I have a beautiful, deep sea-cucumber for you all today that was found by our Smithsonian scientists this year on the island of Klein Curacao. This thing was big (14-16 in) and super colorful, and has a wild-looking texture all over its body.…
Barry Brown
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Candy Bass, Liopropoma carmabi
Good morning friends, here is the hands-down most beautiful fish Curacao has to offer; it’s called a Candy Basslet, Liopropoma carmabi and it lives at a depth of about 225 feet! This is by far the most sought-after aquarium fish in the world and retails for $500 to $1000!…
Christmas Tree Worm
While out on my second dive today and while waiting for the sub, I snapped a shot of a beautiful burgundy-colored Christmas Tree worm for you all. These gentle little two inch creatures are what we call “the icing on the cake”, meaning that they put the final touch on the reef and are found in a cornucopia of colors.…
Coney, Cephalopholis fulva
Hello from overcast Curacao. I went with Aimee and the three dogs before work this morning to plant baby yuccas; when the giant century plant in our front yard died, it left behind close to 500 babies which we have been taking out to the desert every single day and planting, in hopes of keeping the circle of life alive.…
Stove-Pipe Sponge Re-Growth
Good morning from Curacao…
Here you see a fallen section of a Stove-Pipe sponge (Aplysina archeri) in purple, with new growth climbing up a Row Pore Rope sponge. The rope sponge acts like a sort of trellis, and supports the weight of the new stove-pipe by allowing it to not only cover it in sections, but to actually fuse with the rope sponge – that’s just way cool!!…
Colorful Brain Coral
Good morning friends, how was your weekend???
I have a cool brain coral photo for you today; I discovered this coral at 75 feet by the tiny island of Klein Curacao. What you’re seeing here is a small section of Boulder Brain coral on the top and Symmetrical Brain coral on the bottom.…
Deep Sea Giant Hermit Crab, Dardanus insignis
Hey gang, here’s one of the largest deep-sea hermit crabs (about the size of a grapefruit) I have seen to date, named Dardanus insignis, the “southern form”. The crab was living in a very light-weight, fragile shell that had a big hole in the top; you can see it just over his eyes.…
Tretocidaris bartletti (A. Agassiz), Deep Sea Urchins
Hi friends, I have a large,rare sea urchin called a Tretocidaris bartletti (A. Agassiz) for you all today that was found this year by the Smithsonian scientists on the little island of Klein Curacao.…
Dark Mantis Shrimp, Neogonodactylus curacaoensis
Good afternoon all, I think this is a Dark Mantis Shrimp, Neogonodactylus curacaoensis, but like so many times before, I could be wrong… I’m pretty sure it’s a mantis shrimp of some kind and a very colorful one at that.…
Crab Molt
Good morning friends, here’s something cool from my trip to Klein Curacao last Friday. These are NOT live crabs, they are molts or skeletons that got left behind during the night. We found these Tidal Spray Crab molts (Plagusia depressa) over the shoreline and each was so different and colorful that I figured I’d post a bunch of them for you to see.…