I’ve been aware of chitons for some time, mainly from childhood holidays exploring the rocky coastline of the UK’s north east. It was only when I found them in the Red Sea, though, that I realised just how tough these animals are. Chitons belong to the class Polyplacophora; there are around 950 [...]
Nudibranchs are a source of endless fascination to many underwater photographers, with entire ‘festivals’ held in nudi hotspots such as Anilao in the Philippines; there’s even an event in the cold waters of Scotland. Nudibranchs can sometimes be mistaken for flatworms, and vice [...]
Last year I was fortunate enough to enjoy a dive trip in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Oman. One of the fish I wanted to ‘tick off my list’ was Amphiprion omanensis, the clown that is endemic to the region. As you can imagine I was also lucky enough to find some really [...]
You’d be forgiven for thinking that every anemone was brightly colored, if you were to go by the offerings in dealer’s tanks. Rose red Bubble tips were commonplace in the fish store I used to visit, for example. In reality though, many anemones are rather nondescript animals, that you’d [...]
I love aquaculture and the advancement of captive breeding. It means we take less from the wild and and are making a conscious effort to make the hobby much more sustainable; it’s better for the environment and takes ammunition away from those people that are anti hobby. Recently, Biota [...]
It seems that every diving destination I visit boasts an ‘Anemone City’ or ‘Nemo City’ somewhere within reach of its boats or on its house reef. I think it’s something to tick of the list of ‘things dive centers must be able to offer.’ It’s almost [...]
I came across a strange story in my inbox the other day. It chronicled a piece of research that examined how the relationship between a predator and a prey species was disturbed by leachates coming from micro plastics. The research, published by the Royal Society, looks at the relationships [...]
According to a news study from Georgia Tech that examined the microbe rich mucous layers of both clownfish and anemones, the two are swapping microbe flora, which may contribute to the fishes avoiding being stung. The research team studies clownfish and anemones in captivity and monitored their [...]