Category: Marine Life

Disco Clam!

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The clam was flashing red lights!
The clam was flashing red lights!

Ctenoides ales, known to scuba divers as the “electric clam” or “disco clam”, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Limidae, the file clams. The clam has been given these nicknames because its soft tissues flash light like a disco ball.

Studies revealed that it is not a bioluminescence phenomenon, but is instead coming from reflection of the ambient light, either the sun or diving light.  It was my second sighting when we dive  in Moalboal last June,  a rare specie I didn’t encounter them in any other dive sites we visited so far.

Ghost Shrimp

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The Ghost Shrimp (also known as Glass Shrimp) body is transparent, and an orange to yellow colored spot is visible in the center of the tail. The body is segmented, and features ten sets of legs. The first four sets have tiny claws that aid the shrimp in feeding. Ghost Shrimp are relatively small invertebrates, reaching a maximum size of only 2″.

We found the critters off the depths of Pescador Island, west side claiming the sea anemone as their abode, silently crawling on the tentacles.

Black Frog

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Back Frog

A good find in the waters of Sabang, Puerto Galera. This camouflaging frog fish was on  stone corals trying to blend with the colors. It was my first sighting of this black specie. Many species can change color; some are covered with other organisms such as algae and hydrozoa. In keeping with this camouflage, frogfishes typically move slowly, lying in wait for prey, and then striking extremely rapidly, in as little as 6 milliseconds!

Many frogfishes can change their color. The light colors are generally yellows or yellow-browns while the darker are green, black, or dark red. They usually appear with the lighter color, but the change can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. It is unknown what triggers the change.

Leaf or Fish?

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Leaf or Fish?

The leaf fish (Taenianotus triacanthus) resembles a dead leaf lying in the water. To enhance this camouflage it even makes gentle sideways movements in its pelvic area which make it resemble a drifting inert object. It is an ambush predator, waiting until a suitable prey, a small fish or shrimp approaches. Then it slowly moves with its pectoral fins close to the victim. When the leaf fish is close enough, the prey is sucked in by a sudden opening of its mouth. It eats victims up to half its body length but larger animals are completely ignored.

I was not expecting to meet her again at Banaug Shoal but she was there, silently taking refuge between soft corals as if swaying sideways by the current. It is just one of interesting residents in the house reef.  Simply beautiful …

Season’s Greeting from Underwater World

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blue, yellow, orange worms
yellow and white worms in pairs
green like a midget tree!
pinkish white, like on a snow

There are around 10,000 species of bristleworms, almost all of which live in the sea.  They live in plankton, buries in sand or mud, and also in crevices or moving around freely in rock and coral reefs.  One of the common we see underwater is Christmas tree worm, embedded in living coral and often in groups.  The crown is made up of two spiral rings of tentacles, the color is very variable: white, yellow, orange, pink, blue, dark purple, blackish and sometimes also spotted. It is sedentary and plankton feeder.

It is very timid and normally, retracts instantly in response to any suspicious shadow or wave movement.  Sometimes though, few can be generous and would stood their ground even with strangers so I got the photos above.  If you dive this month, get the chance to look for this elusive critters and be greeted for this season in the depths!

Have great dives this season!

NB. Above underwater photos were taken at Lapinig Island, Balingoan