SportDiving Magazine's feature column. Readers send in their mystery critter finds for our resident expert Neville Coleman to identify. Neville often delivers some surprising discoveries!
 |
FROM David Evans. LOCATION: Portsea Pier, Vic, Aust.
ID - FAMILY: Aplysiidae COMMON NAME: Sea Hare SCIENTIFIC NAME: Aplysia sp. REMARKS: These spaghetti-like strings are the eggs of a sea hare that has been feeding on red algae. Sea hares only live a short time and generally appear as seasonal visitors that inhabit Port Phillip Bay. |
 |
FROM Nigel Marsh. LOCATION: Byron Bay.
ID - FAMILY: Pataecidae COMMON NAME: Red Indian Fish SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pataecus fronto REMARKS: Ranging from southern Queensland south and around to Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia this species is rarely seen by divers. They generally inhabit reefy areas where there are large similarly coloured sponges and stay in that area for some time. The species grows to 250 mm. |
 |
FROM Brandon Darby.
ID - FAMILY: Euryleptidae COMMON NAME: Virgula Maritigrella Flatworm SCIENTIFIC NAME: Maritigrella virgulata REMARKS: Known from Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea this species (like most flatworms) is very variable in pattern. Yours is the first record I have for the species being in WA.There is so much to learn and so few to do the work. |
 |
FROM Nic Rewitt. LOCATION: Botany Bay, Bare Island, depth 9m
ID - FAMILY: Dendrodorididae COMMON NAME: Gunnamatta Dendrodoris SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dendrodoris gunnamatta REMARKS: Found in NSW this species grows to around 45mm. It feeds on sponges and due to its drab colours is not seen by many divers. You are to be congratulated I have only ever found two. |
 |
FROM Nic Rewitt. LOCATION: Fiji
ID - FAMILY: Cypraeidae COMMON NAME: Eyed Cowry SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cyprea argus REMARKS: This quite a large cowry and grows up to 100mm and is found across the Indo – Pacific. Not very many divers ever see them alive because like most cowries they only come out of their caves and beneath dense coral growth at night. |
 |
FROM Nic Rewitt. LOCATION: Found at Magic Point, depth 16m
ID - FAMILY: Chromodorididae COMMON NAME: Tasmanian Chromodoris SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chromodoris tasmanensis REMARKS: This species only occurs in southern Australia where it is found in Tasmania, NSW, and Victoria. It grows to around 60mm and is generally seen on its pink food sponge Darwinella rosea. |
 |
FROM Andrew Hosking. LOCATION: Thetfort Reef GBR, The Wall, depth 10m resting on whip coral
ID - FAMILY: Gobiidae COMMON NAME: Large Whip Goby SCIENTIFIC NAME: Bryaninops amplus REMARKS: This small commensal goby grows to 50mm and can be found in association with gorgonian sea whips and gorgonian sea fans , generally in areas of strong current. The fish may spend their entire lives on the host, even laying their eggs on it. |
|
 |
FROM Mark Gray LOCATION: Julian Rocks, Byron Bay.
ID - REMARKS: I am not able to make out the Leopard shark parasites. |
 |
FROM Mark Gray LOCATION: Julian Rocks, Byron Bay.
ID - FAMILY: Facelinidae COMMON NAME: Cryptic Phyllodesmium SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phyllodesmium crypticum REMARKS: Ranges from the Red Sea to Japan, Indonesia and down to NSW and feeds on Xenia sp.soft corals. It is not commonly observed and since I found my first one in 1972 I have only found 3 others. |
 |
FROM Gerard Braithwaite LOCATION: Byron Bay, strong northerly wind.
ID - FAMILY: Fionidae COMMON NAME: Pinnate Fiona SCIENTIFIC NAME: Fiona pinnata REMARKS: Your unusual discovery lives out its entire life just under the surface of the ocean. It has a cosmopolitan distribution and is generally found on driftwood or old cuttlefish bones that have lots of goose barnacles which are its main food. It grows to 20 mm and may be grey or blue in colour. |
 |
FROM Brandon Darby. LOCATION: Abrolhos Islands
ID - FAMILY: Polyceridae COMMON NAME: Red-Gilled Nembrotha SCIENTIFIC NAME: Nembrotha rutilans REMARKS: Common in north west Australia, this species grows to 60mm and feeds on ascidians. |
 |
FROM Brandon Darby. LOCATION: Abrolhos Islands
ID - FAMILY: Palaemonidae COMMON NAME: Commensal Shrimp SCIENTIFIC NAME: Periclimenes sp. REMARKS: This is one of the many commensal shrimps which live in coral and sea anemones throughout the Asia/Indo – Pacific region. Unfortunately I am not able to see the tail pattern or much of the hump pattern so I am unable to make an accurate identification beyond genus. |
 |
FROM Brandon Darby. LOCATION: Abrolhos Islands
ID - FAMILY: Tripterygiidae COMMON NAME: Black-Throated Three Fin SCIENTIFIC NAME: Helcogramma decurrens REMARKS: Your image appears to be a male of this species. It grows to 70 mm and ranges from south west Australia around to South Australia. |
 |
FROM Kylie Kenny. LOCATION: Trip on Paradise Sport
ID - FAMILY: Scorpaenidae COMMON NAME: Ghoul SCIENTIFIC NAME: Inimicus sp. REMARKS: There are two species that range into PNG and they can only be reliably separated visually by the colour pattern on the underside of the pectoral fin. |
 |
FROM Kylie Kenny. LOCATION: Trip on Paradise Sport
ID - FAMILY: Pomacentridae COMMON NAME: Spinecheek Anemonefish SCIENTIFIC NAME: Premnas biaculeatus REMARKS: Found across the Asia/Pacific this is a very easily recognized species which inhabits bulb tentacle sea anemones and grows to around 8 cm. Congratulations on your up coming marriage. |
 |
FROM Nic Rewitt. LOCATION: Fiji in 12m on the sandy bottom.
