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Scuba Diving on the Great Escape Southern California Live-Aboard Dive Boat


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Posted by Merry on February 27, 2013 at 17:59:32:


Midwater has been delightfully chock-full of zooplankton this year. Either that, or I'm just spending more time there.

An elegant siphonophore, Physophora hydrostatica. Approx. 2.5"

 photo Physophorahydrostatica690DSC_7425_zpsf39d3b59.jpg


Another siphonophore, Praya species.

 photo PrayaDSC_7463_zps917f1bfb.jpg


Leslie Harris kindly identified this 1/4", wildly swimming thing as a juvenile terebellid polychaete worm. She added that it was "long past the point where the pelagic larvae normally settle onto the bottom. Many juveniles will only settle if they get specific chemical or other environmental cues (like sensing the proper food or adults of the same species) so sometimes they'll stay up in the water column longer than normal."

 photo JuvieTerebellidPolychaetebDSC_7593_zps56c71040.jpg


I spotted this 1/2" ghostly crustacean swimming purposefully, all by its lonesome. Dr. Mary Wicksten was nice enough to ID it as a mysid. Although shrimp-like, it isn't a true shrimp.

 photo PelagiccrustaceanDSC_7496_zpsba628840.jpg


The eyes of a predator, Carinaria japonica.

 photo CarinariaeyesDSC_7447_zpsc15fbc36.jpg


A gravid amphipod, Phronima sedentaria. She'll eventually lay her eggs along the walls of the salp barrel.

 photo PhronimafaceDSC_7439_zps0278d7b4.jpg

 photo PhronimafacebetterDSC_7439_zpsc384e77e.jpg


Lately, we've been seeing a fair number of Leuckartiara sp., only ~1".

 photo LeuckartiaraDSC_7568_zpsed41f04e.jpg


This Leuckartiara looks like it might have a gullet full of prey.

 photo LeuckartiaradifferentDSC_7592_zps33af4b9e.jpg


Eagle-eye Kevin Lee dragged me over to shoot these new-to-me nudis:

Peltodoris mullineri on the Avalon wreck.

 photo PeltodorismullineriDSC_7647_zpsa76f9233.jpg

 photo PeltodorismullineriDSC_7652_zpscc588590.jpg

 photo PeltodorismullinericoupleDSC_7657_zps47590e68.jpg


The predatory nudi, Melibe leonina.

 photo MelibeleoninaDSC_7615_zps1f21d6c2.jpg






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