Coral Reef Photos » Crabs + Shrimp + Lobsters

Curacao Hermit Crab, Coenobita Clypeatus, Chicoreus

barry — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:19:32 +0000

Good morning friends, here is my newest find. This is a beautiful Hermit Crab, Coenobita Clypeatus pronounced seen-oh-bit-a cly-pe-ait-us. There are seven species of Hermit Crabs that inhabit tropical regions throughout the world and that live in discarded snail shells for their entire adult lives, changing to larger shells as they grow. Land hermit crabs are omnivorous. They feed on all kinds of vegetable matter, as well as on protein-rich food, especially decaying flesh. Here in Curacao, native fruits, such as cactus fruits and the supposedly poisonous “apples” of the Manchineal Tree are devoured eagerly, and fresh droppings of horses and cows are used as a source of both food and water. I also find them near or on “Dog Poop” they seem to just love that stuff, and once again I say, “nothing organic goes to waste.

This one here was lucky enough to find a fossil Chicoreus shell and as you can see is proudly showing it off! Chicoreus is a genus of medium to large sized (extant) predatory sea snails. These are carnivorous marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the murexes or rock snails. I have never found a new shell like this in the water but occasionally find them high in the hills coming out from the soil where they were deposited or died hundreds or thousands of years ago. The other good side to finding and wearing a fossil shell as opposed to a new one just washed up on the shore is that it’s much stronger! OK, it’s much heavier but from my personal observations here weight doesn’t seem to bother these guys much, they are strong!

And thanks to our friend Diane here in Curacao, she was able to identify the flower from yesterday! Your not going to believe this, it’s a flower from a Cotton Plant! Look below and read about it, very cool, thanks again Diane!!

It’s off to the sea for me, have a great day!!

Barry

Red Banded Hermit Crab, Paguristes erythrops

barry — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:51:26 +0000

Good evening friends, I am back! it’s been a typical busy Sunday for yours truly, I first did three hours of trail cutting and then later in the heat of the day did a two and a half hour bike ride. My little buddy Stijn had a race today and not just any race, he competed in the 2011 Curacao Extreme Mountain Bike Challenge. The race started at O-Dark thirty and was around 45 miles thru the back roads of Curacao and he finished in under four hours! I believe he ended up placing in at around 13th or 14th overall out of 145 riders, that’s real good! Why did I not go with him you ask? Too long in the saddle for me, I’m a three hour max guy, anything over that becomes torture and ends up being not fun!! On my ride tonight I was attacked by some of the local kids. As I was riding thru one of the neighborhoods near Montana a bunch of local teenagers threw rocks that ended up hitting my bike with such force that it bent my rear wheel and broke a bunch of spokes! Obviously I just kept going, I wasn’t going to stick around and have more stones thrown at me. I can’t say this kind of behavior is common here but it sure didn’t surprise me at all. Most of these kids are bored out of their minds and have nothing better to do than go looking for trouble and as you know that can be found everywhere! I ended up having to ride an hour with a bent wheel, so bent in fact that I had to disconnect my rear brakes in order to get home! And to think I just bought these new wheels!?

Here is a beautiful young Red Banded Hermit crab, Paguristes erythrops that we found deep on the reef in his super cool, way too big for him cone shell! These crabs have the prettiest blue eyes which are attached to beautiful golden yellow eyestalks. Hermit crabs are all over the reef here and can be found in a variety of colors and shapes. They spend their days foraging for food and seem to love eating algae the most but will eat just about anything including dead fish or other yucky stuff.

Hope all is well out there and that you all got the most out of your weekend. I spent Saturday sitting inside one of our showers removing the old silicon and putting new in, boy oh boy was that ever fun!!

See you tomorrow, Barry

Red Night Shrimp, Cinetorhynchus manningi, Ringens

barry — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:03:38 +0000

Good morning readers, our household is up at 5:00am this morning thanks to Inca (our Dalmatian) throwing up grass that she ate last night on the trail. Unfortunately this is a very common event, we can’t seem to keep them away from it and for some reason they never learn! Aimee is currently training Indi (our other dog) to turn on the lights if she is carrying something heavy or has her arms full, open the doors and the funniest one, shutting the doors, that one cracks me up! I told her as good as she is getting with all these trained behaviors we need to do a short film and post it on You-Tube.

This morning National Geographic is arriving and will be using our sub most of the day and thru the weekend. They are filming a documentary on how fish are collected for the aquarium industry. One company we sell fish to in Florida just sells fish to all the big public aquariums around the World while others just sell to collectors. Geographic is following a famous collector but using our sub, as I learn more I will let you know.

