Hitchhikers Guide to Puget Sound

[nwscubamom]

I was diving Waterman's Wall last week with a boat full of REEF surveyors, and at my safety stop found this little fella drifting along in the water. It's a Euphysa spp. jelly, and quite teeny, less than an inch long. I snapped a jillion shots of this guy hoping my little digital would actually focus on the jelly, not some particle in the water (ever have that happen with these autofocus cameras?) and when I got home and looked at the pic on my computer, I found this little hitchhiker hanging on with what appears to be claws!!



Coolness, eh?

- Janna

[spatman]

most excellent coolness, janna!

[Jan K]

What a shot ! Love it This shots are next to impossible with point and shoot camera..

[Penopolypants]

What an awesome shot! I wonder where he thinks he's going, out and about to see the world? Or maybe he was just tired?

I love it when you see things in photos after the fact....

[Sounder]

What an awesome shot! I wonder where he thinks he's going, out and about to see the world? Or maybe he was just tired?

I love it when you see things in photos after the fact....

I think he was just... HANGING OUT!! POW!! :rr:
(don't forget to tip your waitress! )

[Pez7378]

Coolness, eh?

- Janna

It looks like he's hungry. He thinks he's at the delicatessen staring through the glass at some scrumptious pastry!

[airsix]

That is really neat.

-Ben

[WylerBear]

Very cool, Janna!

[Penopolypants]

Coolness, eh?

- Janna

It looks like he's hungry. He thinks he's at the delicatessen staring through the glass at some scrumptious pastry!

Wow, he really does!

[BASSMAN]

Awsome picture Janna!

Keith

[fpoole]

I snapped a jillion shots of this guy hoping my little digital would actually focus on the jelly, not some particle in the water (ever have that happen with these autofocus cameras?)

Heheh... Yah jellies are a tough one for focusing.. especially the clear ones...

Those little guys are really kewl to catch (shoot), but to catch something on them.. is really kewl...

Great shot...

[airsix]

OK, I can't keep quiet any longer. I return to this thread constantly... hoping someone will ID the little hitchhiker. I just gotta know (for some reason).

....and don't say it's a Klingon. That was Roddenberry. This is an Adams inspired thread. he he

-Ben

[dwashbur]

OK, I can't keep quiet any longer. I return to this thread constantly... hoping someone will ID the little hitchhiker. I just gotta know (for some reason).

....and don't say it's a Klingon. That was Roddenberry. This is an Adams inspired thread. he he

-Ben

Well, of course, it's a baby Vogon! Duh!

[nwscubamom]

Airsix and anyone else who's interested:

I sent it off to Greg Jensen and he ID'd the hitchhiker as a Hyperiid amphipod - they live on jellies and salps.

There are a few more pics I was able to get that seem to show more than one (like two) on the jelly, so maybe one fell off while I was gyrating around trying to get a good angle for the shot?:





- Janna

[Penopolypants]

OK, I can't keep quiet any longer. I return to this thread constantly... hoping someone will ID the little hitchhiker. I just gotta know (for some reason).

....and don't say it's a Klingon. That was Roddenberry. This is an Adams inspired thread. he he

-Ben

Well, of course, it's a baby Vogon! Duh!

Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm stuck in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.

Ford Prefect: Why? What did she tell you?

Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen.

[airsix]

Thanks Janna! I just went to wikipedia and encyclopedia of life and read up on amphipods. Cool stuff.
I'm fascinated by all of it. Big stuff, little stuff...

I've been thinking about doing an experiment sometime. I want to go on a dive and pick a good spot and then not move until it's time to turn the dive. Just spend the whole dive surveying a single square meter.

-Ben

[smike]

I want to go on a dive and pick a good spot and then not move until it's time to turn the dive. Just spend the whole dive surveying a single square meter.

Yeah, I've been thinking of doing the same thing. I was thinking of doing that for other reasons - but to do a survey of a small area would be a good excuse, and would be very interesting!

S'Mike

[Dusty2]

Awesome pictures Janna! It's not often you can get a good clear shot of these little guys and you got multiples! Congrats

[scubaoctogirl]

Those pics are amazing! I am so impressed. I love jellies!

[dwashbur]

We found a few of these guys with the little hitchhikers at Harper's yesterday. There was one that had as many as 6 at a time on him. As we watched, the little bugs would go zipping off, and then come back and attach themselves again. Another remarkable thing is, they seemed to be fluttering their little legs or whatever they are, to help the jelly with propulsion or something. My daughter only got this one fairly decent picture of one (and all of mine were blurry), and it's nowhere near as clear as Janna's, but here it is:

[nwscubamom]

How cool, Dave!!! Great sighting - and shows it must be 'the season' or something for these things. Was yours shallow as well?

- Janna

[dwashbur]

Yeah, they were all in the 20-25 fsw range. Of course, Harper's only gets down to about 30 on a high tide, but anyway... I agree, it seems to be the season for these things. It's funny that we didn't notice such things until you posted your picture. I guess I'm just a chronic copycat