Viewing: Molluscs
May 22, 2017
Nudibranch name change
According to the web page found at http://www.urgdiveclub.org.au/scientific-names-do-change/ , “two-part scientific names contain a hierarchy which can change if an organism is re-classified”. I wrote about this topic in my article titled “Changes to Seastar Names” at http://mlssa.org.au/2010/10/07/changes-to-seastar-names/ . It can be difficult for ‘hobbyists’ such as ourselves to keep up with the changes for projects such as our Photo Index. It recently came to my attention, thanks to Society member Jeff Bowey, that the red-netted nudibranch previously known as Chromodoris…
Posted in Marine invertebrates, Molluscs, Nudibranchs | By Steve Reynolds
March 25, 2017
FURTHER DISCOVERIES AT THE SHIP’S GRAVEYARD
In addition to my recent discovery of an Oyster Blenny at the Ship’s Graveyard in the North Arm of the Port River, I also found this bivalve mollusc shell there: – I checked it out further when I got home. I thought that it was a Venus shell, Tapes literatus. I photographed it with my mobile phone at home and sent the photo to Peter Hunt from the Malacological Society of SA for a positive ID. Peter’s response was as…
Posted in Bony fishes, Invasive species, Marine invertebrates, Molluscs | By Steve Reynolds
November 27, 2016
The Predatory Behaviour of an Eleven-armed Star Fish
During our recent dive at Rapid Bay jetties, I recorded a large eleven-armed star fish attacking an abalone. I have to admit that I set the whole thing up though. I was swimming along the side of the new jetty’s piles when I came across this abalone at the base of a jetty pile. It was attached to a small plate-like rock: – On the other side of the jetty pile was this eleven-armed star fish: – I evilly-decided to…
Posted in Marine invertebrates, Molluscs, Seastars | By Steve Reynolds
October 26, 2016
Bernard C. Cotton – former Curator of Molluscs at the SA Museum
Bernard C. Cotton was a Curator of Molluscs at the SA Museum in North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia. According to “Australia’s Spectacular Cowries” by Barry Wilson and Peter Clarkson (mlssa 1069), Bernard “wrote many scientific papers and semi-technical articles on southern Australian molluscs.” According to “Kingdom of the Seashell” by R.Tucker Abbott, Bernard wrote three volumes of a South Australian identification guide titled “South Australian Mollusca” from 1940-1961. According to “Fishes and Shells of the Pacific World” by John T…
Posted in Achievements, Molluscs | By Steve Reynolds
September 8, 2016
What Is CIGESMED for Divers?
In November 2013, I hosted Vasilis Gerovasileiou from Greece during his visit to South Australia. We only managed one dive together though. We managed a dive at Rapid Bay jetty on16th November 2013. Vasilis had only brought a 5mm wetsuit with him for his dives in Australia. This suit probably served him well for dives in WA & Queensland, but it didn’t work out so well for his dive in SA. The water temperature at Rapid Bay in November was…
Posted in Citizen Science, Marine invertebrates, Molluscs, Research, sea urchins | By Steve Reynolds
June 6, 2016
Large Octopus Beach-washed at Petrel Cove
We recently received an email message reading “Howdy! I found this Octopus washed up at Petrel Cove and I can’t figure out what species it is. I estimate its leg span to be about 1.5m. Annelise Johnson” The message was accompanied by this photo of the beach-washed octopus: – Our reply to Annelise was: “Hi Annelise, That’s a beauty! The one species that occurs in SA with a large leg span is the Maori Octopus (up to 3m). What became…
Posted in Cephalopods, Molluscs | By Steve Reynolds
February 4, 2016
Warning of hefty penalties for reef picking
That heading comes from PIRSA as part of a warning to fishers regarding rules for removing organisms from intertidal reefs in SA. Reef Watch says that it gets quite a few reports from members of the public who have observed people taking organisms off intertidal reefs. The taking of marine organisms from intertidal reefs was banned along the shore of Gulf St Vincent (from Brighton jetty to Cape Jervis) in 1995. Details of the ban were mentioned in our April 1995…
Posted in Coastal activities, Coastal species, Conservation, Fisheries, intertidal zone, Marine invertebrates, Marine Protected Areas, Molluscs, Regulation | By Steve Reynolds
March 19, 2015
Cuttlefish of South Australia
Before I embarked on the production of the documentary film Cuttlefish Country, I had little appreciation of the diversity of cuttlefish species which are found in South Australian waters. When I discuss cuttlebones with friends or strangers, I’m usually met with surprise at the revelation that cuttlebones found in beachwash along the South Australian coast represent not one, not two but several species of cuttlefish. It is also unfortunate that there is no single resource available whereby South Australian naturalists or beach combers…
Posted in Cephalopods, Marine invertebrates | By Dan Monceaux
February 14, 2015
Scientists studying the mating tactics of giant Australian cuttlefish
When giant Australian cuttlefish, Sepia apama, mate, they meet head-to-head and embrace. The male uses a specialised arm to squirt his sperm in to the mouth of the female. There is some short video footage by Roger Hanlon from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts available. According to that same web page, “To initiate sex, a male spreads his arms around his partner’s head . . .. Once the deed is done, the female stores the deposited sperm…
Posted in Cephalopods | By Steve Reynolds
January 4, 2015
Black Cowry (Zoila friendii thersites)
Yesterday, while snorkeling at the Port Noarlunga reef in near perfect conditions I was fortunate enough to encounter a South Australian endemic gastropod mollusk, the Black Cowry (Zoila friendii thersites). The animal I sighted was perched quite conspicuously on a large yellow/orange sponge in about three metres of water. I later discovered that a photograph taken by Greg Adams of one in the midst of laying eggs (also taken at Port Noarlunga) was published in October 2014 by ABC news. I was first made…
Posted in Marine invertebrates, Marine Protected Areas, Molluscs, Pollution | By Dan Monceaux