Pustulose Wart Slug – iNaturalist There’s not much information about the pustulose wart slug This was one of the last photos that I took while on a two-dive trip off the coast of Oahu in Hawai’i. I was so excited to get to see two different species of nudibranchs within just a few minutes of […]
Gold-Line Sea Goddess – iNaturalist In order to find nudibranchs, you must slowly search the bottom This ornate cryptic crawler is called a gold-line sea goddess. A gold-line sea goddess is a type of nudibranch. A nudibranch is a tiny sea slug. Just how tiny? Here is a photo of the gold-line sea goddess next to my finger. Being […]
Smooth Trunkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These odd shaped swimmers will grow to about a foot long This interesting tropical fish is called a smooth trunkfish. This photograph was taken in Key Largo, on a shallow inshore reef. Smooth trunkfish are commonly seen in these waters as well as throughout Florida and the Caribbean. They are […]
Largemouth Bass – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern But I’ll be one of the first to tell you that you don’t have to go deep to see amazing nature! This was a fun photo of a largemouth bass that I was able to take while exploring a freshwater quarry with my sister in Indiana. The […]
Seaweed Blenny – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern If you approach slowly and try to get below them, seaweed blennies appear to be comfortable checking you out Although it may be hard to tell in this photo, you are looking at a fish that will only grow to about three inches. You can only see its […]
Hawksbill – IUCN Conservation Status: Critically Endangered Hawksbills are smaller turtles than similarly looking green turtles This small hawksbill turtle is drifting with the current. Adult hawksbills will grow to about three feet long and weigh around 180 pounds. This little turtle was less than a foot long. We were able to snorkel with it for a short […]
Green Sea Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered Green sea turtles are a common sighting in the Florida Keys Green turtles are a common sighting in the Florida Keys. They appear similar to a hawksbill turtle, however there are some identifying features we can look for. The green sea turtle bill is not beak-like. Hawksbills have a […]
Bluespine Unicornfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern In Hawai’i the bluespine unicornfish is known as “kala” The bluespine unicornfish can be found in the Indo-Pacific. Here it is pictured in the calm water off Poipu Beach on the island of Kauai in Hawai’i. It is also known by the common name, short-nose unicornfish. It […]
Conspicuous Sea Cucumber – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data The conspicuous sea cucumber is a bottom feeder The conspicuous sea cucumber is a particularly weird looking sea cucumber. It can be found in abundance in the waters of Kaneohe Bay off the coast of Oahu, Hawai’i. Their local abundance is noted by a rarity throughout […]
Flying Gurnard – IUCN Conservation Status: Varies Flying gurnards walk around using their ventral and pectoral fins We are looking at an overhead image featuring a flying gurnard (left) and peacock flounder (right). Both fish have amazing camouflage skills. This photo was taken at Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida. Blue Heron Bridge is a […]