11 up, 1 down & a slug to celebrate

An intertwined couple of Nudibranchs (sea slugs - Chelidonura amoena from the family AGLAJIDAE) were found 'doing their thing' off Sapi island back on 19th March 2007. Nice, but not the main story.

4th January 2009 brought loads of modifications to my TARP fish list. So much so that I am only here reporting back on the new ID panels I've created; I have yet to update my checklist or the combined one for TARP. My total of fish species now lies at 399; the total I am aware of in TARP is now 529 identified (and another 12 unidentified - 2 of which are known to be undescribed). So what have we got?

First off, a new colour morph to be added for Goby Amblygobius albimaculatus and new ID panels for the Adults of Wrasse Halichoeres prosopeion and Damsel Pomacentrus burroughi, as well as for the Juvenile phases of Fusilier Caesio teres and Damsel Dischistodus perspicillatus. Alongside these are better photos for Wrasse Halichoeres melanochir (Initial phase) and Damsel Neoglyphidodon oxyodon (Juvenile).

Next up: the realisation that most of my sightings of Cardinalfish Apogon trimaculatus are in fact a previously unlisted species - Apogon rhodopterus; similarly that a couple of examples of Shrimpfish Aeoliscus strigatus are in fact another rarer species in TARP - Centriscus scutatus; furthermore that I was probably mistaken in assigning an unique sighting of Pomacentrus vaiuli as P. armillatus (which I will be removing from the checklist).

Lastly, a good list of totally new species for a single day when I was already 389 up at the start: Wrasse Anampses meleagrides (Initial phase), Damsels Chrysiptera oxycephala and Neopomacentrus filamentosus and Pomacentrus philippinus, Trevally Gnathanodon speciosus (skitting around me and my buddy as though we were cruising sharks which it likes to hang with), Rockskipper Istiblennius edentulus, inch-long Dartfish Parioglossus philippinus, Grouper Plectropomus maculatus (particularly pleasing to see large Groupers in the Park), and Parrotfish Scarus forsteni including also the striking Initial phase morph.

Speedboats and sunsets

Will he be pleased? Photographed off Sapi island on 21st July 2006, Ardeadoris egretta (a Nudibranch from the Family CHROMODORIDIDAE) of course will not be asked. The idea though appears to be that the sea village on Gaya will be 'rearranged' and supplemented by 1,000 houses, government offices, and a fire station... all on Gaya itself. (It reminds me of defunct plans to build a bridge to Gaya ++. Maybe that plan is in danger of being re-floated too?) Here's hoping that my friend and his vast but fragile underwater society won't be so overcome by the benefits of 'development' (like construction silt and waste water), that there's little left to TARP but speedboats and sunsets.

Ghosts and butterflies

The last day of my intensive diving holiday - 11th July 2008 - brought several beauties into my life: Perhaps the most beguiling was the white Ghost goby Pleurosicya boldinghi - found on a lonely white soft coral sprouting on a broad expanse of mud in the dusky gloom of a late afternoon; a rainstorm on the surface. (Being partially translucent, one photo has the flash diffusely reflected off its swim bladder like a soft pearly inner light. As my son would say: "Sweet!") Add to this a couple of fishes only described in the last few years - the Sand-goby Fusigobius melacron and the Sandperch Parapercis lineopunctata. Lastly (for new species) the Butterflyfish Chaetodon baronessa (a real surprise given how unusual it is to see such spectacular large fish for the first time after two years) and the Cardinalfish Apogon multilineatus. So, this brings me finally to a total of 360 fish species logged in TARP. Next task will be to cross-check with Gerry Allen's 1992 list and see what our combined total comes to.

Of course, I'm still picking up the odd new colour morph - in this case the Initial Phase form of Parrotfish Chlorurus capistratoides - and better photos of previously seen fish (Parrotfish Scarus ghobban, Snapper Lutjanus quinquelineatus, Frogfish Antennarius striatus and Dartfish Ptereleotris hanae).

And the last (but not least) beauty of the day - the Nudibranch in the photo, from the family PHYLLIDIIDAE, seen on Plate Coral Reef off the back of Sapi island.

Nudibranch number one

TARP is host to an array of Nudibranchs, most obviously from the family Phyllidiidae. This one was photographed by me at Hanging Gardens off Gaya Island on 10th February 2008.