Help With Creature ID

[azisme]

Finally sorted through my pictures from San Carlos last weekend. But before I show those off, I have a couple of creatures I need help identifying. the first picture shows some starlike crawly things on a coral. The secon is a Sea Cucumber sort of thing, I think it was about 4 or 5 inches long.. Perhaps a baby Sea Cucumber?

Steve

 

[Wolverine]

Finally sorted through my pictures from San Carlos last weekend. But before I show those off, I have a couple of creatures I need help identifying. the first picture shows some starlike crawly things on a coral. The secon is a Sea Cucumber sort of thing, I think it was about 4 or 5 inches long.. Perhaps a baby Sea Cucumber?

Steve

The first is probably a brittle star. I can't identify the second until u attach a thumbnail...

 

[Dee]

Yep...pics would help!

 

[Scuba_John]

I would tend to agree that it may be a brittle star or feather star, the second may be a worm of some type but I would be of great assistance if a picture was posted

 

[azisme]

Oops. I didn't realize I got an error uploading. My file size was too large. Here they are the pix.

 

[Dee]

The first is definately Brittle Stars. The second looks like some sort of segmented worm but I didn't find it in my ID books and have never seen one exactly like that.

 

[azisme]

Thanks. I have heard of brittle stars, but I thought they were much larger. The picture does demonstrate the better closeup abilities of the 5050 versus the 4040. I had pictures of the same thing before, but I thought they were part of the coral. Can't wait to photograph a nudibranch now.

 

[Scuba_John]

I agree with DEE brittle star, and for the second while it may inn fact be a segmented worm it does not show the features of such (Bristles) it also does not show the features of a sea cucumber. Can you flip it over Another idea and question. Its movement? strech and contract or semi solid? If it was solid it could be a starfish arm in the stage of recreation. :06:

 

[azisme]

I think you've got it Scuba_John. Here is a picture of a starfish taken the day before. Looks pretty close. San Carlos is also known for having bunches of starfish. I never knew they regenerated that way.

Thanks,

-Steve

 

[azisme]

Oh, and it WAS stationary too.