Spiral fanworms on coralline algal crust at the bottom of a rock pool. Mouille Point, Cape Town, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Minute coiled worms with spiral shells. Head with a small number of feathery filter-feeding branches and a stalked operculum that blocks the shell. About 2 mm. Abundant everywhere, dotting most rocks in the… Continue reading Spiral fanworms (Spirorbis sp.)
Tag: Old Woman’s River
Mauve sea cucumber (Pentacta doliolum)
Contracted mauve sea cucumber found under a boulder. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Body tough. Upper surface mauve-black, becoming pale grey on the flattened underside. Tubefeet strongly suctorial and restricted to five regular bands, each consisting of a double row. Ten irregularly-branched tentacles. A filter-feeder which forms dense beds on shallow reefs… Continue reading Mauve sea cucumber (Pentacta doliolum)
Pygmy seahare (Aplysia parvula)
Pygmy seahare cruising on an algal mat. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist A typical smooth-skinned sea hare with prominent tentacles and ear-like rhinophores. Plain brown or with tiny white dots. About 60 mm in length. Common in shallow bays and estuaries. Hides by day and emerges at night to graze on seaweeds.… Continue reading Pygmy seahare (Aplysia parvula)
Giant feather-duster worm (Pseudobranchiomma longa)
Details of the spiral whorls of feeding appendages of the tube worm. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Also known as the giant fan worm or by its former scientific name, Sabellastarte longa. Head crowned with two magnificent spiral whorls of feeding appendages. Commonly purple, white or orange. The absence of tiny external… Continue reading Giant feather-duster worm (Pseudobranchiomma longa)
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)
Brown mussel (Perna perna)
Eroded and less eroded brown mussels in a bed. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2018). Shell smooth and yellow-brown, sometimes tinged with green or with a chevron pattern. Specimens from crowded intertidal beds often very elongated and almost rectangular in cross-section. Submerged, fast-growing specimens are taller and narrower. Up to 125 mm. The dominant mussel… Continue reading Brown mussel (Perna perna)
F*CK FISH 