Northwest Dive Club

Saw these two critters while diving @ Solo Point. Only editing was to crop the original photo.

The top photo looks like a clam siphon of some kind. I'm not familiar enough to tell you which kind of clam.

I beleive this is the same critter below...

<a href="" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/4546 ... 8cb382.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="P4100049"></a>

I believe that the top photo is either a Pacific Gaper, Tresus nuttali, or a Fat Gaper, Tresus capax, both of which are commonly called "Horse Clams". They are highly similar in appearance and are often found together in the same "clam beds". Physically, the major visible difference between the two is that the siphon of T. capax is generally (but not always) smaller that the siphon of T. nuttali. Check out Rick Harbo's book, Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest, on page 60 for some good views of these two similar species. This book has a GREAT section on siphons....which, after all, are the only part of a many bi-valves that divers ever really see!

The bottom photo is a Spotted Aglaja, Aglaja ocelligera. These small nudibranchs are commonly found on sandy and muddy bottoms from Sitka to San Diego. I've seen them in their hundreds on the bottom near 100 Foot Rock for brief periods of time. Take a look at page 30 in Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs, by David Behrens and Alicia Hermosillo for a good photo and description.

- John

That Nudi in the second picture, was it purple along the edges, where the textured pebbly "mantle" does not cover? I saw a bunch of them at Dash Point and had never seen them before either.
gomi_

I call the Spotted Aglajid's my 'safety stop' nudibranch - you'll usually see it all over the place when you're in about 15 feet of water in the sand.

One thing about them - you usually don't notice them - but once you do, you'll see they're all over the place!!

- Janna

nwscubamom wrote:I call the Spotted Aglajid's my 'safety stop' nudibranch - you'll usually see it all over the place when you're in about 15 feet of water in the sand.

One thing about them - you usually don't notice them - but once you do, you'll see they're all over the place!!

- Janna

Interesting... I've never seen one! Need to pay more attention!

Les Davis is a hotspot for them...just look on the sandy hillside, right near the top at your safety stop and they're all over, camouflaging nicely with the sand and brown stuff!

- Janna

Tom - they're really small. One inch would be fairly typical. There are also no bright, obvious colors on them. Janna's right.....once you notice one you'll look around and suddenly see them all over the place!

- John

That's just great. Tom, we've got 2 people telling us we're blind.

Sounder wrote:That's just great. Tom, we've got 2 people telling us we're blind.

Guilty as charged.... ](*,) Oh well, I guess I have to go back to Les Davis... Thanks John and Janna! I'll start paying closer atention!

Thanks for the help IDing these critters....

John, I just got done ordering quite a few of the books on your list.... 4 more scuba units to the cause!

It's interesting how after something in identified that you suddenely see what is is, for example, my first picture was taken at a different angle than this one:



May not be the same species, but, still the same.

The little Nudi is what I call a "cigar butt" and are about 1" in length and can be seen around eel grass and in the shallows at this time of year.
I have seen them at KVI, Les Davis, Redondo, Edmonds and 3 Tree...
It's Spring!!!!
happy diving
K