Identification?

[sarita75]

I thought some of the local whizzes might be able to help me figure out what these things are:

Number 1: Found at Breakwater Cove, south side of the beach at about 15-20 feet, floating in the water column.

Number 2: These "stringy" things were all over by the Metridium Fields and in some of the sandy bits. Seemed to be coming out of the holes in the sand.

Thanks all!

 

[AirInHere]

nudibranch? (swimming) and spaghetti worms

 

[sarita75]

Spaghetti worms? Spaghetti and Hair Worms… What’s in a Name? by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com uh, not sure I'll look at spaghetti the same ever again!

Any idea what kind of nudi that would be?

 

[rainman_02]

That looks like an olive snail without its shell.

 

[sarita75]

It was actually quite big. The olive snails that I know are pretty small. This 'mass' was about 2.5" (in the ball), so perhaps 4" if stretched out in a more normal position. I didnt see any gills or nudi characteristics....

 

[opisthobranch]

The swimming animal is the nudibranch Melibe leonina.

Clinton

 

[sarita75]

That's really awesome. I was wondering if it was swimming because it was "writhing" in the water column. That is a definite first for me!

The Sea Slug Forum - Melibe leonina

 

[sarita75]

Shall we continue with more "brain teasers" (yeah, I know, probably a cake walk for most of you .....) because I have a few more ......

Number 3: .... Of the vegetation variety - affixed to the reef by a "stem" and almost like a spikey berry on top.

Number 4: ... of the fish variety. Quite long (10-12" in length) and simply "chillaxin'" under the tube anemone until I took the 2nd photo (shown here) and I suppose I was just too close for comfort @ that point. Small lingcod?

Here's another shot:

 

[opisthobranch]

The first one is a tunicate: Boltenia villosa I think.

The fish is indeed a small lingcod.

Clinton

 

[sarita75]

Thanks Clinton! Quick question - what precisely is a tunicate? Perhaps I need to do a google search. Tunicate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Is it animal? Plant?