bubblevision
Contributor
Often overlooked in the past, the near-white lacy bryozoan, Triphyllozoon inornatum, has become the subject of attention recently since divers at Ambon and Alor noticed various small critters living in them.
On a recent trip to the Lembeh Strait I was lucky enough to spot a bryozoan goby at the dive site Jahir. It shelters in the natural tunnels created by the bryozoan and blends in perfectly against the pale background. The goby is only about 1cm long. Ichthyologist Gerry Allen plans to study and describe this species shortly, and give it a scientific name. For the time being it has been placed in the Sueviota genus. Eye abnormalities are quite common amongst reef fishes. This particular fish had a defect to it's right eye, which was much smaller than the left one.
At Makawidey I spotted the small porcelain crab, Pachycheles garciaensis, sitting on top of a bryozoan. Again, it's mostly white colour helps it avoid detection.
Finally at Aer Bajo, we found a bryozoan hosting an undescribed species of snapping shrimp, Synalpheus sp.. Snapping shrimps, also known as pistol shrimps, have asymmetrical claws. The larger one can close with great speed, creating a small cavitation bubble. As the bubble collapses, a loud popping sound is emitted which stuns passing prey. Much of the crackling often heard on a reef is due to this family of shrimps.
Colonies of bryozoans are rooted to the substrate and vary greatly in form. They filter plankton with their tentacles and many, such as this one, secrete a calcerous skeleton. Because of these similarities, they are often mistaken for corals, but they actually belong to a completely different phylum. Each individual animal in a colony is rarely larger than a millimeter in size.
On a recent trip to the Lembeh Strait I was lucky enough to spot a bryozoan goby at the dive site Jahir. It shelters in the natural tunnels created by the bryozoan and blends in perfectly against the pale background. The goby is only about 1cm long. Ichthyologist Gerry Allen plans to study and describe this species shortly, and give it a scientific name. For the time being it has been placed in the Sueviota genus. Eye abnormalities are quite common amongst reef fishes. This particular fish had a defect to it's right eye, which was much smaller than the left one.
At Makawidey I spotted the small porcelain crab, Pachycheles garciaensis, sitting on top of a bryozoan. Again, it's mostly white colour helps it avoid detection.
Finally at Aer Bajo, we found a bryozoan hosting an undescribed species of snapping shrimp, Synalpheus sp.. Snapping shrimps, also known as pistol shrimps, have asymmetrical claws. The larger one can close with great speed, creating a small cavitation bubble. As the bubble collapses, a loud popping sound is emitted which stuns passing prey. Much of the crackling often heard on a reef is due to this family of shrimps.
Colonies of bryozoans are rooted to the substrate and vary greatly in form. They filter plankton with their tentacles and many, such as this one, secrete a calcerous skeleton. Because of these similarities, they are often mistaken for corals, but they actually belong to a completely different phylum. Each individual animal in a colony is rarely larger than a millimeter in size.
