I just love those chlorimorphs. The dear cowrie is just wonderful. Never saw a live one before. I thought it would look like a slug with a shell on it. The reality is so much better. Thank you all for continuing this thread and posting the pics.
Underwater Gardens #5
If you don't look closely you can come up with all kind of scenarios for that pic. lol. Gonna have fun with trying to come up with different ones at work tomorrow.
Ooops, meant to say deer cowrie. But I suppose it could be both.
That's cool... I don't collect things from the sea other than images.....like to see things that are alive like you guys do...want our children to be able to share the same things as we do.....
"take only pictures"
"kill only time"
"leave only bubbles"
with that gentle thought, i wish the thread a peaceful night....catch up soon,
aurabest,
john
I agree with all my heart. Except for Crown of Thorns....don't know if I can ever just swim past one. Remind me often John. Pleasant dreams dear friend.
Gosh, my kids been here tonight and haven't had time to check the posts. I love all you guys. So important to my everyday life. Good to see you with us, J. Tired tonight....big day tomorrow.
??? What's the haps Christi????
Outstanding pics, John. They are just as beautiful as cute little fish. You wander wherever you want, just always come back here, pretty please! :-)
k
John, from what we can find out... the Orange Ball is completely a Caribbean creature. Have you any idea what one would be doing out here? Tis another mystery....
Also explains why no one else out here had seen one. It was found in a surge channel in about 20 ft of water....very odd.
Hi, everyone. The pictures on this thread are so beautiful, so relaxing.
I am an experienced aquarist who has kept fish for over 40 years, a few of which were dedicated to saltwater fish. I stopped keeping saltwater fish when I found out that most fish in the aquarium trade were caught using cyanide directly on the reefs. Fish caught that way never thrive. That explained why it was so difficult to keep saltwater fish alive for more than a month or 2, despite the best equipment money could buy.
I gave away the saltwater fish, sold the complicated paraphernalia that was necessary to almost keep them alive, dumped the saltwater and returned to freshwater. I then filled the tank with tap water and Malawi cichlids born and raised by a friend of mine. Tourists, business and coral reefs don't mix. People who collect reef fish for collectors half a world away should be keelhauled. Now that we live in a small condo, there is no space for an aquarium room. My fish now live on my computer screen, thanks to SereneScreen.
Sylvain.
I had a friend on the island of Kiribati who sold tropical fish. He didn't use cyanide...very natural fisherman. He would only sell to places with good reputations, or private aquariums. His questionaire for new clients was 3 pages long! Cracked me up, but he said his goal was not to get rich, but to educate, so he was very particulare about who he would sell to. He has since passed away, and I think that the loss was felt across the US through the aquariums that no longer can display his fish.
Your late friend was a rare collector. I can't tell you how often I bought a fish for big money only to have it wither and die in a matter of weeks because it had been collected with cyanide involved.
The fish looks good in the shop. You buy it. You acclimate it into a sparsely populated, well established aquarium. making sure everyone will get along. You feed it the best food, you raise brine shrimp you lovingly feed with an eye dropper, you chop up the freshest shrimp you can get your hands on. You purchase caulerpa for your herbivores, you keep a patch of algae on the side windows for your grazers. You make sure all your parameters: salt, trace elements, light, nitrites are within acceptable parameters. It's enought to drive anyone crazy.
You stand by the aquarium as your fish does worse and worse every day until one day, you come home and mercifully, it's dead. I remember a beloved platax orbiculatus I was so glad to have aquired for a king's ransom. I then watched it die for nearly 3 months before it went to that great big reef in the sky. I cried for 2 days. I tell you, when I heard that cyanide thing, I packed it in and quit the saltwater aquarium hobby in disgust and protest. I wouldn't buy ivory products, why would I buy such fish? Nevermore, nevermore.
Sylvain.
"take only pictures"
"kill only time"
"leave only bubbles"
speaking of shrimp...how 'bout a ghost shrimp....
Cool shrimp John!
I guess I didn't say that right....my friend sold to places like Scripps Aquarium and Ocean Journey....big aquariums. I think he sold some to a particular retail outfit, but I don't remember which one...His goal was to educate people about tropical species, not to cage the fish. He was a man much like you John. But rather than pictures he sent the fish themselves. He would lecture reef walkers constantly about doing no damage.
We are cleaning up our tank house, and doing some much needed work on the marina...I am making a large poster of your saying to have laminated and placed in a position where all will see it. Every little reminder is a good thing.