ID - FAMILY: Phyllidiidae COMMON NAME: Varicose phyllidia SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phyllidia varicosa REMARKS: It appears to me that your critter represents this species more than it does P.carlsonhoffi as both are found in Fiji and the former has a great deal more pustules. |
 |
FROM Paul Wickham. LOCATION: Shiprock, Hacking River, Sydney in 16m on the sandy bottom.
ID - FAMILY: Dendrodorididae COMMON NAME: Gunnamatta dendrodoris SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dendrodoris gunnamatta REMARKS: Rarely observed by most divers over it's distribution this species grows to around 45 mm and occurs in southern New South Wales, Australia. |
 |
FROM Karen Willshaw. LOCATION Cocos (Keeling) Islands
ID - FAMILY: Balistidae COMMON NAME: Bridled triggerfish SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Sufflamen fraenatus REMARKS: It appears your fish has a growth caused by some unknown process on it’s lower lip. It’s certainly not eggs. It is more likely the fish is skittish because its extra wary due to the distress caused by the growth. Fish with isopod parasites are also very difficult to get shots in most cases. |
 |
FROM Andrew G. LOCATION Hideaway Island, Vanuatu on the reef flats.
ID - We know so little about worm fauna across the Asia/Indo-Pacific area as there aren’t many taxonomists and there are so many different worms and few people take their pictures because most groups (with the exception of flatworms) live in holes or tubes and out of sight. I can find no reference at all to your intertidal, easily found, common worms at this stage. |
 |
FROM Gary Whitby & Nicole Howard. LOCATION: Swan River, WA in shallow water, 6-8m
ID - FAMILY: Velutinidae COMMON NAME: Southern lamellarid SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lamellaria australis REMARKS: Your critter is this species with the entire top of its soft parts removed, leaving the internal protective shell in full view. Can't imagine what predator might do this. Even an internal shell is better than nothing if the visual warning colour pattern fails! |
 |
FROM Nigel Marsh. LOCATION: Puerto Galera, Philippines
ID - FAMILY: Ophidiasteridae COMMON NAME: Cumming’s sea star SCIENTIFIC NAME: Neoferdina cummingi REMARKS: Grows to around 60mm and is found across the Indo- pacific on both coral reefs and rocky reefs. Seen mostly at night, during the day they generally hide from the sun beneath dead coral slabs, in caves or underhangs. |
 |
FROM Nigel Marsh. LOCATION: Puerto Galera, Philippines
ID - FAMILY: Chromodorididae COMMON NAME: Scallopededged ceratosoma SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ceratosoma miamirana REMARKS: Rarely seen by divers due to it's amazing camouflage colouration, this species ranges from the Red Sea to the Maldives, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines and down to Australia and grows to around 80mm. A very beautiful and distinctive species and your image is excellent. |
 |
FROM Nigel Marsh. LOCATION: Puerto Galera, Philippines
ID - FAMILY: Echinothuridae COMMON NAME: Fire urchin SCIENTIFIC NAME: Asthenosoma varium REMARKS: There are several similar looking species within this genus. However, one thing they all have in common is their venom. A sting from any species will result in immediate pain, with bad stings taking some time to heal. It is generally found on sandy, muddy or rubble substrate and is extremely common at places in the Philippines. |
 |
FROM Nigel Marsh. LOCATION: Puerto Galera, Philippines
ID - FAMILY: Chromodorididae COMMON NAME: Josh’s chromodoris SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chromodoris joshi REMARKS: Found from the Philippines to at least Indonesia this species grows to 50mm and does not appear to be common in any one area. It's very distinctive colour pattern allows easy identification. |
 |
FROM Nigel Marsh. LOCATION: Puerto Galera, Philippines
ID - FAMILY: Scorpaenidae COMMON NAME: Devil scorpionfish SCIENTIFIC NAME: Scorpaenopsis diabolus REMARKS: This species can be distinguished by the pronounced hump on it's back. It grows to 18cm and can be found across the Indo-Pacific region. Very well camouflaged it sits almost motionless in the reef waiting for unwary fishes to come within range of it's lightning strike. |
