Science Communication · YouTube video

South African Missing Sharks 🦈 🇿🇦 [5 min]

Let's Start A Conversation ! 💬 #1 - Biological & Ecological News Video published on my YouTube channel as part of the 'Let's Start A Conversation' playlist, that shares biological and ecological news in a fun and concise manner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t20rTgSW1-k They are big ! They have teeth ! They eat everything ! And people think… Continue reading South African Missing Sharks 🦈 🇿🇦 [5 min]

Science Communication · YouTube video

Green Sahara 🐪 🇩🇿 [6 min]

Let's Start A Conversation ! 💬 #2 - Biological & Ecological News Video published on my YouTube channel as part of the 'Let's Start A Conversation' playlist, that shares biological and ecological news in a fun and concise manner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-J5pz3cX44 Picture this. You are standing on a tall sand dune, gazing into the horizon ...… Continue reading Green Sahara 🐪 🇩🇿 [6 min]

Science Communication · YouTube video

A Wanted Mole 🦛 🇿🇦 [7 min]

Let's Start A Conversation ! 💬 #3 - Biological & Ecological News Video published on my YouTube channel as part of the 'Let's Start A Conversation' playlist, that shares biological and ecological news in a fun and concise manner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5WglSCZlfg&list=PLlENqY-l8yQlMnPyzwgym79Ww09FvwW0b&index=3 Last seen: 1937. Where? Port Nolloth, on the north-western coast of South Africa. De Winton’s… Continue reading A Wanted Mole 🦛 🇿🇦 [7 min]

Limpets · Marine Life

Kelp limpet (Cymbula compressa)

Kelp limpet on a drifting kelp stem. Mouille Point, Cape Town, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Shell elongated, the sides compressed so that the opening is concave, designed to fit a cylindrical kelp stem. Shell 'rocks' on a flat surface. Outer surface brown, finely ribbed. Interior blue-white to brown. About 90 mm. Found almost exclusively… Continue reading Kelp limpet (Cymbula compressa)

Marine Birds · Oystercatchers · South Africa

African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini)

A couple of African black oystercatcher on mussel beds and worm reefs. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2018) - iNaturalist A large dumpy, unmistakable wader with its jet-black body, short pink legs and bright orange-red bill and eyes.Birds occasionally have white patches on the belly or entire plumage dove-grey. Male's bill averages shorter and less… Continue reading African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini)

Marine Life · Winkles & Periwinkles

Pink-lipped topshell (Oxystele sinensis)

Large pink-lipped topshell on a bed of coralline algae. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Larger than the other Oxystele species. Round, blunt-spired shell with fine spiral sculpturing. Dark purple-black above. Aperture with a distinctive pink inner lip. About 45 mm. Lives moderately low on the shore, extending down to about 5 meters. Grazes… Continue reading Pink-lipped topshell (Oxystele sinensis)

Limpets · Marine Life

Rayed limpet (Helcion pruinosus)

Rayed limpet with iridescent green spots and rays in a shallow rock pool. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Shell low, fragile and oval. Apex about one-third from the front margin. Surface smooth, pale brown, shot with beautiful iridescent green spots and rays. About 25 mm. Hides beneath low-shore boulders during the day, and… Continue reading Rayed limpet (Helcion pruinosus)

Bivalves · Marine Life

Sun oyster (Saccostrea cuccullata)

Sun oyster bed on a Natal rocky shore. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Previously known as Crassostrea cuccullata. Also referred to as the Natal rock oyster. Lower valve deeply hollowed below the hinge and cemented to the rock. Upper valve relatively flat. Margins of both valves form a series of neatly… Continue reading Sun oyster (Saccostrea cuccullata)

Algae · Brown algae · Marine Life

Starred cushion (Iyengaria stellata)

Star cushion alga in a rock pool. Cape Agulhas, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Plants yellow-brown, forming thin, globose cushions of compacted branching tubes, irregularly furrowed and convoluted. Surface covered with knobbly protuberances. Thalli at first solid but older plants becoming hollow in the center. Up to 10 cm in diameter and 3 to 4… Continue reading Starred cushion (Iyengaria stellata)

Cnidarians · Marine Life · South Africa · Zoanthids

Green button polyp (Palythoa mutuki)

A colony of green button polyps covering the bottom of a rock pool. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021). Polyps are tall and only thinly connected at their bases by underground stems - called stolons. Column brown, embedded with fine sand grains, giving a sandpapery texture. Column trumpet-shaped when expanded. The wide oral… Continue reading Green button polyp (Palythoa mutuki)