Of course, the fishermen will pay no heed....but they feed many and nothing gets caught just for show, so I can't get mad at them.
Well, I know that aquarium fish have to come from somewhere....i had a fresh water tank when i lived out west....i had a red ear sunfish (bluegill) and a bullhead catfish, named merrill....bullish on america....and they were both caught on a line....got to the point where i couldn't afford the gold fish anymore....50 per week....both got re-released back to the lake they were caught from.....
since it's dinner time in these parts and we're talking shrimp...here is the next one...a red night shrimp...sorry the eyes are a bit soft.....
Whenever I see those I always wonder how they keep from scraping their eyes on nearby coral and sand....bulging eyes have always made me feel sorry for the critter they belong to.
they're not bulging...they are built in night vision goggles!!!! notice that night feeders normally have bigger eyes than those that swim around in the daytime.....these shrimp are lightning fast too.....wont find these on any menu......
great article by the way shari....you rock....
j
Thanks (there must be some other word...everyday I tell you the same thing..but it is true)
for the pictures. When I shrimp on the barbie never stop to think how it looked and what where it came from. Not going there. Fish were made to nourish us. We just happen to be at the top of the food chain. That is a beautiful red.
Shari, since you are word artist would you make a list of adjectives I could alternate and not feel so silly.
And, J. Shari is correct about your saying...needs to be on placques in a lot of places.
No other adjectives needed, sweetness. We all know what is in your heart.
I understand "night vision goggles"...its just the "appearance" of bulging eyes that gives me the willies. (Word artist???)
Has not much to do with U/W, but here is the 4Yr Old LadybugFish: "How I spent my Sunday".
And then all those butterflys turned into fish!
What darling children. And of course, the star must be a pretty as her mom and grandmom.
Did you make the cake?
Heavens no! That adorable cake was made by a gal here that specializes in children's cakes. DD gives her massages, and so they made a trade. Also helped that she has two daughters who were invited to the Ladybug's party. Dad was so mean though...he put two of those re-lite candles on the cake. Tali was just as patient as a ladybug! She just kept blowing it out...I think she was fascinated! Finally we just pulled it out!
Glad to see so much activity here.....uhummm!!! in any event, here is the ocean's version of a Daddy Longlegged Spider....the Yellowline arrow crab....easy kids, take turns...don't all reply at once now....
Oooh, looks like a cross between that Daddy Long Legs and a Stick Bug! Very weird. Didn't know crabs came in that much variety of shapes!
ACK! I really dislike daddy long legs spiders.......I know, I know spiders are GOOD to have around. Well they can be "around" somewhere else. I go on a seek and destroy every time I see one.
Yours however I could live with. What a wonderful pic! You have such an artists's eye. That is something you are born with, no amount of training can really give it to you. Every time you allow us to see one of them I feel very fortunate indeed.
thanks for that!! these yellowlines are the coolest....so layed back....have bright blue pinchers for feeding and so agile....fun to interact with....diving is a very calming sport if you let it...go slow and enjoy the show...night dives are the slowest dive of the day...i can spend an entire dive on one coral head...so much life, so many scenarios......can't wait to get in again......thanks for the reply.....i know folks stand by and wait for a new pic to emerge before posting and that is cool....just wish i had some new stuff to post instead of images shot in the past....I have been cleared to dive again and will start a new thread with pic of the dive..any dive we do i will post one image from that dive, regardless of what it is...,may take me a while to get it together again but, i would rather post something new than an old file from years ago....or, maybe not....
maybe folks just want images posted to add to their wallpaper collection...i can omit text and just post jpegs if that is the general concenus.....y'all can advise via dmail if need be.....
j
Real glad to hear you've been cleared to dive again, you must have really missed being in the water.
We enjoy all your photos, John, old, new, whatever.
Nice to have you back with us!
What a cool looking crab John. I've been enjoying all of the photos and comments here. You folks bring the undersea life up close and personal in a way that I truly appreciate.
I'm so glad to know that you will be able to "get wet" again soon. I know you've missed it tremendously. I will look forward to seeing more of your photos. But as has already been said in the past, they're ALL new to us landlubbers.
Many hugs to all,
Janet
Glad to see our "family" is gathering up again.
I have too!
Hi Janet! miss you.
