ID help needed for three creatures

[Reeveseye]

My wife and I ran across all three of these critters while diving Casino Point, Catalina yesterday, and I'd appreciate some help identifying them. The white spongelike mass on the leaf of kelp is about an inch across. It was found at about 80' deep, at the wreck of the Sue-Jac. These things are everywhere in that area, and are all over the leaves of the large, wide-bladed kelp (bull kelp?) that grows along the bottom.

The fish was found next to the descent buoys, at about 19' deep. It's about 3" - 4" long, and blended into the plants so well that my wife wasn't even sure it was a fish when she first saw it. Dr. Bill thought it might be a spotted kelpfish, but wanted a picture to be sure. My Pacific coast fish guide by G. Goodson made me think it might be a crevice kelpfish. Any ideas?

The nudibranch pictured below was very small, about the size of my thumbnail. It was crawling through the algae on a wall at about 40' deep. It might not be fully grown, and my nudibranch ID book shows only adult specimens. There are two or three in the book that might match him, but I was hoping for a more positive ID.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help ID these creatures.

 

[drbill]

Well, John... I do have my glasses on now.

The first is a bryozoan colony, probably of the genus Membranipora. They establish on mature kelp blades after the growth spurt is over (while the blade is growing, it offers an unstable base to attach to and grow on). They filter feed with structures known as lophophores and are fun to watch under a dissecting scope (depending on what your definition of fun is!).

The second is a spotted kelpfish. They are actually fairly common in the park, but also fairly well camouflaged in the algae. They may be green, brown or red in color depending on the surrounding algae.

The third is a critter that is related to nudibranchs, but note the external shell. It is a tectibranch and its scientific name (Tylodina fungina) is one of my favorites. For some reason the name reminds me of W. C. Fields, but I really don't know why. They feed on the sulfur sponge which gives them their yellow color. They are small and I rarely see them in the Park (or elsewhere).

Good to see you yesterday.

Bill

 

[Mishelle]

<bats her eyelashes at DrBill>

You are soooo awesome

 

[drbill]

Hubba, hubba Mishelle! You're pretty awesome yourself. It must be mating season. Are you stalking me?

 

[Reeveseye]

Thanks, Doc! Obliged as always.