Here is a beautiful juvenile Red Night Shrimp, Cinetorhynchus manningi that Aimee and I found together on our last night dive hanging out on the base of a giant sea-fan. They usually have red bodies and may have white to tan bands and spots with dark green eyes. These shrimps are very common in the Florida keys, Bahamas and Caribbean but not in numbers that it would pay to collect them for consumption. They inhabit coral reefs or shallow rocky areas and are considered nocturnal. They hide deep in the reefs by day and appear in large numbers at night. When you shine your light on them their eyes turn to a glowing shade of red, it’s really beautiful! These shrimps like others are very shy and will retreat into the darkness if approached, so getting photos can be very difficult at times! Previously reported as Rhynchocinetes ringens, which has been reclassified in the genus Cinetorynchus. The species C. ringens only inhabits the Eastern Atlantic.

That’s the news, enjoy your well deserved weekend! Barry

Decorator Crab Covered in Algae, Hidden Creatures

barry — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:37:15 +0000

Good morning friends, we received a ton of replies yesterday concerning the hidden Decorator Crab. Many said; “they think they see it”, most said; “they don’t see it, and I am crazy for sending a photo of algae” and a few experts found him with no problem at all! Well here he is on the sand all by himself, now go back to yesterdays photo and look again. What we find so amazing other than his tiny size is that everything attached to his body is still alive!! He’s like a walking algae garden!

Yesterday the dogs and I left the house at 6:30 in the morning and headed to Saint Joris bay. We had a great two hour walk, it was low tide so the dogs ran around chasing each other thru the shallow water and I collected some more great wood! While there we ran into our friend Silvia who has one of our last puppies from the batch before Joy, the black dog. It’s so great to get to see a street puppy that we raised with a family that loves him so much, seeing that makes it all worth while! After returning home and washing dirty dogs I took off on a fast trip to the hardware store, the bike shop and grocery store. I registered for the bike race that is tomorrow, I see I have to do four big loops, remember I did three with Stijn the other night and that was tough, that will take around and hour and a half. After driving around I spent a good part of the day washing the driftwood I had just found and building yet another “unique jewelry holder” for Aimee or it will be for sale down the road like everything else. And yes, I will try and get some photos, maybe I can shoot those today and send them out, they are pretty fun and very popular with the ladies. At around 3:30 I took off to the glass beach and lucky me the tide was just starting to come in which means better collecting. I will have to show you the find of the day, it’s a three inch bright orange and red piece that is melted together, possibly one of the best pieces I have ever found! Once Aimee got home from work we both sat at the computer and watched and read about the hurricane, that does not look good!! Well that was my day, what did you guys do??

I better get moving, I have a busy day in the water ahead and a race tomorrow. Have a great weekend, Barry

Decorator Crabs, Decapoda, True Crabs, Hidden Crabs

barry — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:08:14 +0000

Good morning from the Caribbean! As mentioned yesterday, I had found and caught a tiny quarter inch Decorator Crab, and yesterday took him back out to the reef and let him go. I think it’s safe to say that this crab wins the “most hidden on the reef award”, it was just dumb luck that I ever found him in the first place! I sent you this photo first so you can “try” to see him in his natural habitat, I will send another of him out alone on the sand. A large number of crabs camouflage themselves by using a wide range of marine life and debris as seen here. The material is often attached to tiny hooks on their carapaces, snouts and legs. Often the covering conceals identifying physical characteristics so completely that the species and, at times, even the genus cannot be determined without collection and scientific examination. Some of the most commonly used “decorations” include sponges, hydroids, sea anemones, zoanthids, tunicates and both leafy and hairy algae as seen here. The stinging capsules of hydroids, sea anemones and zoanthids serve the additional role of defense against predators. These attached organisms often remain alive and occasionally even reproduce. This crab here has two pieces of perfectly cut live algae on top of his head, it’s the coolest hat I have ever seen! I did watch yesterday as he adjusted those pieces and added a few new ones to his arms, it’s unbelievable to say the least!! His whole body is covered in live hairy algae and pieces of sand, I swear if he doesn’t move nothing will ever find him! I also observed his movement yesterday during his private photo shoot. When he walks he moves in a way that really looks like he is just a piece of floating or moving algae, his arms gently sway back and forth and he lifts his head up and down making it appear that the surge from passing waves is just moving the algae in a natural way. Really one of the coolest creatures I have seen in Curacao!!

