Tue Jan 06, 2015 6:44 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Whidbey Island Critters
- Replies: 5414
- Views: 943474
Re: Whidbey Island Critters
[quote="Jan K"]Watching the sea stars slowly returning and no new cases of wasting which is a good news. I am seeing Sunflower star recruits at Langley and Holmes Harbor now, but many of them have few of their arms much shorter. I wonder if the grow up same way, or the "shorties"...
- Sun Dec 21, 2014 7:43 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Whidbey Island Critters
- Replies: 5414
- Views: 943474
Re: Whidbey Island Critters
Hi Jan, Gorgeous images as always! Here is a minor (=obscure) point that might interest you - I think that the anemones pictured are actually Epiactis lisbethae according to this 1986 paper by Fautin & Chia: https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/5371/Fautin%20and%20Chia.1986.pdf?se...
- Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:50 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Red octopus with parasite-What's up?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1802
Re: Red octopus with parasite-What's up?
Howdy, OK, this is just idle speculation subject to correction: 1. The parasite shown is of a group commonly referred to as "fish leeches". 2. The fish leeches I've seen have suction cups at either end for attachment and movement; a large one at the tail and a smaller one at the head that ...
- Tue Dec 09, 2014 7:00 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Big long ribbon coming out of octopus gill
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2784
Re: Big long ribbon coming out of octopus gill
Greetings That is a ribbon of poop. At the Feiro Center we see this almost daily from our GPO's. From a good sized animal those things can easily be several feet long and are surprisingly resilient and kind of stretchy - I'd rather not discuss how I know this :eek: The color on this example is sligh...
- Wed Dec 03, 2014 6:14 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Squat Lobsters!!!
- Replies: 13
- Views: 3185
Re: Squat Lobsters!!!
If you have Greg Jensen's new book (Crabs and Shrimps of the Pacific Coast), Squat Lobsters can be found on page 181 If you have Greg Jensen's older book (Pacific Coast Crabs and Shrimps), they can be found on page 73 If you have neither (why not?) try this site: http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/...
- Mon Nov 10, 2014 6:44 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Jan's dead zone
- Replies: 0
- Views: 1078
Jan's dead zone
Greetings, On September 18th Jan Kocian noted a sizable patch of stressed and possibly dying benthic animals in the Coupeville area. He first posted about it here in his "Whidbey Island Critters" thread on September 26th. Here is an article on that event written by Dr. Ron Shimek (with ill...
- Sat Sep 27, 2014 8:02 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Whidbey Island Critters
- Replies: 5414
- Views: 943474
Re: Whidbey Island Critters
Hi Jan, That's a nasty looking event! It does suggest a few questions: 1. Did you see signs of distress in any animals that don't live in the sediment (fish, crabs, etc.)? 2. In the aftermath did you see any indication that the storm you mentioned had disturbed the sediment? 3. Also in the aftermath...
- Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:55 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: My AOW "Critter ID" dive
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1614
Re: My AOW "Critter ID" dive
Greetings,
You might want to take a look at Sells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest by Rick Harbo:
http://www.harbourpublishing.com/title/ ... cNorthwest
It has a small section dedicated to photos of clam siphons.
I.D.ally yours,
Alex
You might want to take a look at Sells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest by Rick Harbo:
http://www.harbourpublishing.com/title/ ... cNorthwest
It has a small section dedicated to photos of clam siphons.
I.D.ally yours,
Alex
- Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:08 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Sea star die-off
- Replies: 279
- Views: 133443
Re: Sea star die-off
Greetings,
According to this news piece from about two weeks ago, researchers are still four or five months away from identifying a cause:
http://www.kionrightnow.com/news/local- ... h/26147770
Impatiently yours,
Alex
According to this news piece from about two weeks ago, researchers are still four or five months away from identifying a cause:
http://www.kionrightnow.com/news/local- ... h/26147770
Impatiently yours,
Alex
- Thu Apr 03, 2014 6:43 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: The Real Octo Mom
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2113
Re: The Real Octo Mom
Hi Rena, Actually, it must be two eggs (on average) that survive to reproduce - otherwise we would soon be up to our armpits in octopuses! When an organism appears in a suitable environment, its population grows fairly rapidly to a stable point that may be referred to as that environment's carrying ...
- Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:14 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Nudi ID
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2468
Re: Nudi ID
Greetings, I agree with Dusty2; it's probably Tritonia festiva but questions remain! You might want to check your photos and memory of the sighting against what can be found here: http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/tritfest If you're not familiar with the Sea Slug Forum, be sure to click on the relate...
- Mon Feb 24, 2014 7:31 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Potential good news for herring in Vancouver Canada
- Replies: 1
- Views: 921
Re: Potential good news for herring in Vancouver Canada
Hi Dusty, Thanks for posting this info! The piece you referenced and the Squamish Streamkeepers Society website http://www.squamishstreamkeepers.net/streamkeepers/Herring.html leave me with some concerns though: 1. How will this wrapping affect the inverts that typically call these pilings home? 2. ...
- Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:58 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Stubby squid eggs
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1374
Re: Stubby squid eggs
Greetings, Here's a link to a paper by Roland Anderson (Seattle Aquarium) on Stubby Squid: http://dspace.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/10043/AAUS_1987_1.pdf?sequence=1 and the Cephalopod Page description of the species (also by R. Anderson): http://www.thecephalopodpage.org...
- Tue Dec 31, 2013 6:41 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Sea star die-off
- Replies: 279
- Views: 133443
Re: Sea star die-off
Greetings, Are there any data on how this disease progresses in individual animals? At the Feiro Center we have two (of 4 total) Painted Stars ( Orthosterias kohleri ) that are showing arm curling and small lesions. The thing is, they have been 'stuck' on this level of affliction for over a month wi...
- Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:11 pm
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Whidbey Island Critters
- Replies: 5414
- Views: 943474
Re: Whidbey Island Critters
Hi Jan,
Re: Your post on Nucella lamellosa- I thought you might enjoy this paper with its alternative explanation for the extra sculpturing on some members of the species:
http://www.pnas.org/content/85/12/4387.full.pdf+html
Protectively yours,
Alex
Re: Your post on Nucella lamellosa- I thought you might enjoy this paper with its alternative explanation for the extra sculpturing on some members of the species:
http://www.pnas.org/content/85/12/4387.full.pdf+html
Protectively yours,
Alex
- Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:25 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Sea star die-off
- Replies: 279
- Views: 133443
Re: Sea star die-off
Greetings, Thanks to everyone that posted background articles on this situation. Here's another one: http://www.reef2rainforest.com/2013/11/09/disaster-deja-vu-all-over-again/ This one has some history and science that describes why this sucks even if you don't care about the stars. Disasterously yo...
- Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:21 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Eerie flatworm
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2546
Re: Eerie flatworm
Greetings, Here's a fun article from Ron Shimek on ribbon worms in general and cerebratulids like this in particular: http://www.reef2rainforest.com/2013/05/29/prince-marvin-of-nemertinea/ Note that the article has a photo of a worm virtually identical to the one shown in this thread. Vermiculturall...
- Sun Sep 15, 2013 8:12 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Lingcod eating habits?
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1071
Lingcod eating habits?
Greetings, There seem to be a lot of Lingcod watchers on this forum; I'm hoping one of you can help me with a question. At the Feiro Center we have two young Lingcod ( Ophidon elongatus ) each in the 18 to 24 inch size range (roughly double the size when we acquired them). Both appear to be healthy ...
- Sun Sep 15, 2013 7:27 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Sea star die-off
- Replies: 279
- Views: 133443
Re: Sea star die-off
Greetings, I'm not sure how or even if this relates to the topic at hand: Several years ago at the Feiro Center we had a mottled star ( Evasterias troscheli ) that developed a problem with one arm - specifically, the arm appeared to be 'withering'. The problem was localized to one arm for a month or...
- Fri Jul 05, 2013 6:46 pm
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Huge, very old rockfish caught
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1068
Re: Huge, very old rockfish caught
Greetings,
Big yes; but not so old by rockfish standards - an Alaska fishery lab has determined that the fish in question was a sprightly 64 years old:
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/2 ... er-thought
Youthfully yours,
Alex (age 63)
Big yes; but not so old by rockfish standards - an Alaska fishery lab has determined that the fish in question was a sprightly 64 years old:
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/2 ... er-thought
Youthfully yours,
Alex (age 63)
- Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:32 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: ID on this brightly colored worm...
- Replies: 8
- Views: 2256
Re: ID on this brightly colored worm...
Hi Jesse, It would take a lot more information to come up with a species or even genus I.D. on your worm. Having said that, it's almost certainly an epitoke (reproductive stage) from an errant polychaete. Here are a couple of threads where epitokes have been discussed: http://www.nwdiveclub.com/view...
- Fri Apr 05, 2013 7:32 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: Tracking Giant Pacific Octopuses in Alaska
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2410
Re: Tracking Giant Pacific Octopuses in Alaska
Greetings, The study shown in this article is essentially a confirmation of one done about 20 years ago at Saanich Inlet by Jennifer Mather and NWDC forum member Jim Cosgrove. You can read about this and other studies in Jim's book "Super Suckers" and the original papers may be obtainable ...
- Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:35 am
- Forum: Critter Watchers - PNW Marine Life
- Topic: GPO Question
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1140
Re: GPO Question
Greetings, As I was reading Dave's post I couldn't keep from formulating responses - fortunately Kneedeep's link covered everything I had to say and a bit more. Thanks for posting it! Note that the article was mainly concerned with captive animals. My guess is that this sort of thing just doesn't co...