If you're interested in using any of these photographs in any way, please contact me. Send an e-mail to naturalhistoryphotos(at)gmail.com. Thanks!

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Festive

  

Hard to believe another year has gone by.  Here are a few festive invertebrates from our tidepooling last week to help celebrate turning the corner into 2023.  Enjoy!

Above, a beautiful tubeworm, Serpula columbiana.  

Next, an unidentified sabellid worm:

 

A wonderful peanut worm, Themiste pyroides:

 
And to wrap it up, a colorful nudibranch, Triopha catalinae:

 
Best wishes for the new year ahead!

Friday, December 30, 2022

Disappearing act

  

One of the most impressive features of many animals in the intertidal zone is the way their color patterns match their surroundings.  It makes it challenging for visual predators to spot them.  And it also requires an observer to slow down and let their eyes and mind adjust to the setting in the tidepool.  (Maybe we need a new phrase ="slow tidepooling"?)

We thought it would be fun to show some examples.  Above is a chiton (perhaps Lepidozona radians) note there are eight plates, but the middle four plates are orange, the front two plates near (head end) are flecked with brown and green, and the back two plates (tail end) are mottled.  These varied colors make it hard to identify this as a chiton at first.

Below is a small sculpin.  Check out the way the pink stripe running across its body matches the coralline algae patches on the rock.  And the other colors look like the surrounding rocks (grays and greens) and encrusting algae (deep maroon).  It also helps that sculpins often stay very still the lack of movement makes it less likely that they'll catch your eye:

 

The camouflage abilities of octopus are well known they can settle on a new substrate and blend in within seconds by adjusting pigment cells (chromatophores) in their skin.  Here's one looking a lot like a rock but also note how well the arms/tentacles on either side of the body have a different color and pattern than the main portion of the body.  It's hard to make them out!  (If you look closely sometimes you can spot the suckers on the underside of the tentacles.)

 

And here's one more an intriguing shrimp called a Deep-blade Shrimp (Spirontocaris prionota). (Hint: Look for the shrimp's eyes in the center of the photo.)  Not only do the colors of the shrimp match the coralline algae, but the shrimp also has small hairs (setae) that accumulate bits of debris that help it look "messy", making it less clear that this is a shrimp.

 
It takes some special attention to spot animals like this when they're so well camouflaged, but it's worth the extra time! 

ADDENDUM (31 December 2022) P.S.  To make it easier to find the octopus, here's an edited photo showing the outline and main features:

 

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Individuality

 
One year later (see the post from 28 December 2021) and we're continuing to document examples of color and pattern variations in the Ten-tentacled Anemone (Halcampa decemtentaculata).  Here's a nice set of images take by Eric last week, especially highlighting the different patterns in the central disc area.  [You can click on the image for a sharper version.]

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Sailor fish

  

While tidepooling last week I looked down to see a rippling movement below me and soon realized it was the undulating fin of a fish. 

The fish was swimming towards a ledge, but before it disappeared I took two quick shots for the record.

Meet the Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)!  

The scientific name is very descriptive "Nautichthys" means sailor fish, and "oculofasciatus" means eye-banded.  Below you can see both features a very tall fin extending over the head (like a sail) and a dark stripe running vertically through the eye:

 
I hope to get a better picture of this species some day, but for now I hope you enjoy this introduction!

Monday, December 26, 2022

Christmas bell

  

We had our Christmas dinner and celebration mid-day, so we couldn't resist a late afternoon trip to the coast including some tidepooling on the extreme low tide.

One of the most exciting finds during our exploring was a beautiful staurozoan, Manania gwilliami.  This individual was ~2 cm tall.

Staurozoans are also known as stalked jellyfish because their body plan resembles the bell of a jellyfish attached to the rock with a stalk.  The edge of the bell is armed with clusters of stinging tentacles used to capture prey including small crustaceans:

 

Although this staurozoan was in a channel with water surging back and forth, Eric managed one photo from below showing the swirling red and white color pattern on the inner surface of the bell:
 
 
Manania gwilliami photographed in the low intertidal zone in Sonoma County on 25 December 2022.  (With many thanks to Eric for spotting and photographing this beautiful staurozoan!)
 
P.S.  To learn a little bit more about this species, see the post called "Twinkle, twinkle little stauro" on 12 November 2012.
 

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Sandy claws

  

A few days ago Eric and I were walking along the beach during the Yuletide when we came across these sandy claws.  :)

Happy holidays to all!

P.S.  The claws belong to a Spiny Mole Crab (Blepharipoda occidentalis).

Friday, December 23, 2022

Orchestra pit?

  

We were tidepooling on 22 December 2022 when I noticed this interesting orange fish among the rocks.  When I looked more closely, I realized it didn't look like a fish I'd ever seen before.

It was "bumpy" everywhere there were bumps covering the head and running down the tail:

 
Speaking of the mouth, it had very unusual rough edges and coloring:
 
 
 
I also appreciated the variety of colors and patterns in its fins:
 
 
 
 
But what was most peculiar was the deep pit on the top of its head:
 
 
At first we thought this fish had an injury
perhaps a wound that was healing?  But later after doing some research into what type of fish this is, I discovered that the dramatic "cranial pit" is a normal feature of this species!
 
