Updates and omissions

Update 1. In the blog on cephalopods I mentioned that we still had a couple of species to be seen. Not so now, we saw an algae octopus yesterday and on this morning’s first dive, not one but two hairy octopus were found. I guess that´s it for the cephalopods! Maybe not if we get really picky about the number of bluering species in the area, but as even experts seem to have quite some trouble defining that, we will just leave it at bluering for now.

Update 2. In the blog on seahorses and relatives, there was a blaring omission. No pictures of the pygmy seahorse itself, the Hippocampus bargibanti. No such omission now, here is a bargibanti from today. Interestingly enough, I have a distinct feeling that there are way more bargibanti in the area now than a couple of years go when I first came here.

Update 3. The seahorse blog did not have a picture of a pregnant ghost pipefish. Here is a pregnant female with the extended pelvic fins holding the eggs.

Update 4. There was some discussion here at NAD on whether frogfish lack gills, lack gill covers or neither. Frogfish have gills, have no proper gill covers but exhale the water exchanging gasses over their gills through a little hole at the base of their front “feet” (“arms”, “legs”?). The holes can be used as water jets, propelling the frogfish along quite like a cephalopod.

Talking about frogfish, there will soon be a new batch of small hairy frogfish around.  A couple of hairy frogfish, where the female is very full of eggs, seems to be having a cozy day in the strait today, spending some quality time together. The couple will probably  heat up the action tonight, so look out for a floating egg masses in the strait tomorrow. Judging by the size of the female, it will be a big one!