Small crab in a rock crevice. Jacobsbaai, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Carapace very smooth, except for a granular 'chest'. Sides of carapace convex, lacking marginal teeth, although a single low tooth lies just outside each eye. Nippers smooth. Body black or dark brown near the front, blending into a grey-green network towards the back.… Continue reading Shore crab (Cyclograpsus punctatus)
Tag: marine
Cape rock crab (Guinusia chabrus)
Crab hiding under a boulder. Hondeklipbaai, Northern Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Formerly known as Plagusia chabrus. Carapace smooth and velvety in texture, with two notches between the eyes that house the first antennae, and three marginal teeth. Colour red-brown, with orange-yellow ridges on the legs, and rows of yellow tubercles on the nippers. About 50… Continue reading Cape rock crab (Guinusia chabrus)
Variegated topshell (Oxystele antoni)
Two snails cruising on a rock surface in a shallow pool. Doringbaai, Northern Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Previously know as Oxystele variegata. Shell rounded, about as tall as wide, smooth or with very gentile spiral ridges. Colour extremely variable, but typically tabby-patterned with irregular dark bands that run obliquely across a pale-yellow or greenish background.… Continue reading Variegated topshell (Oxystele antoni)
Striped anemone (Anthothoe stimpsonii)
Two striped anemones partially open in the crack of a rock pool. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024) - iNaturalist Also called humbug anemone. Live anemones exist in many different colours, ranging from green to orange. Column light green, brown, orange, yellow, white, transparent, grey or flesh. Column and tentacles without bright spots. Column smooth, not… Continue reading Striped anemone (Anthothoe stimpsonii)
Common sand hermit crab (Diogenes brevirostris)
Adult hermit crab walking around. Cape Agulhas, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Body dirty-white with darker speckles and spines. Brown stripes on last segments of walking legs. Left nipper thorny and much larger than the right. About 30 mm. Endemic to South Africa. Extremely common on sheltered sandbanks and in sandy pools. Buries in sand… Continue reading Common sand hermit crab (Diogenes brevirostris)
Red-chested sea cucumber (Hemiocnus insolens)
Subtidal sea cucumber deploying its tentacles, with details of the tube feet. Fishhoek, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Previously known as Cucumaria insolens, Trachythyone insolens or Pseudocnella insolens. Colour diagnostic. Intertidal specimens may be dark above with a red 'chest', but subtidal ones are uniformly bright red. Tube feet scattered dorsally, but in three bands… Continue reading Red-chested sea cucumber (Hemiocnus insolens)
Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)
Two kelp gulls - only one visible - on a rock along the coast. Stormsrivier Mouth, Western Cape (2018) - iNaturalist The largest gull in the region, also called the Dominican gull. Heavily built, with relatively short wings (folded wings do not project well beyond the tail tip), a robust bill, a steep forehead, and… Continue reading Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)
Girdled dogwhelk (Trochia cingulata)
Whelk with spiral tube worms (Spirorbinae) and chiton on the shell. Jacobsbaai, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Previously know as Nucella cingulata. White or blue-grey, usually girdled with 1 to 4 strong spiral ridges. About 30 mm. Common among mussels, drilling neat cylindrical holes through their shells. The mussels can, however, retaliate by binding the… Continue reading Girdled dogwhelk (Trochia cingulata)
Sandy anemone (Bunodactis reynaudi)
Close-up of sandy anemones in a rock pool. Yzerfontein, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Column covered in flattened sticky knobs, to which sand and gravel particles adhere. Over 300 short tentacles, no spherules. Colours include brown, green, pink and blue. Up to 80 mm in diameter. Often crowded into sandy gullies, around the bases of… Continue reading Sandy anemone (Bunodactis reynaudi)
Tentacled flatworm (Planocera gilchristi)
Two tentacled flatworms on the underside of a rock. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Also referred to as Gilchrist's flatworm or the spotted flatworm. Body broadly oval, both ends being similarly rounded. Margin of the body 'frilly' (strongly folded) but dorsal surface smooth. Fairly firm consistency and very little transparent. Mottled brown… Continue reading Tentacled flatworm (Planocera gilchristi)
F*CK FISH 