Northwest Dive Club

In spite of the gloomy weather above, life beneath the waves goes on.
Kelp greenling courtship dance :luv:

From the muddy bottom of Lagoon Point:

wow cumanotis, new critter very pretty!

Jan, remember the darkening of the head that we found on the lings? I wonder if that was some sort of mating signal - similar to what these other Greenling family members are doing?

- Janna

nwscubamom wrote:Jan, remember the darkening of the head that we found on the lings? I wonder if that was some sort of mating signal - similar to what these other Greenling family members are doing? - Janna

Yes, it did enter my mind. But unlike the greenlings, the ling just laid there, and no action observed. I really
don't know. But you are right, it might have some signaling significance. Lets keep critterwatching

Oooh, thank you for the Cumanotus and Dirona pictures side by side -- I'm sure, if I have ever seen the former, I've mistaken it for the latter, but your pictures make the differences clear.

Wishing all of you Happy Holidays..

Thanks, Jan, for this wonderful "Christmas card"! Unfortunately, now when I look at our Christmas tree at home I will have visions of nudibranchs eating it!!!!

Thank you also for sharing another wonderful year with us of your marvelous photos, artwork and stories of your adventures!!!!

- John

What he said. Merry Christmas, Jan, to you and your family!

You are one interesting fella!

- Janna

Merry Christmas Jan, and thank you for making mine bright!

I found this Red Irish Lord clinging to a rock only by spotting the eggs it is guarding.
Well camouflaged, I think ...

It will be not long for new generations of lords, hopefully many will survive and beautify the Ol' Langley Tire Reef

Nudibranch egg roll

Oh, what a lovely gift to receive at the end of a truly awful work day . . . TWO new posts on this thread! I had never thought about the direction of spiral of nudibranch eggs, but as I haul up my memories, they ARE counterclockwise . . . what people will notice, and try to sort out!

Thank you Lynne, hope your day is better now
On the same dive, I found SEVEN Puget Sound King crabs. OK, maybe not invasion,
but I never saw this many here before.

Wow, Jan! Your posts here are always great, but the last several are really top notch.

OOh! OOh! Puget Sound King crabs! I have GOT to get up to Keystone, SOON!

Love the viking cartoon! It really works for those little guys.

They have probably been around all year but they were just to small to see. Now that they are a little bigger and you have noticed them you will probubly see lots more. They started out at PT last spring as tiny little guys and are at the yearling stage now. I sure love the colors they are showing off now!

Awwwww Luuuuuckyyyyyyy. We've only ever seen one and we had to go to Canada for that one, lol.

Thank you for kind words. Chenari, Whidbey is not that far. With your eagle eyes,
you will probably find many more
Made two dives at Possession Point Fingers and found plenty of Red Irish Lords,
some guarding eggs. It was nice to see that females do take part in guarding
the egg masses, unlike the Lingcod or Kelp Greenlings I see around..

Nice! Work Jan, That certainly is the brooding center for RIL's I have never seen so many so close together. They have to be the kings of camouflage. So tough to see.

Interesting! Next time I see two together like that, I'll have to scout around for the egg mass.

I don't know if the slug was eating the worm, but the Opalescent nudibranchs are
known to eat lots of different inverts.

Looks like a common earthworm???? Maybe dropped by a fisher-person?

I've seen dozens of H. crassicornis swarmed over a dead egg yolk jelly. It's quite amazing.

I love the info you provide with your pictures, I always learn something new. Keep it coming!

That is an awesome looking opalescent. I've never seen one that had that lack of coloration. You have a talent for finding unusual specimens. Keep up the good work. I love your posts.

Are they poisonous? They look like a stone fish.

Jan K wrote:After seeing hundreds of Buffalo Sculpins, this is the first time I found one with spines erected. It was not reaction to my presence, the "horns" were up when I spotted it many feet away...