Sand shrimp caught in a rock pool. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2022). Transparent, with vertical bars across the body. Opaque when preserved. Front legs with slender nippers and yellow spots at the joints. Rostrum well developed, toothed and almost saw-like. Between 25 mm. Lives in intertidal pools and shallow areas with a sandy bottom. Scavenges… Continue reading Sand shrimp (Palaemon pacificus)
Tag: rocky shore
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)
Variable burnupena (Burnupena lagenaria)
Variable burnupena outgrown by a slipper limpet. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2022). Shell is shorter (spire less than half the aperture length) and often has wavy dark flames.The commonest species on the South-East coast, where it has obvious coarse spiral ridges and its aperture is violet-brown, or yellow. On the West coast, it has an… Continue reading Variable burnupena (Burnupena lagenaria)
Blue-eyed hermit crab (Calcinus laevimanus)
Both hermit crabs live in the shells of Lunella coronata (formerly Turbo coronatus). Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Also called left-handed hermit crab. Nippers dark brown with white fingers, that of the left side greatly enlarged to block the shell opening when the crab withdraws. Eyes blue, eyestalks and first… Continue reading Blue-eyed hermit crab (Calcinus laevimanus)
Banded brittlestar (Ophiarachnella capensis)
Banded brittlestar under a boulder. Fishhoek, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Disc granular, arms strikingly patterned with alternating dark grey and pink (or red) bands. Very short spines flank the arms. The lower surface of the disc has a single long genital slit on either side of each arm. About 45 mm. Lives under boulders… Continue reading Banded brittlestar (Ophiarachnella capensis)
Green rock crab (Grapsus fourmanoiri)
Green rock crab cruising in a rock pool. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Very similar to the Natal rock crab in structure, but dull khaki-green tinged with yellow and with pale nippers. The sides of its carapace are almost straight, not obviously convex as in the Natal rock crab. About… Continue reading Green rock crab (Grapsus fourmanoiri)
Alikreukel (Turbo sarmaticus)
Large alikreukel covered in spiral fanworms (Spirorbis spp.) and pinkish barnacles. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Also called the giant periwinkle, or the South African turban shell. Large and round, height less than width. About three rows of low nodules spiral around each whorl - though they may erode and disappear in… Continue reading Alikreukel (Turbo sarmaticus)
Ridged burnupena (Burnupena cincta)
Ridged burnupena cruising at the bottom of a rock pool and covered with patches of encrusting coralline algae. Fishhoek, Western Cape (2020). Shell robust. Outer surface with coarse spiral ridges, although West Coast specimens may lack these. Aperture about 1.5 times longer than the spire. Posterior end of outer lip strongly kinked inwards. Dull brown,… Continue reading Ridged burnupena (Burnupena cincta)
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)
Natal rock crab (Grapsus tenuicrustatus)
Natal rock crab waiting for the waves on rock boulders. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Carapace black, usually speckled with green. Sides obviously convex. The posterior part of the carapace has about eight fine grooves that run outwards to the edge. Legs red-brown and yellow. Nippers dark red. 'Hand' weakly… Continue reading Natal rock crab (Grapsus tenuicrustatus)
F*CK FISH 