6-9-08 Breakwater Pictures and Dive Report

[Coll]

Did a nice leisurely dive at the breakwater wall, this is my first attempt at a dive report so bare with me. Visibility opened up to 15-20 ft underneath 20 feet. Max depth was 44ft, water was 52 degrees. Stumbled upon a group of about 7 opalescent nudis and I've never seen so many rainbow nudibranchs on one dive in my life! Probably saw at least 10 or so. Lots of eggs around also. Must have ended up underneath a sea lion raft because all of a sudden there we were in the eye of a sea lion tornado! Very pleasant relaxing dives. I stuck some pictures on, any thoughts on what kind of shrimp that is?

 

[dannobee]

I stuck some pictures on, any thoughts on what kind of shrimp that is?

Coonstripe Shrimp Pandalus gurneyi

 

[sarita75]

Nice photos -- very good quality.

 

[blewgrass]

Nice pictures! I did my check out dive on Sunday and the vis was deteriorating rapidly at about 2 PM. I was hoping for another dive to deeper water, but all but a few divers were heading in. I can't wait to go back and dive the "pipe" It was a blast!

Steve

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Coonstripe Shrimp Pandalus gurneyi

If it's a Coonstripe, it's one hell of a range extension. Jensen says south to Puget Sound.
And no bright white spots on the side of the carapace. I'd say Dock Shrimp Pandalus danae
is a lot closer, but stiill not a REALLY good match. The shrimp in the picture
is very typical for around here, and there's probably a paper in addressing the differences.

BTW, one of the things I do in my ID books is to put a diagonal pencil line through the pictures of all
the critters that aren't supposed to occur hereabouts. It helps prevent misidentification and, if
I ever find a range extension, I'll know (I do have pix of one that Jensen says is probably an undescribed
member of Lebbeus)

There are several local divers (most notably Clinton Bauder (Opistobranch on ScubaBoard, IIRC))
that have provided the biologists with range extensions. And Clinton has made me get my eraser
out a couple of times.

 

[dannobee]

If it's a Coonstripe, it's one hell of a range extension. Jensen says south to Puget Sound.
And no bright white spots on the side of the carapace. I'd say Dock Shrimp Pandalus danae
is a lot closer, but stiill not a REALLY good match. The shrimp in the picture
is very typical for around here, and there's probably a paper in addressing the differences.

Still the same Pandalus hypsinotus group. Both are indigenous to this area, with P. danae the more northern specie with a range from Alaska to Point Loma, Ca. P. gurneyi having a range from California to Baja California.

If you really want to know the difference, obtain a specimen and see if the Rostrum is 1.6 times longer than the carapace and if the ventral margin has more than six teeth.

http://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/25974/25974.pdf

Page 1274.

Also, Gotshall lists P. gurneyi's range from Central California to southern California.

Guide to Marine Invertebrates, Daniel W. Gotshall, pg. 59