Northwest Dive Club

Sorry for the poor quality . . . could NOT get my strobe dialed in that day and viz was not the greatest.

The fish appears to be a longfin gunnel. The worm, I'm not even going to try. Leslie?

Yep, Longfin gunnel. That is one cool looking worm but I doubt anyone but leslie will know what kind.

Leslie's a little puzzled herself. If it is a polychaete it would be a syllid but there's something about it not quite right. Kelly, did you see it move or was it just lying there?

I did not see it move as a whole, but the leg-like appendages seemed to be fluttering in the water.

The "worm" sure looks a lot like a fish spine to me, down to the bones angling back towards the tail.

I came across this picture for an example http://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/ ... ne_450.jpg

I'm wondering if maybe someone filleted a fish and dropped the bones back into the water. Not sure what the stringy thing at the front is, maybe a spinal cord?

Interesting idea, and one that would have never crossed my mind. But I've seen fish spines before and a couple of things seem off about that. I don't think a fish spine would have stayed still in the water (especially not with my flailing around, trying to take a picture), and the things I see as legs were not nearly long enough in my opinion. But I'm no expert, so I hope someone can figure it out--even if it does turn out to be just bones.

That worms 'creepy'. I think it's an alien species and probably really good that you didn't spend too much time close to it. It coulda crawled in your ear and taken over your soul!

wheeeewwww! your one lucky cat

It didn't do that?......... did it?

-Aaron- wrote:The "worm" sure looks a lot like a fish spine to me, down to the bones angling back towards the tail.

I came across this picture for an example http://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/ ... ne_450.jpg

I'm wondering if maybe someone filleted a fish and dropped the bones back into the water. Not sure what the stringy thing at the front is, maybe a spinal cord?

Yes that's what I thought they were, the "legs" being remant half digested ribs.

I concur, the second one is definitely the vertebral column of a small fish - if you zoom in you can see the ribs on the left side of the frame and the fused neural and haemal spines of the caudal region on the right side of the frame.

Ross

And with that, my hopes of having a new species named after me are dashed!

But seriously, I'm glad I took a picture because it just goes to show you that things can look much different under water. I never would have though that was a fish spine.

Thanks everyone!

Fish spine seems much more reasonable.

Even if it was a polychaete and a new species just a picture doesn't do much. To have your name immortalized you need to either collect some & forward them to a taxonomist who can describe it or contact one of the programs that will allow you to choose a name in return for a donation.

Waynne Fowler wrote:That worms 'creepy'. I think it's an alien species and probably really good that you didn't spend too much time close to it. It coulda crawled in your ear and taken over your soul!

Hey that's exactly what happened to me!