I have to work this weekend so I am taking off today instead. Last night I loaded my bike and drove to another part of the island for a fast one hour bike ride with Super Stijn. We pre-rode this weekends course and I must say it was a blast!! Have a wonderful day Amigos , I am out, Barry

Sargassum Swimming Crab, Portunus sayi, Curacao

barry — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:42:57 +0000

Good morning friends. Yesterday because of the new tropical storm Emily our ocean became pretty calm and the ocean currents below went wild. When this happens it brings large amounts of floating sargassum into shore which as know or don’t know is home to thousands of little creatures. As it drifted in I strapped on a tank, grabbed my camera and rushed out to see what I could find. I immediately saw little fish hiding everywhere in the floating mass but trying to get photos was almost impossible as everything is moving, including me and the camera. I was lucky to spot this beautiful Sargassum Swimming Crab, Portunus sayi and watched as it blended in with the free-floating masses of orange-brown Sargassum seaweed that seasonally drift onto the beaches of Curacao. Sargassum Swimming Crabs rely on their fantastic camouflage and ability to swim for survival. As with other swimming crabs, they come equipped with tiny swim paddles on their hind legs. They are, however, also capable of crawling on land. Sargassum swimming crabs aren’t alone in this fragile, complicated mini-ecosystem. There are as many as 70 species living in these floating masses. Their neighbors include larval crabs, shrimp, flatworms, hydroids, tiny fish, frogfish, turtles, seahorses and nudibranchs. Sargassum swimming crabs both aggressively hunt and wait for prey to wander close enough to deliver an unsuspecting lethal jab. The crabs also feed on less complex invertebrates, such as hydroids and bryozoans, which also inhabit the seaweed. These layers of interdependence in their enable these crabs and other species to coexist and keep their shared sargassum home in balance.

I hope all is well out there and that you all are enjoying your summer, we would love to hear from you! Off to work, Barry

Sculptured Slipper Lobster, Parribacus antarcticus

barry — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:07:38 +0000

Howdy Partners, how was your weekend? Mine has been absolutely crazy with collecting driftwood. Here’s what is going on. Somewhere around the Caribbean like Surinam or Haiti there was some big river or rivers that over flowed from recent rains months ago and sent tons and tons of driftwood and junk into the sea. I heard that weeks ago the Navy had alerted boats and islands of this mass of moving/floating wood that was headed towards all islands in it’s path. Well apparently it hit Curacao around Thursday or Friday but Saturday morning is when I discovered it at Saint Joris. The massive pile of wood and bamboo floated in from the North but even made it’s way to the Sea Aquarium which is on the other side of the island. From the second I parked the car and let the dogs out I knew something was wrong because the area where we park there is usually no wood at all, but Saturday the shoreline was full! For me it’s fantastic!! I found some of the greatest wood ever on Saturday and just started making big piles, then I drove as far as I could with the car and loaded it to the gills leaving just enough room for the dogs to sit! So this morning I went to a new spot on the North coast with the dogs and there was even more wood there, so much in fact I made a phone call to my buddy Rob and asked if I could borrow his truck for an hour. I woke Rob up when I called but he said no problem, just stay there and I will be there in an hour, which gave me more time to collect. The dogs were kind of intimidated by this massive wood pile and actually stayed close to me the whole time. I pulled piece after piece out of the pile and carried them to a spot where the truck could easily load it up! Locals, if you ever wanted wood, go now because I am betting the government will burn these piles quickly like they did years ago. So I am back in driftwood furniture business, I was out of so many pieces but after this we are good to go. Robs girlfriend took a photo of the truck loaded with wood, I will try and get that and send it. The dogs are still sleeping from our four and a half hour adventure this morning, that makes up for my one week of doing nothing!

Here is a spectacular Sculptured Slipper Lobster, Parribacus antarcticus that I found on my last night dive. Being that he was kind of perched up on a rock I was able to finally get a nice shot of his cool little legs and his two wacky antennae. There are several species of slipper lobsters and they all belong to the scientific family Scyllaridae and live in various parts of the world like the Western Atlantic, from Florida to northeast Brazil and in the Pacific Ocean near east Africa, Hawaii and Polynesia. There are four main types of lobsters, there are the most famous clawed lobsters, the spiny or rock lobsters, the slipper lobsters and the squat lobsters. Sculptured slipper lobster females grow to be about seven inches in length and males can reach close to eight inches. Similar to the California spiny lobster, the sculptured slipper lobster spends its days hiding out in crevices in small groups and then roams the ocean floor at night. If disturbed, they can swim backwards very fast by using their tails. And yes, you can eat these (Charlie), but one has to be on scuba to find them and even doing that you would be lucky to get one a night.

Time to go for a quick bike ride and then do another dog walk. Have a great Monday, Barry

Pederson Cleaner Shrimp, Periclimenes pedersoni

barry — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:59:17 +0000

Good morning readers, I am off to a late start this morning as I went to bed early last night with an upset stomach. I made the mistake of eating Burger King for lunch, yes delicious but so bad for you and I paid for it the rest of the day. I went on a bike ride after work but struggled the whole way and could taste the food I had for lunch, that’s the last time I do that! I usually have fast food from a burger joint once a year and it seems like it just never goes well after, it’s like putting Diesel fuel into a gasoline engine!

