Nudibranch Lovers

[Luko]

Ok back from Tawali, Millne Bay in Papua New Guinea, lots of nudis on the black sand bottom, a special tribute to the one nudibranch that was probably the highest on my bucketlist, the exquisite Cyerce Nigra.

Also some photos of the very colorful Miamira Sinuata

 

[chris_the_brit]

I found several Aegires albopunctatus (salt and pepper nudibranch) on the pipe leading to the metridium fields in Monterey. I've not seen them in Monterey before - don't know if I wasn't looking hard enough (although they stood out quite clearly), or if they are seasonal, or shy, or something else. They were very small - less than 1 cm long - and seemed to want to burrow into the algae/debris as soon as I started taking pics.
I'm also trying (and failing) to ID that juvenile sea star - there's quite a lot of them about now, which is a very good sign.

 

[Searcaigh]

Not been posting much on this part of the forum for a few months.

Since I returned from my tech trip in Sri Lanka at the beginning of May the water has warmed up here in UAE and we have found a new nudi site that is being very productive with lots of species in a very small area.

This one I found waiting in minutes on my second dive yesterday, I think it's a Favorinus sp.

Small Gymnodoris also crawling around

As well as larger ones

There are also the usual Hypselodoris subjects common to UAE east coast (kanga mating carnae observing lol).

Large 10cm Dendrodoris denisoni gorging on hydroids

Lots of Caloria indica

and surprisingly Thecacera pacifica

Careful searching produced many Kabeiro rubroreticulata

As well as other small stuff

I think we have something comparable to Anilao on our doorstep

 

[MaxBottomtime]

View attachment 407692 View attachment 407693
I'm also trying (and failing) to ID that juvenile sea star - there's quite a lot of them about now, which is a very good sign.

It looks like a Giant spined star, Pisaster giganteus.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

We've had a pretty bad year conditions wise in Southern California. I did manage to get some good shots of our regulars.

Cuthona nana, formerly Cuthona divae

Thordisa rubescens

Okenia rosacea

Flabellina trilineata laying eggs

Nearly microscopic Doto amyra

Polycera tricolor

 

[BenjaminF]

@MaxBottomtime, what setup are you using to get those stunning pictures??

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Nikon D3x, 105mm, 60mm with 1.4 teleconverter and Ikelike strobes.
I had a Nikon D700 until I saw Cathy Church selling her D3x camera, Subal housing, strobes and lots of ports and extensions on Ebay. The retail was around $13,000 for everything but she was asking $4400. I was amazed when the auction ended with no bids. She relisted it a month later and I couldn't resist.
I planned to sell my D700 setup to recoup the cost of Cathy's rig but Merry wanted to keep it as a backup to her D700. I eventually sold the strobes, ports, extensions and a few extras making the actual cost at $3,000. Not a bad deal.

 

[BenjaminF]

Not at all.
The sharpness and detail in your images is amazing.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I get a lot of bad ones as well.
Unfortunately I can no longer blame the camera for them.

 

[chris_the_brit]

Another fine day in Monterey: Hermissenda opalescens

I saw a few individuals climbing things like this, and there were egg masses on a few of those stony tubes (I can't remember what kind of worm-like critter lives in those). But I haven't found any reference to them laying eggs like this. Maybe it was eating something I couldn't see.

Acanthodoris brunnea. I've read that they feed on bryozoans, but I have only seen them on these moonsnail egg collars (although I've only seen this species twice)

And a Hermissenda meeting an Aeolidia loui (I think, but it looks a little different to the one I posted before). I was half-expecting to witness some nudi-on-nudi violence, but although the Hermissenda made tentacle contact, it just turned away.

Good times just floating and watching nudibranch behavior.