Clown nudibranch Ceratosoma amoena crawling on brown meatball sponge in murky waters of Mahurangi Harbour. Water was very clear (for the location) yesterday, I could see the surface clearly from about 5m. However, the incoming tide was still running and a thin layer of mud particles was moving with the water flow along the bottom. All […]

Lonely bush of red seaweed dances with surf on flat sandy bottom near Leigh, New Zealand. Water is surprisingly clear; it’s mid November, it should be blooming with plankton, this is more like a late winter. Water is still cold, fish are scarce, schools of pelagic ones will be frequent visitors when it gets warmer. […]

It’s spring, plankton is blooming, yet the waters around Matheson Bay near Leigh are (surprisingly) exceptionally clear, inviting divers to enjoy the underwater scenery. There are not many fish in the bay though as water is still cold but friendly leatherjackets are always ready to accompany visitors from dry land.   Keywords: scuba diver underwater […]

New Zealand large-bellied / pot-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) well camouflaged on the bottom of mixed sand and mud in Mahurangi Harbour … where water never gets really clear.   Keywords: sea horse “sea horse” seahorse large-bellied pot-bellied camouflage camouflaged snout armour Hippocampus abdominalis New Zealand nz Mahurangi Harbour sandy muddy bottom armour-like skin manaia tail grip […]

Colourful Goat Fish Upeneichthys porosus scanning sandy bottom with its whiskers for food.   Keywords: goat fish “goat fish” Upeneichthys porosus “Upeneichthys porosus” perciform Mullidae barbel barbels Percoidei colour colourful colorful change chameleon-like bottom “bottom dwelling” underwater undersea temperate water Pacific ocean chemosensory barbel barbels whiskers