Here is another variety of shrimp that I found around the Giant Anemone the other day, this is called a Pederson Cleaner Shrimp or Periclimenes pedersoni. These shrimps are easily identified with their transparent bodies and their legs, tail and backs covered in beautiful bright purple and black spots. They also have two of the longest white, hair-like antennae I have ever seen, so long in fact I can never get them in the photo. These cleaning shrimps are known for perching on the tentacles of anemones and swaying their bodies and waving their antennae to attract fish. Then once spotted a fish will either hover above the shrimp or rest on the sand and let the shrimp come to them and within seconds the cleaning begins! I have noticed from my years of watching this that if a fish is really in need of cleaning treatment it always lays on the sand with it’s mouth open but if it just needs a simple quick look-over then they always hover with the engine running, it’s so cool to watch. For you divers if you slowly lay your hand down in front of them or extend a finger and just wait a few seconds they will come over and start cleaning your hand, they love digging around your nails and it feels so strange. This one I found here is clinging to an Orange Lumpy Encrusting Sponge, Ulosa ruetzleri and made for a beautiful setting, usually these shrimps are found in areas without much color.

We had some rain again this morning but it’s passed now so Aimee is getting ready to take four dogs on a nice long walk along the coast this morning. We currently have a scientist here from the Cancer Institute who rented the submarine for a whole week. He is collecting deep-water sponges and is in high hopes that he will find a cure for cancer from these sponges, who would have thought?

Off to work, have a wonderful day, Barry

Squat Anemone Shrimp, Thor amboinensis, Shrimps

barry — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 01:02:26 +0000

Hi folks, today late in the afternoon I went on a semi deep dive down to 80 feet with my 105 macro lens and found the hands down largest Giant Anemone, Condylactis gigantea I have ever seen! The book I have says their maximum size is 12 inches in width but this one was much bigger and was filled with multiple varieties of shrimps and crabs. I have been trying for years to shoot this Squat Anemone Shrimp, Thor amboinensis without much luck as they tend to hide deep down inside at the bases of these anemone’s. But today the Anemone I found was so big that all the little creatures living on it, around it or under it were in plain view and easy to photograph. These beautiful little or should I say ultra tiny Squat Anemone shrimps live in symbiotic relationship with a variety of anemones, especially the Giant Anemone (seen here) Sun Anemone and the Elegant Anemone, Actinoporus elegans. The Squat Anemone shrimp is sometimes nicknamed “the sexy shrimp” due to its tendency to vibrate its abdomen while walking.

Aimee and I are again baby-sitting “Lucky” as many of you know her by, that’s our last little puppy we found down the street and we raised her until we found a home. Her name is now Joy and her owner had to fly to another island for 5 days so of course we said YES to watching her. I will take a photo this week and send it, you won’t believe it! I did a two hour hike with all the dogs after work and they are all knocked out now, just the way we like it! That’s all for now friends, Barry

Cymothiod Isopods, Anilocra Species, Cymothiodae

barry — Tue, 31 May 2011 10:15:40 +0000

Good morning readers, here is something that makes me cringe every time I see it. This is a poor little Creole fish with not one, but two big and nasty Cymothoid Isopods attached to his cute little face. Cymothoids, as family members are known, are not true parasites. Instead of dining on the tissue of the hosts, single individuals or mated pairs attach to the head region of reef fishes with several pairs of hook-like legs and benignly scavenge specks of floating food from the water. Look close at the Isopod on the right and you can see it’s claws dug into the fishes face. Isopods begin life as tiny, one-eighth-inch, free-swimming males. Once associated with a fish, they lose their ability to swim and remain where they settle FOR LIFE!! Oh man, gives me the creeps! To increase their odds of finding mates, males have the ability to transform into females. When a male settles on a host with a female already in place, it mates with the larger female. Later, after the female dies; the male changes sex and await the arrival of a young male. If a mate is not present at settlement, a male accelerates growth and changes into a female. The largest and darkest individuals are invariably brooding females, sometimes incubating more than 100 juveniles inside their bulky ventral pouches. To date, 12 species from two genera have been classified from the Caribbean. The nine members of genus Anilocra are broadly distributed, but the different species tend to inhabit specific regions.

Our guests are having a wonderful time so far, yesterday Aubrey started her Open Water Padi course while Ron went with me to work and joined in on a reef dive. Later in the day they met back at the house and took our bikes to go shopping and exploring.

Hope all is well out there, have a great day!! Barry