Sea butterflies, scientific name Thecosomata (thecosomes, “case/shell-body”), are a taxonomic suborder of small pelagic swimming sea snails. These are holoplanktonic opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the informal group Opisthobranchia. They include some of the world’s most abundant gastropod species.
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Vir philippinensis, sometimes referred to as the bubble coral shrimp, is a species of saltwater shrimp that was first described in 1984.
Trachypenaeopsis richtersii is a ten-legged species of the Penaeidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1884 by Miers.
Synalpheus stimpsonii is a shrimp species from the Alpheidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1888 by De Man.
The camel shrimp is a hardy saltwater shrimp, It is covered with red and white stripes that run across its entire body. R. uritai has a movable rostrum or beak that is generally facing upwards. Male camel shrimp have larger chelipeds or claw compared to the female camel shrimp. The claw is formed when the shrimp reaches maturity.
Pseudoprotella phasma is a flake lobster species from the Caprellidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1804 by Montagu.
Pliopontonia furtiva is a shrimp species from the Palaemonidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1973 by Bruce.
Phycocaris simulans is a shrimp species from the Hippolytidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1916 by Kemp.
Manipontonia psamathe is a species of saltwater shrimp that was first described in 1902.
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Also known as Anemone Shrimp, Carid Shrimps, Commensal Shrimps, Crown Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, Heliofungia Shrimp, Mushroom Coral Shrimp, Partner Shrimp, Plate Coral Shrimp, Plumed Shrimp, Popcorn Anemone Shrimp.
Found on coral and rocky reefs living in a symbiotic relationship with various anemones and mushroom corals. They feed on algae, parasites and plankton. Body transparent, red to black with a white spiny head (that looks like a dollop of cream) Length 4cm Depth – 3-30m Widespread Western Central Pacific
Ancylomenes sarasvati is a shrimp species from the Palaemonidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 2002 by Okuno.
Ancylomenes magnificus, is a kind of cleaner shrimp common to the Western Pacific Ocean at depths of 3–29 metres (10–95 ft).
These shrimp are commonly found on scleractinian coral, Catalaphyllia and the anemone, Dofleinia armata. They have a transparent body except on the carapace and segments of the abdomen which have bands of white specks outlined in red. The tail and the hump on the abdomen are also white.
Periclimenes brevicarpalis can reach a length of 0.5 to 1.0 inch. The body is almost transparent, with some white spots over carapace and tail and orange spots outlined in black over the caudal fin. Females are larger than males and have more white spots. This species lives symbiotically with sea anemones, corals and jelly fish.
On the translucetn body is a series of white marks down the midline. The cerata are bluish near the end.Rhinophores and oral tentacles with white or cream yellow tips.
Phyllodesmium opalescens does not have a zooxanthellae symbiosis. Phyllodesmium opalescens feeds on some unknown food. It does not sequester zooxanthellae.
Notobryon wardi feeds on hydroids.
Melibe engeli was only known from New Caledonia, but actually the distribution is much wider in Indo-Pacific.
The body is transparent with cylindrical cerata.Brown zooxanthellae scattered on the body.
Species of the genus Melibe have a large expandable oral hood which is fringed with sensory tentacles and used to catch small crustacea and shrimps.Melibe nudibranch have no radula, their prey killed by digestive juices.
Coryphellina rubrolineata is a relatively large aeolid nudibranch growing to 42 mm in length.The stretched out body has a sharp end at the tail, the dorsal side is covered with a certain amount of extensions called cerata, which size vary from an animal to another. The rhinophores are pointed and look like feathers. The oral tentacles are thin, cylindrical and longer than the rhinophores. The coloration is variable and here’s a description for the two main coloration which can be easily met underwater:
Eubranchus ocellatus have inflated cerata with white bands and large brown or yellow rings. The rhinophores are smooth. This species feeds exclusively on hydroids.
