I usually meet clown nudibranches crawling on rocks or algae so was quite surprised when I met them on the sandy bottom of Mahurangi Harbour for the first time. They didn’t seem to be happy though, I thought they could not get a proper grip on the fine sand / mud so could not fight […]
Mahurangi Harbour with its fine sandy (sometimes muddy) bottom is a good place for comb sea stars to live in … and for divers to observe them. Keywords: sea star “sea star” starfish comb “comb sea star” “comb star” Astropecten polyacanthus “Astropecten polyacanthus” arm spiny spine underwater undersea Pacific ocean temperate echinoderm bottom “bottom dwelling” sandy […]
It’s called wandering anemone, however, it’s an anemone so don’t expect it to run around. It moves (very) slowly or it lets currents and wave movements do the job. Anyway, its big column with corn-like tubercles makes it a great subject for observation / photography. Keywords: “wandering anemone” anemone “Phlyctenactis tuberculosa” Phlyctenactis tuberculosa close-up “close up” […]
Though officially not a “jewel” anemone (there are “real” jewel anemones) for me this anemone is a jewel in its own way. The combination of white and orange colours plus the translucency of its column make it a great object for a macro photographer. Also it does not move which is a great bonus 🙂 […]
I just finished two days (and nights) in the face down position required after the surgery on my right eye. At least six weeks of no flying / no diving will follow. No diving means no new underwater pictures on this site (and anywhere else). However, I’ll be processing / publishing / commenting my older […]
Young snapper look like silvery blue-dotted agile fish. The adults remind me of heavy trucks … or sometimes knights in full plated armour. Keywords: snapper australasian silver seabream Pagrus auratus “Pagrus auratus” fish coastal Pacific ocean underwater undersea temperate “Chrysophrys auratus” Chrysophrys Sparidae silver close-up “close up” portrait scale