Whidbey Island Critters

[BbbleMkr]

Love them, love them! Please don't stop!

[Grateful Diver]

Jan, your pictures and the stories you create around them continue to be my all-time favorite forum reading.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[LCF]

Jan, don't ever think that people aren't looking at these wonderful pages! Every time I open a site and one of your threads comes up as having new posts, I look to see if you are the poster, and if so, I immediately go to see what you have added.

Not only do you do beautiful photography and clever, funny artwork, but these pages are an incredible critter identification resource as well. You have multiple photographs, frequently from different angles, and identify the creature as well as add information about its habits. As I've said before, these really should be collected into book form. But failing that, KEEP THEM COMING!

[Jan K]

Interesting development in the bivalve ID story. After more consultations between experts in California, e-mail this morning changed the California Lyonsia classification to Rock Entodesma aka Northwest Ugly Clam (Entodesma navicula). Never a dull moment in the Invertebrates realm. Even experts make mistakes, so we can too

[Sounder]

Thank you Valerie for kind words, for moment I thought nobody looks at these posts anymore
And of course, you are right about the worn out appearance of gravid females. It has to be hard to carry the load and watch out for all the Lingcod looking for easy meal who lay around the Keystone Jetty rocks...

Jan I love seeing these! I think if you watched the number of times this thread is viewed, you'd see that it goes up a lot each time you post a new piece. PLEASE continue - I personally really enjoy it and enjoy showing them to family and friends.

Thank you!!!

[Jan K]

Thank you Valerie for kind words, for moment I thought nobody looks at these posts anymore
And of course, you are right about the worn out appearance of gravid females. It has to be hard to carry the load and watch out for all the Lingcod looking for easy meal who lay around the Keystone Jetty rocks...

[Zen Diver]

Isn't it funny how gravid females of ANY species all look the same? Tired, worn out and ready for the pregnancy to END!

-Valerie
(great pix, as usual Jan)

[Jan K]

It looks like we get some more rockfish at Keystone soon

[Jan K]

This one was not easy to identify. In the beginning I leaned toward Pandora genus, but could not google any pictures, I e-mailed picture to more experienced people, many are in the field working on research projects (vacations :D ), finally Leslie from Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County found Don Cadien whom I quote in today's post. Isn't critterwatching exciting ?

[Grateful Diver]

Hi Ken, the Pipefish is not that common here on Whidbey, or maybe it is because my eyes are not that good...
The next critter is little easier to spot, wearing a nice bright orange color. But this is the color of the future King, as the adult Kings are more varied in texture and colors. Unfortunately, the Keystone and Langley where I dive most, are not the right habitat for this crab and so adult sighting will require some travel off this island.

I've noticed that it's not unusual to find juvenile PSKC at Keystone ... but I've never seen one there bigger than about the size of a quarter.

Always wondered where they went when they decided to grow up ... and more importantly, how the juveniles got to Keystone in the first place (drifting in the current, most likely) ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Jan K]

Local crabs never cease to amaze me. This is the first time I found Dungeness Crab holding Red Rock Crab in what I saw somewhere called as the premating embrace. In the past I saw them fighting, ignoring each other, but never hugging. The smaller Red Rock crab was not showing any signs of distress or putting up resistance, as I tried to get photos from different angles, the Dungeness crab took flight, never releasing its partner. (Which is very common sight when I come across pairs.)

[Jan K]

Hi Ken, the Pipefish is not that common here on Whidbey, or maybe it is because my eyes are not that good...
The next critter is little easier to spot, wearing a nice bright orange color. But this is the color of the future King, as the adult Kings are more varied in texture and colors. Unfortunately, the Keystone and Langley where I dive most, are not the right habitat for this crab and so adult sighting will require some travel off this island.

[Ken G]

Very cool! I was not aware we had a local species that belongs to the sea horse family. Are they common? I cant wait to see one in its habitat.

Thanks for sharing

[Jan K]

Our Pacific Northwest sea horse taking parenting seriously...

[Jan K]

What got my attention at this encounter was first the white color of the Giant Sea Cucumber (aka California Cucumber). When I turned to investigate the murky water movement, I found that a large Sunflower Star was trying to capture it. It was very interesting to watch how the cucumber inflated its body and then used a snakelike movement to slid from the star's grip. Considering that both animals lack eyes, it was fascinating to see how the cucumber picked its escape route and how fast it moved. The cucumber did manage to get away unharmed

[LCF]

You consistently get the most AMAZING photographs!

I look at those teeth and think about the lings at Edmonds, with heads almost as wide as my shoulders, and think maybe I should stay a little further away next time :)

[Jan K]

And the Lingcod keep on eating...

[Jan K]

This tiny little slug is camouflaged more then in one way. Even its name, common and scientific is hard to pinpoint. One book calls it the Steinberg's Corambe and another one is there under the name Cryptic. While Corambe steinbergae in one - Doridella steinbergi in second. According to Slug Forum, the leading forum on slugs - Doridella was moved into the genus of Corambe. So till I get corrected ( it would not be the first time :D ), Corambe it is. If I didn't see the eggs, I would probably never find this slug. THey are on the Kelp-encrusting Bryozoans, plentiful now at Keystone, so keep your eyes "peeled" - good luck hunting...;)

[Tom Nic]

So THAT's how they get so big!

[Jan K]

The Starry Flounder tries to flee the moment it sees me and my camera. So I asked the Lingcod to hold the flatfish so I can take its picture...
(just kidding)

[Sounder]

"GIVE ME AN EGG OR GIVE ME DEATH!":sign10:

"ALL UNITS, BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR A GIANT BOUNCING..."

What a great movie. I have to rent that one again - haven't thought about it in years.

Thanks Jan. EXCELLENT drawing of the "guys in the white suits."

[Jan K]

Do you remember Woody Allen's "Everything you always wanted to know about sex but were affraid to ask" ? Well I found myself in Pink Short-spined Star orgy.

[Tom Nic]

Very nice!

I love the variety in the look of these crab... with them grabbing local species you just never know what you are going to get. The one in his gilly suit at the bottom of your collage is so cool!

[Jan K]

This crabs are sometimes almost impossible to see, so I included almost a "bare butt" and one in full camo outfit

[Sounder]

Jan - your illustration of the Dungies post-lovin' smoking is the funniest thing I've seen in a LONG time!!! Those pictures are almost not-safe-for-work!!!

Thank you for brightening up my morning with a good belly laugh!