Outdoor Life
Related: About this forumDo you live under a rock or something?
Actually, yes.
Just like terrestrial life, the critters of the intertidal zone live by the seasons. It's spring here in Oz and i'm seeing all sorts of sea creatures emerge, or lay eggs. I've found a spot that seems to be a breeding ground for sea stars. There are several interesting varieties under the rocks including the first three below. These are unusual for this area - they have the skin and texture of the eight-pointed carpet star (which also live here) but they have five distinct points.
All three are about the same size. The flesh coloured one is eerie. Despite searching, I cannot identify these stars and wonder if I've stumbled on hybrids. I found this article on Phys.Org. Scientists find evidence of sea star species hybridization
This is a tiny 'Splitting Star' (Coscinasterias muricata). Fully grown they can be around 15" across and have 10-15 arms. When it feels like reproducing it breaks off a bit of itself which grows into a new star. How cool!
This is a tiny ascidian - a sea squirt. It has two squirty holes - top right and lower down. They can go through life un-noticed; as they grow they collect a camouflage of weed and algae.
An egg case of some sort. I suspect some kind of shellfish but really don't know. Very small - the whole spiral is less than 1" across. It is like a tape, standing on edge.
I don't often see anemones of this size and colour. Pretty spectacular.
And finally - the guardian of the rocks, my intrepid assistant, Gibby.
TygrBright
(20,987 posts)canetoad
(18,079 posts)I forgot the pic of the egg case. It's there now.
2naSalit
(92,379 posts)And colorful.
Springtime is always full of wonders.
Thanks for the pictures.
canetoad
(18,079 posts)It's such a chore to spend a couple of hours at the beach with my dog and camera ....NOT.
DaBronx
(471 posts)What kind of dog do you have?
canetoad
(18,079 posts)She's a bit on the small side but makes up for it in personality!
Solly Mack
(92,481 posts)Kali
(55,706 posts)love the intertidal zone. I do love where I live but it is too dang far from the shore.
captain queeg
(11,780 posts)And Id read recently why a lot of the homes shown in Bikini Bottom look like they do; they are mufflers/exhausts from old cars which I guess is fairly common on the sea floor and become home to all kinds of sea critters.
canetoad
(18,079 posts)Until I started searching images for "smooth, orange, five point sea star". I found Patrick!
I've learned a technique for finding this stuff; if you can get your fingertips under a flat rock, it usually can be tilted up on one edge even if it's quite large. Then you need to look at both the space underneath but also at what's clinging to the bottom of the rock.
I've just watched a video about Osborne Reef of Fort Lauderdale. They might have had good intentions but what a disaster.
captain queeg
(11,780 posts)Id never heard of the Osborne reef. Sounds like something they theorized about and moved right into full scale operation without doing enough research. Seems like man does a lot of that kind of stuff. But it did make we think about the huge tire beach that used to be near Cleveland OH. It was a huge eyesore and they couldnt figure out how to get rid of all those tires. Its not there anymore and I never heard what they did with all those tires. Now I wonder if they were shipped off Fla for the Osborne reef.
canetoad
(18,079 posts)Just punching in a description of the stars I wanted to identify, hoping it would turn up an image. Patrick was a bonus!
jfz9580m
(15,345 posts)I like the sea squirt-unostentatious little feller..
canetoad
(18,079 posts)I haven't fully come to terms with the number and variety of sea squirts we have here. The most visible are the cunjevoy - hoary big things that need to be covered by water most of the time.
The llittle guys pictured below appeared, out of the blue, in a sheltered rockpool very close inshore. I watched and photographed them for about two years as they grew. One day, after a really wild and wicked round of weather they had vanished. Maybe they are not even ascidians. So much to learn.....
jfz9580m
(15,345 posts)Really cool pics..I know nothing of it, but it is interesting. I agree..so much to learn.
That is unfortunate that they got washed away after two years.
I use Birdnet for birds, Plantnet for plants and just lately have been trying Seek to identify other wildlife. So maybe there is a decent app out there you can use to find out what those are?
I like your handle. We have been having unseasonally heavy rains where I live and my garden has acquired a bullfrog as a result. I like to hear the little guy croak away on rainy nights. I wonder what the family of mongooses also living in my garden make of their new neighbor .
Hi Sis, fab photos & commentary! Can't wait to lift rocks with you and Gibby xxx
canetoad
(18,079 posts)How the hell are you going sis? Glad you eventually got around to posting here. How'd you find me?
jfz9580m
(15,345 posts)I thought of this thread when I read this last week:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/25/tiny-frog-lives-whole-life-inside-one-plant-brazilian-mountain-aoe
If we werent damn near driving everything to extinction to make room for more ugly malls and food courts (selling us shit we dont want or need to paraphrase Tyler Durden -and at the expense of both the environment and labor rights), we would see that
canetoad
(18,079 posts)I really hear you. In a way I feel pity for those who can't see the intrinsic beauty or value in some of our colourful slimes, jellies and marine creatures - any creatures or living things on land or sea.
Your post reminded me to get moving and get together a post of some more intertidal critters which should be up soon.
jfz9580m
(15,345 posts)Good to hear from ya Canetoad
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/14/doug-larson-i-discovered-ancient-forest-north-americas-busiest-highway-aoe
You are right..it is a beautiful morning where I live and I should get moving too.