Northwest Dive Club

I have recently captured a photo of a critter that I could not find anything look a like in Andy Lamb book “Marine Life of Pacific NW”.
See for yourself: I was lucky enough to attend the recent Moss Bay Divers Club meeting where we had a guest speaker Greg Jensen. When I showed him this picture he immediately commented that this is a Heptacarpus brevirostris - Stout Shrimp.
The critter played a trick on me as it was not in its normal position but it was on its side and also two particles suspended in the water were looking like two white telescopic stems with black ends looking like realistic small eyes at its end.
I immediately bought Greg Jensen book “Crabs and Shrimps of the Pacific Coast” that has really outstanding pictures and descriptions. It will be arming me with another powerful tool to better identify or distinguish critters I am finding. This is the second and greatly updated book since the first one published by Greg in 1995.
I was hoping that it might have been a new species and I have already thought about a name for it: “Jankocianus” to honor Jan Kocian contribution to my growth as a Diver and UW Photographer.
Well, I will continue my quest and if I find a new species it will get “Jankocianus” name.
I have another candidate a tiny crayfish I found in a high altitude Cascades Lake that I could not find anything similar neither native nor invasive but that is a topic for a separate post.

Wow. Surfacing to have Greg Jensen identify your shrimp is like wondering about a point of theology and having Jesus appear to explain it. I also like your idea of Jankocianus. Let's hold on to that thought.
-Curt

Thank you Curt !
My desire to find a new species and name it after Jan as “Jankocianus” has been solid and strong and that was even before I found today another Jan’s forum: “Down the memory line”. I have spend most of today glued to the computer screen reading it. It is another UNBELIEVABLE story done in such an artistic way and such a great narration like I would actually already watch the movie and hear the sound of the waves, trades wind blasting, or hearing the silence of equator doldrums with only wood screeching on the ship , exotic music from the places Jan has sailed and dived.
I like your comparison about having Greg identifying my tricky critter.
Thank you also for you contribution to Jan’s postings with many valuable references from decades ago when you were a student and what they taught you in the “old school” or e.g. how they were trying to introduce American Lobster to Puget Sound decades ago.

oldsalt wrote:Wow. Surfacing to have Greg Jensen identify your shrimp is like wondering about a point of theology and having Jesus appear to explain it.

Think I found my new tagline