Rj
Hi everyone! John...we just love your pictures! It simply does not matter to us if they are new, old, or ancient! Every picture is a world unto itself because as Ann said - you have an artist's eye. So show us anything you want my friend. Now, that being said....I am thrilled that you get to throw yourself back under the water! I know how much you have missed it, and I am very very happy for you!
So, crabs being the subject of today...here is an amemone crab or Neopetrolisthes Ohshimai to the marine biologists out there.
Today being the first day back to wrench twirlin' too!!! I know my limitations but went smooth enough.....wear a small brace for the really stubborn bolts, or when using really big hammers.....feel good and only minimal pain during the day...got the all clear from the doc yesterday afternoon.....let it rip now....okay...
crabs it is....i am not smart enough to give the scientific names for the marine experts out there....thanks shari for taking the time to look those terms up, i just know their common names or what they might be called locally.....
this is a hairy clinging crab....on the mooring line on the south side....the arm in the background may give indication of size.....
Hi Randy! So glad you've joined us here. I miss you too. I don't think Connie and I will make the meet in October. Too much "life" going on here. I shared the post of your Tree Fern "La Fern" photo (on the other thread) in the coleus Forum. I had mentioned that I had one. Someone asked about them. I posted a photo of mine. It's a poor specimen compared to yours. Then I saw yours in that thread, so I directed them there. This is an awesome bunch of folks that I'm sure you are gonna enjoy.
For those that don't know it, Randy has a wonderful tropical garden right in the midst of Texas. I don't think he has a blade of grass in his back yard at all. It's all big huge tropical giants. Lush and blooming like crazy!!
Shari, your crab looks cute as he can be there on the anemone. Love the color contrast in the photo.
John, when I opened that photo up, for some reason I can see a face on the back of the crab. My first thought was Inagadadivita! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Don't ask me why. That just popped into my brain! My second thought was ... sure looks like more to eat on that one than the Daddy Long Legged Crab! :/
John, I'm so glad you're able to get back to work. I'm sure things have been piling up on you. Just take it easy and don't get in a hurry to get things done. Use the brace as you need it. Don't be like my hubby who's motto is "No pain, no gain!" You surely don't want to undo all of what the doctor has done.
I just love your crab picture Shari. It is one of those type of pictures that has such depth if you take the time to look.
There is a face on the back of the hairy crab! I did not want to be the first to admit I saw it. LOL So glad that you can go back in the water that you so enjoy John. I bet they had to literally drag you out by the heels didn't they??
Great advise Janet - John, listen to her! Boy that guy is huge! I don't think I've ever seen one like that out here...must be another one unique to the Caribbean.
Inagadadavita?? Now there is a blast from the past!!!
This isn't a very good picture, but this is a BlackHermit trying to stuff himself in this finger shell. He's about 5 inches wide, and the shell is not much bigger, but he managed to get most of him in there before JB got the picture. The BlackHermits are not as common out here, so it was fun to see this guy.
Wow! My sister, Julie, is the one that always has something exotic crawling around her floor....like hermit crabs. Did I ever tell you about the time she purchased live Crayfish (or as I know them..crawdads)....put them in her refrig to cook later. The dog begins to bark loudly as he paws at the refrig door.....they are telling him to "pipe down". Finally, got up to get another cold one.....OMG.....crawfish all over the inside.....falling on the floor when they opened it........Just Imagine
Well I trashed the spelling on that one, but just spelled it phonetically. I just googled it and found this. http://bluestormmusic.com/store/images/ironbutterfly_inagaddadavida.jpg
Now I know that this was just before my time. I don't remember my older sisters having this album. I did see a show with William Schattner recently called One Hit Wonders and this was one of 'em. Perhaps they showed the album cover on that special. Who really knows? But that's what my thought was when the image came up.
HAHAHAHAHA Christy! That is so funny. What a visual!
We haven't had a crawfish boil here in several years. I remember though having to purge them. Someone said to use the bathtub. They were trying so hard to get out of that tub. Imagine 60 pounds of crawling grabbing crawfish in your tub!
Crayfish in the bath tub?? NO THANK YOU! LOL
Yep, I knew the spelling was wrong...but I didn't care, knew what was meant. Unfortunately, I actually had this album for a while. Showing my age! But did tire of it pretty quickly.
I love shellfish (pretty much any kind of fish!), but just can't do that! Nope....I'll eat it, but can't watch em being dropped in the hot water, or any of the purging in the tub...nope...I just wouldn't be able to eat em if I watched that. Silly I know, but can't help it.