A new described species
The ornate ghost pipefish or harlequin ghost pipefish, Solenostomus paradoxus, is a false pipefish of the family Solenostomidae. The species name comes from the Greek paradoxos, referring to this fish’s unusual external features. Ornate ghost pipefish are found in the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean along reef edges prone to strong currents from the Red Sea to Tonga. They reach a maximum length of 12 cm. They vary in color from red or yellow to black and are almost transparent. Although relatively common, ornate ghost pipefish are very well-camouflaged and difficult to find. It occurs either as solitary individuals or in pairs, among the branches of gorgonians, in floating weeds, or crinoids where the feed on mysids and small benthic shrimp.
The diameter when fully grown is slightly greater than the height of an average man. The species was named in tribute to Mr. Kan’ichi Nomura (C18–C19), Director General of the Fukui Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station, who in early December 1921 sent a specimen in a 72-litre wooden tank to Professor Kishinouye, who found that it was unknown and spent some time at the station to study living specimens.
pygmaeus weighs 0.00033 g upon hatching and increases in weight to 0.175 g as it reaches maturity in 50 days (1260 degree days). It inhabits waters at a temperature of 25.2 °C. Growth rate has been calculated as 12.55 and physiological growth rate as 0.498.
pygmaeus grows to 20 mm in mantle length.
Members of the phylum Ctenophora are hermaphroditic. Life cycle: Eggs develop into planktonic juveniles called cydippid and later gradually adopt the form of adults.
The whip coral goby has a semi-transparent head and body, with white scales running along its vertebra. Its head is reddish-brown to violet in color and the goby has pink to violet-red eyes. Their coloration is noted to match the color of the coral they inhabit. The fish is approximately 3 to 3.5 centimeters long. Healthy whip coral gobies have seven dorsal spines, seven dorsal soft rays, one anal spine and seven anal soft rays. They also have cup-like pelvic fins and gills that open below the base of the pectoral fins.
Bryaninops natans, known commonly as the redeye goby, is a species of marine fish in the family Gobiidae.
The redeye goby is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area, including Red Sea.
B. natans is a small size that can reach a maximum size of 2.5 cm length.
Bryaninops amplus, known commonly as the large whip goby or white-line seawhip goby, is a species of marine fish in the family Gobiidae.
The white-line seawhip goby is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area, including Hawaii but not the Red Sea.
Aurelia aurita (also called the common jellyfish, moon jellyfish, moon jelly or saucer jelly) is a widely studied species of the genus Aurelia. All species in the genus are closely related, and it is difficult to identify Aurelia medusae without genetic sampling; most of what follows applies equally to all species of the genus. The most common method used to identify the species consists of selecting a jellyfish from a harbour using a device, usually a drinking glass and then photographing the subject. This means that they can be released in to the harbour shortly afterwards and return to their natural habitat.
The razorfish is easily identifiable due to its particular body shape as well as its way of moving in synchrone group head down. It is a small fish with a maximum size of 15 cm (5.9 in) long, its body is stretched ending by a long fine “beak”. Its fins are considerably reduced and transparent. The dorsal surface of the razorfish is covered by protective bony plates. They extend past the end of the body and over the tail fin, which terminates in a sharp spine. A black to brown median band runs the length of the fish crossing also the eyes. The color of the body is variable with the habitat. In seagrass environment, the background color of the body can be greenish-yellow with light brown stripes. In open areas like sand patch, rubble or close to coral reef, then the body coloration occurs to be light silver with a black to brown stripe. There is no known sexual dimorphism.
Panulirus versicolor is a species of spiny lobster that lives in tropical reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Other names include painted rock lobster, common rock lobster, bamboo lobster, blue lobster, and blue spiny lobster. P. versicolor is one of the three most common varieties of spiny lobster in Sri Lanka, alongside Panulirus homarus and Panulirus ornatus.
Hyastenus bispinosus is a species of crab in the family Epialtidae, found around Ambon, the Banda Islands, Timor and the Lembeh Strait off Sulawesi.
Colonies of Plerogyra sinuosa are in the form of an inverted cone that may be as much as a metre (yard) across. The corallites in small colonies are monocentric and trochoid, but become flabellomeandroiid (arranged in valleys, the neighbouring valleys having separate walls) in larger colonies. The septa have smooth margins but are irregularly arranged giving the colony an untidy appearance. The costae on young colonies sometimes form lobes which develop spines. These spines then elongate and a new polyp develops, this budding method being an unusual occurrence among corals.