Tiny critters under rocks

When the viz is bad, I take my macrolens (sometimes with the Nauticam CMC-1 wetlens for a bit of extra magnification) out to the pools. Sometimes I stick to the surface of rocks and seaweeds (to look for stalked jellyfish for instance), but other times I turn over rocks under water to see what hides beneath. Quite a lot! There are larger animals, such as Topknots and different types of crabs (and Worm pipefish as pictured here) but mainly they are quite small (around a centimetre or even less). See the selection below (Tricolia, Bittium and Limacia were not from under rocks but I had to make the grid fit!).

3 thoughts on “Tiny critters under rocks

    • Thanks Bernard! I have been meaning to upload a bunch of chiton pics on facebook to get ID confirmation – I have some pics of C. septemvalvis which seem very clearcut but these ones confused me a bit. I will update the blog accordingly. cheers Mick

    • You are right about the unnamed one. I have a set of images where the line between Tonicella marmorea and C. septemvalvis seems to be blurred….Some C. septemvalvis are unmistakable: with the 4 light bands and the longish shape (+tending to be larger and flatter). But some look more like T. marmorea: rounder, with a broader girdle. Then again the distribution does not quite fit and I see that similar-looking things are identified as C. septemvalvis on inaturalist… I am reading up on them a bit before posting on facebook…. Anyway, less hard to find than nudibranchs, also not moving and flat so easier to photograph and the colours are amazing on many of these!

Leave a reply to Bernard Picton Cancel reply