Ocean Critters !

[itmaiden]

Fox News had an interesting slide show on unusual Ocean Critters. What unusual critters do you run across when you dive for shipwrecks ? Do any of the critters seem to have an affinity for treasure ? Or maybe, for pestering divers ?

http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2009/11/23/deep-sea-oddiites-census-marine-life

itmaiden

 

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[Goldminer]

I think I saw this on the Flying Dutchman, er, ah maybe it was after that last Tequila Sunrise.

 

[Peerless67]

Fox News had an interesting slide show on unusual Ocean Critters. What unusual critters do you run across when you dive for shipwrecks ? Do any of the critters seem to have an affinity for treasure ? Or maybe, for pestering divers ?

http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2009/11/23/deep-sea-oddiites-census-marine-life

itmaiden

Never been diving, but I keep marine fish "coral/reef fish" I have kept nudibranches but they have a taste for some corals and each other.
I would imagine the divers get bothered by the clown fish family and the cleaner wrasses and shrimps as they bother anyone who puts their hand in the tanks!! the clowns are territorial and the wrasses and shrimps just like to clean you !!
I dont know about them having an affinity for treasure but I once bought a decorator crab that had a pearl attached to its body, along with coral fragments and muck from the bottom of the tanks.
I also once hatched a banded shark egg in my reef tank, amazing how such a long creature fitted in that little case.
The colours and variety of fish and creatures availiable is simply stuning, amazing. Many of the corals and anenomes carry algae inside their bodies which is why they live mostly in shallow well lit water, they use the algae to feed themselves, it is the algae that makes them glow under actinic lights.
If you keep a reef aquarium just the live rock alone will keep you watching for hours. It is usually full of fan worms and pistol shrimp and all kinds of tiny creatures.
sheesh I could write an essay.


Gary

 

[wrecker]

The more often you dive and the more you learn about the aquatic life in your region the more interesting things you're going to encounter. It's imagine it's the same when you have a fishtank and watch and study the critters you keep. It's amazing.

 

[wwwtimmcp]

up here in lake erie I have a bluegill that loves me, he darts in and gets all the zebra mussels that get crushed while I am moving rocks around. in salt water I love the damsel fish they are very pretty and ferocious while protecting their mates. thankfully they are only a few inches long or I would not be here.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

If you included rivers, I could tell you about the 80 ft. aquatic serpent that I found myself swimming with. Hmm, on second thought, perhaps he came from the ocean ?

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Peerless67]

RDT, it may well have come from the ocean, some species spawn in the oceans and return to rivers. The salmon being the most obvious, but since you mention serpent then maybe the eel is a better example.
In the Amazon many new species are discovered each year alone.
They have discovered a fish that lives in water not much below boiling point, who knows what still is to be discovered.


Gary

 

[gemee]

If you included rivers, I could tell you about the 80 ft. aquatic serpent that I found myself swimming with. Hmm, on second thought, perhaps he came from the ocean ?

Don Jose de La Mancha

Real de Tayopa, it is dangerous to mix tequila and diving!!!

 

[ivan salis]

remember folks surface wize the planet is 3 times as much water as land ---so to start with think of the oddest thing you ever saw on land x 3 --then understand that water has "depth" as wellso there are many levels of "surface " so that 3 times thing is just from scratching the surface layer only --so really it is many many times as much area as land is ---- as a now retired merchant seaman that travelled the "deep blue sea" for 27 years there is stuff out there , I know you simply have to see first hand to believe.

 

[S.S.Tupperware]

Don't really dive but I did catch a mantis shrimp around 8 in long, had me wondering what I got til someone IDed it...

 

[chipveres]

You know you have been working too long when you have your own remora (pilotfish)

Chip V.

 

[FISHEYE]

I saw a mermaid once,she kept calling to me to come near this reef.She was fugly as hell and had sharp teeth so i passed.

 

[aquanut]

Hey Dell,
Been there!
Aquanut

 

[itmaiden]

Hey, how do you "unstick" one of those things anyway ?

itmaiden

You know you have been working too long when you have your own remora (pilotfish)

Chip V.

 

[FISHEYE]

You can remove a remora with salt and meat tenderizer,then use a filet knife,but they are best cooked over a open flame.

 

[White Feather]

I think I saw some of these in my coffee this morning.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Good morning Peerless: I seem to be missing my answer post to you ??

That critter looked like an enormous, greenish coastal Eel. Since they have closed off the rivers with Dams, they haven't reappeared ? Obvious conclusions ??

They CLAIM that they only eat fish, not silly explorers, never-the-less, I used skivvy drawers while swimming after that brief encounter.

In the same spot they warned me to be careful of the Metate, blanket fish. It seems that they enjoy coming up under you, wrapping their fins? around you, than dragging you underwater to eat.

Upon investigating stories of supposed witnesses, they were mutually describing a member of the Ray family. They also seemed to have disappeared with closing of the river.

Formerly the river was saturated with Crocodiles and alligators, now very scarce.

Can I troll with Gemee as bait to see if we can capture one?


As for the land thingies, well that is for another site and time.

Don Jose de La Mancha (who is still intact).

 

[Peerless67]

Hi RDT, I did not see a reply, maybe to many tequilas before posting
There are certainly some strange creatures in the world.
Have you ever heard of the candirú fish ?
It follows the scent of urine in water and swims into the penis and locks its fins into the urethra.
There it feeds on the soft tissue, ooowww Painful


Gary

 

[itmaiden]

Ouch ! If that ain't about weird. Guess swimming and peeing in the Amazon is not a good idea.
Here is a wikipedia article on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru

itmaiden

Hi RDT, I did not see a reply, maybe to many tequilas before posting
There are certainly some strange creatures in the world.
Have you ever heard of the candirú fish ?
It follows the scent of urine in water and swims into the --deleted-- and locks its fins into the urethra.
There it feeds on the soft tissue, ooowww Painful


Gary

 

[SamTHorn]

Wow those are very odd. Do you know where they were found?

Thanks for sharing.

~ Sam

I think I saw this on the Flying Dutchman, er, ah maybe it was after that last Tequila Sunrise.
Everyone deserves a fixed annuity rate.