This is a Rockhead (Bothragonus swanii), sometimes called a Deep-pitted Poacher. 
 
An older paper hypothesized that the pit might serve as camouflage, mimicking the openings of sponges or sea squirts.  However, more recently researchers have uncovered hints that the pit might have an auditory function.  Research is underway to study how sound sources might be received in this "orchestra pit", so perhaps we'll learn more in the years ahead!
 
P.S.  Many thanks to Peter Wainwright, Adam Summers, and Daniel Geldof for sharing information with us about this intriguing fish!

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Blue highlights

  

How lucky!  Eric found an octopus for my birthday!

Here's the entire animal from the other side.  Always amazing to see how well they blend in with the surrounding rocks and algae:

 

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Cinnamon belly

 
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) and lichens, 21 December 2022

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Silver seas

  

Ocean reflections at sunset on 20 December 2022.

Happy Winter Solstice!

Monday, December 12, 2022

Blending in

 
During an afternoon walk in Humarock, MA, we came across a large flock (>100) of Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis).  We saw them in different settings resting among cobbles, feeding in the wrack line, flying over the salt marsh.  I'm still sorting through photos, but here are some my favorites so far:
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, December 11, 2022

On and around the rocks

 
Purple Sandpipers (Calidris maritima) hunkered down in Scituate, Massachusetts, on 11 December 2022.
 
While trying to photograph the sandpipers, a duck appeared in a pool below them:
 
 
Fun to watch this Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) diving and spilling over the edge of the pool.  

Although these birds were a bit distant, here's a closer view of her:
 
 

Friday, December 9, 2022

California classic

  

California Quail (Callipepla californica) photographed back in November.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Magician in the rain

 
Merlin (Falco columbarius) in the rain at Doran Beach, 8 December 2022

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

M & M

  

Looking up at the full moon tonight at ~ 6 p.m., it was easy to see Mars very close by.  Although much smaller and not as bright, can you see Mars in the lower left corner?

As we drove home, Mars moved closer and closer to the Moon (visually), and eventually disappeared behind it.  (I've since learned this is called a lunar occultation the Moon eclipses Mars.)

I wondered how long it would take for Mars to reappear on the other side of the Moon.  Here it is, now in the upper right corner, at a little after 8 p.m.:

 
So how big is Mars relative to the Moon and to the Earth?  And how much farther away is Mars?

Diameters:
Mars = ~4,212 miles
Moon = ~2,159 miles
Earth = ~7,918 miles

Distances:
Earth to the Moon = ~238,855 miles (on average)
Earth to Mars = ~38 million miles tonight (the distance varies, but Mars is very close to Earth at this time)
 
With many thanks to the Cold Moon for an astronomy lesson tonight!
 

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Harbor light

 
End of the day in Bodega Harbor, 6 December 2022

Sunday, December 4, 2022

At the horizon

  

  Light at the horizon near sunset, 3 December 2022

Saturday, December 3, 2022

Holiday lights?

  

Cockerell's Dorid (Limacia cockerelli), a beautiful nudibranch photographed by Eric on 25 November 2022.  I've shown this species on the blog before, but this is a much better photo!  Thanks, Eric!

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Variation

 
Last week Eric had good luck finding Ten-tentacled Anemones (Halcampa decemtentaculata) with interesting color patterns.  [You can click on the image for a sharper version.]

Some of the patterns and the amazing variation between individuals reminds us of snowflakes.  And speaking of snow...it's in the forecast for Cotati on Saturday morning! 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Front and back

  

Two Bald Eagles perched in a cypress tree near the Bodega Bay post office today (29 November 2022).

The eagle on the left was often looking out at the harbor, and in this position its white head feathers were splayed out in the back:

 

Monday, November 28, 2022

When you least expect it

  

Okay, so this is a story about some photos that didn't quite work out.  And a follow-up when I was surprised when the same species showed up in a couple of other photos and I hadn't even realized they were there!

I was trying to photograph this small amphipod (Thorlaksonius sp., formerly Pleustes sp.) resting on algae.  They have an unusual shape rounded at one and and pointed at the other which makes them look like snails.  (Indeed, it's thought that this amphipod has evolved to mimic snails to avoid attention from visual predators like fish.)

I wasn't having much luck with the first one (above), but then I found another so tried again.  Still not a great photo as I was only able to photograph it from above:

 
I was frustrated and gave up, and didn't notice any other amphipods like this that night.  But later when I was reviewing my other photos, I noticed two more amphipods that I hadn't seen in the field.  I had been so focused on the other animals I was trying to photograph that I completely missed the amphipods.

Here's one while I was trying to photograph a Ten-tentacled Sea Anemone (Halcampa decemtentaculata):

 
Yes, that's an amphipod near the bottom of the photo in the center this one was pink with white stripes.

Later I was trying to photograph a sculpin.  Can you find the amphipod in the photo below?

Yes, that's it, sitting on the back of the fish.  It's small, with red, white, and pink stripes, and it's resting on the wide pale stripe in the middle of the fish.

Hmmpph!  I'll have to keep my eye out for them the next time we're at this site.  And I learned a lot about the variable color patterns of this amphipod species, even if I missed them in the field.