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Bonaire Photography & Videography: What is this? :-)
Bonaire Talk: Bonaire Photography & Videography: Archives: Archives 2003- 2004: Archives - 2004-08-15 to 2004-12-31: What is this? :-)
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #886) on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 9:24 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I have yet to find anybody who can tell me what this is. I believe it's been discussed on BT before, described as silver balls, and I have asked a few dive masters with out success. A snorkel guide told me she does not know what it is either but has lightly touched one and it has a spongey feel to it. You lightly push at it with your finger and it gives a little and then moves back to shape when you pull your finger away. I won't touch it for fear I will break it and kill it if there is something inside alive. It appears there is something inside. Anybody know what it is? sb2

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1767) on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 11:58 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

It's a unicelluar plant Denise, one of the largest in the plant or animal kingdom. It's a type of green algae called a sea pearl. The smaller, ovoid ones are called elongated sea pearls. It has lavender crust algae on it's surface, giving it the "world globe" look. You'll find it in the Humann Reef Coral book under algae. In fact, they print the same picture twice!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mare (Mary Wills) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #401) on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 12:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

YAY to you Denise for asking about critters other than fish! There's lots of stuff down there and I recall Mary Mueller looking at me kinda funny when I was excited about a huge patch of Florida Corallimorphs. She was kind enough to indulge, took a picture, and sent it to me. (Thanks Mary!!!!!!)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #887) on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 2:54 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

THANK YOU Seb and Mare !!!! :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #888) on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 3:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Let's try another ... ignore the shadow in the lower left corner of the picture. The picture was taken at night, should that be of any interest in deciding what to identify it as. I am told it is a little sticky "like an anenome". I did not touch it. What is this ... ? ring

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1770) on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 5:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'm guessing a partially buried urchin with sand on top, like a west indian sea egg. How big was it? (BTW, I figure out how big stuff is by putting my finger or slate next to it.)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #890) on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 8:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

about 2 1/2 to 3" across

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #891) on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 8:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

could it be the mouth of a burrowing sea cucumber?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mary Mueller (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3388) on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 12:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Denise - thanks for posing that question - both my hubby and I have been wondering about that.

Mary W was right in that it took her pointing out the cool critters underwater for me to pay more attention to them!! By the way Mary I had already spotted that patch of Florida Corallimorphs and had already taken that picture it - that is why I had given you the look!!! But thanks to Mary I now look for those when I am looking in the nooks and crannies. Dirk kept asking me what I was looking at and I had to explain to him about the critters you help me see!!

All both Mary and Seb are the BEST sources for fish, critter and reef ID's. I just loved picking their brains and seeing things through their eyes!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1784) on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 7:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I dunno Denise. Did you look up the west indian sea egg? Google images is good for a lot of this stuff, you get some wild search results when you try "nudibranch" for instance.
Which question Mueller, the first or second?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #893) on Friday, November 19, 2004 - 7:55 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I did. It was just the way the little 'branches' seemed to cluster that left me not sure ... but if I look really close it does seem to have some points barely breaking though in the middle of the circle as well. The clusters in a ring is why I thought it looked a little like the mouth of a cucumber, like a drawing I saw on a google search if it was burrowed and the mouth was upward. But I do think your sea egg is more likely the answer. I've seen this a few times in Bonaire. Next time I'll try to blow off some of the sand to see it better. I'll be careful though not to accidently hurt it. Could be a while but I am hoping in May.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mary Mueller (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3390) on Friday, November 19, 2004 - 10:19 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sebbo - the first question and picture - I have never seen the second. Dirk and I did see the sea pearl many times - but I forgot my books and could not look it up. Then I just plain forgot about it - until Denise asked.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1785) on Friday, November 19, 2004 - 8:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

How'd he do on Bonaire anyway Mary? Did you find the seahorses? I meant to call you guys while you were there. Did you have a nice dive with Julia? Did you find the tap key? Did you feed the Loras?
NOB wants to know/

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mary Mueller (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3409) on Monday, November 22, 2004 - 12:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Seb - Dirk discovered that diving was really fun!!! No seahorses -though I did look and look and look and look! Dirk kept telling me that I was too slow and he was always getting me to come look at something he discovered! I told him you could never go too slow! As I learned from you and Mary!

No trap Key and Julia looked for me and could not find it either!

Great dive with Julia and Bob - we had fun diving and talking over lunch out by the ocean!

If you called - do not know if you would have reached us - as we were rarely in the house - except to sleep.

Dirk tried to feed the Loras to get pictures - we have not had the film developed yet - so we will see how successful he was.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1928) on Monday, November 22, 2004 - 4:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The mystery pic looks similar to some egg case sets in it's circular ring of joined 'packets'. Haven't seen any 'frilly' packets like these, though.

Perhaps an email to Caren Echrick, Sipke Stapert, Jesse Armacost or Jerry Ligon would get a definitive answer.

(Message edited by glenr on November 22, 2004)

 


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