Here's what I've managed to process so far, and there's still a lot more to add to the fact sheets!Before I even launched the fact sheets, Robin had already kindly shared these invaluable photos of the ossicles the Remarkable sea cucumber (Holothuria notabilis). Sea cucumbers are identified by studying these tiny bits inside a sea cucumber.
And shortly after sharing the updates on worms, thanks to Leslie Harris' comments, Michell Ng shared these wonderful photos of the Solitary tubeworm (Diopatra sp.) which has feathery appendages.
Meanwhile, Kok Sheng has kindly agreed to let me go through his wonderful creations blog to include his many marvellous sightings on various shores. Here's the animals, descriptions left to right.
The scary but pretty Blue-spotted fantail ray (Taeniura lymma), the Brown sweetlips (Plectorinchus gibbosus), and the Carpet eel-blenny (Congrogadus subducens).
The pretty Tomato anemonefish (Amphiprion frenatus), a White-spotted rabbitfish (Siganus canaliculatus), a Spotted seahorse (Hippocampus kuda), possibly the Streaked rabbitfish (Siganus javus), a beautiful batfish (Platax sp.) and a Peacock sole (Pardachirus pavoninus).Lots of interesting crabs such as the Sally-lightfoot crab (Grapsus albolineatus), the Velcro crab (Camposcia retusa), the Pebble crab (Family Leucosiidae).
Not a true crab is this yet to be identified very hairy hermit crab, while the Mud crab (Scylla sp.) is well known, and the Sponge crab (Family Dromiidae) is hard to spot.Kok Sheng really loves echinoderms so there's lots of photos of them on his blog. Here's a whole bunch of feather stars including those that are red, brown, and the 10-armed Purple feather star (Comatula purpurea).
And the pale feather star, another brown one and the blue feather star. Most of our feather stars have yet to be identified.And also the special Remarkable sea cucumber (Holothuria notabilis), the Purple sea cucumber (awaiting identification), and the odd Cushion star (Culcita noveaguineae).
A Spiny sea star (Gymnanthea laevis) on Cyrene, a green baby Knobbly sea star (Protoreaster nodosus) on Changi and a Biscuit sea star (Goniodiscaster scaber) on Cyrene. The short-spined black sea urchin (Temnopleurus sp.), the Long-spined black sea urchin (Diadema sp.) and the Keyhole sand dollar (Echinodiscus truncatus).Special anemone sightings include Haddon's sea anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni) at the East Coast, the Pizza anemone (Cryptodendrum adhaesivum). And a special boulder-shaped Horn coral (Hydnophora sp.) at Sentosa.
A pair of small sea anemones on a snail, the odd Transparent spoke sea anemone and the Black-mouth peacock anemone, all awaiting identification.Worms are fascinating too! Like the Beige flatworm that looks like mobile phlegm, the tiny Blue-lined flatworm (Pseudoceros sp.) and the pretty Persian carpet flatworm (Pseudobiceros bedfordi).
The ferocious Giant reef worm is always exciting to encounter, and the lovely Neptune's cup sponge (Xestospongia sp.) is seldom seen, while the Thumbs up sea squirt (Polycarpa sp.) is amusing to find.And a bobtail squid (Suborder Sepiolida) and some special clams. The heart cockle (Corculum cardissa) and the amazing scallop (Family Pectinidae).
A beautiful Lined moon snail (Natica lineata), an Olive snail (Family Olividae) and an octopus.Slugs are molluscs too! Without shells. Those shared by Kok Sheng include Melibe viridis (or maybe something else because it does look different), a pair of Phyllidiella nigra and Elysia ornata.
The fancy pajama clad Armina semperi, the spotted Chromodoris tumulifera, and a pair of Dendrodoris denisoni with one laying eggs! Chay Hoon is the undisputed mistress of nudibranchs and slugs so there were lots of entries of these on her Colourful Clouds blog and on her flickr where she has arranged the photos in nudibranch families.
First, a whole series of really tiny Gymnodoris nudibranchs from Pulau Jong.
Also tiny Wooly leaf slugs (Elysia sp., which are sap-sucking slugs and not nudibranchs), and a tiny Polka-dot nudibranch (Jorunna funebris).And a tiny Cerberilla nudibranch, a frilly Glossodoris atromarginata, and dotty Chromodoris tumulifera.
A hard to spot Ategema intecta, the pretty Dendrodoris denisoni and the strange Hoplodoris nodulosa.Chay Hoon also shared some amazing flatworms including the Blue-lined flatworm (Pseudoceros sp.), the Fine-lined flatwom (still awaiting identification). As well as small molluscs such as a baby Noble volute (Cymbiola nobilis).
And a Tiger moon snail (Natica tigrina) eating a razor clam, as well as a squid (Family Loliginidae) and the Pygmy squid (Idiosepius sp.) that doesn't get any bigger than a seagrass leaf!Among the fishes were the Spotted seahorse (Hippocampus kuda), a Spotted-tail frogfish (Lophiocharon trisignatus), a Three-spined toadfish (Batrachomoeus trispinosus).
A Diamond wrasse (Halichoerus dussumeiri) that got chomped on, a tiny baby Knobbly sea star (Protoreaster nodosus) on Chek Jawa, and the special small-mouthed peacock anemone.Her other finds were a Hairy crab (Family Pilumnidae) eating a colourful bristleworm, a weak Mudlobster (Thalassina anomala) out of its burrow, and an odd lumpy crab (possibly Leptodius sp.).
And video clips too!
Andy has been filming lots of stuff and uploading wonderful clips of our marine life on his sgbeachbum blog. These are uploaded on a special page of videos for the various animals, such as the Blue-spotted fantail ray (Taeniura lymma); the synpatid sea cucumber (Family Synaptidae); the Discodoris boholiensis nudibranch; and the Tailed slug (Philinopsis sp.).
While Chay Hoon had shared video clips of the marvellous Melibe nudibranch expanding its hood and swimming! And Kok Sheng has a clip of a Gong-gong (Strombus canarium) using its pointed operculum to flip itself upright.
There's lots more photos and video clips that have been offered for sharing and I'm doing them as fast as I can!
If you have photos or video clips to share, please do email me (hello@wildsingapore.com) with this information
(a) Your name
(b) URL of the location of your photo on your blog or flickr (please don't send me your photos)
(c) Location of your sighting
(d) Month and year of sighting
(e) Any observations of behaviour, etc.
Looking forward to having more of everyone's encounters on the wild fact sheets!
