@sakuraswordly / sakuraswordly.tumblr.com
Hiii!
I'm like a week new to Tumblr- I can't figure out how to sort through content well, so you've probably posted about this before
What do you know about sea slugs?? Like particularly interesting ones! I love them and wanna hear your description!!
One of my favorite nudibranchs is the Sap-sucking sea slug (Cyerce elegans)!
Clavelina ossipandae, the skeleton panda sea tunicate is a species of colonial ascidian, also known as sea tunicates, a group of sessile, marine filter-feeding invertebrates. Just some funky little guys!
First discovered near Kume Island in Japan by local divers, pictures of the animal attracted media attention in 2017. But they weren't given their formal taxonomic description until 2024
Love to sea it 🌊
Hi! Love your blog! :]
I was wondering if you had fun facts about sea slugs or nudibranches or any good resources to learn more about them? They're my favorite marine animal
Thank you so much!!!
There are over 3,000 known species of nudibranchs, and they can be found in both salt and fresh water! There are two main categories of nudibranchs, divided by their breathing apparatus (the feather/tentacle looking things). The doric nudibranchs (first gif) has gills are centered around their anus. The aeolid nudibranch (second gif) has a set of cerata along their backs.
Nudibranchs are mostly carnivores (the exceptions are omnivores that also eat certain algaes). They commonly eat anemones, coral, sponges, and sometimes even other nudibranchs! They also sometimes get their bright colors from their prey, allowing them to further blend in with their habitat and send a giant "dont-eat-me-im-toxic" sign to any predators.
'fairies dont exist' WRONG❗❗cyerce elegans
"The coral reefs of south Sulawesi are some of the most diverse, colorful and vibrant in the world. At least, they used to be, until they were decimated by dynamite fishing in the 1990s.
As part of a team of coral reef ecologists based in Indonesia and the UK, we study the reefs around Pulau Bontosua, a small Indonesian island in south Sulawesi...
In many places around the world, damage like this might be described as irreparable. But at Pulau Bontosua, the story is different. Here, efforts by the Mars coral restoration program have brought back the coral and important ecosystem functions, as outlined by our new study, published in Current Biology. We found that within just four years, restored reefs grow at the same rate as nearby healthy reefs.
The transplanted corals grow remarkably quickly. Within a year, fragments have developed into proper colonies. After two years, they interlock branches with their neighbors. After just four years, they completely overgrow the reef star structures and restoration sites are barely distinguishable from nearby healthy reefs.
The combined growth of many corals generates a complex limestone (calcium carbonate) framework. This provides a habitat for marine life and protects nearby shorelines from storm damage by absorbing up to 97% of coastal wave energy.
We measured the overall growth of the reef framework by calculating its carbonate budget. That's the balance between limestone production (by calcifying corals and coralline algae) and erosion (by grazing sea urchins and fishes, for example). A healthy reef produces up to 20kg of reef structure per square meter per year, while a degraded reef is shrinking rather than growing as erosion exceeds limestone production. Therefore, overall reef growth gives an indication of reef health.
At Pulau Bontosua, our survey data shows that in the years following restoration, coral cover, coral colony sizes, and carbonate production rates tripled. Within four years, restored reefs were growing at the same speed as healthy reefs, and thereby provided the same important ecosystem functions...
Outcomes of any reef restoration project will depend on environmental conditions, natural coral larvae supply, restoration techniques and the effort invested in maintaining the project. This Indonesian project shows that when conditions are right and efforts are well placed, success is possible. Hopefully, this inspires further global efforts to restore functioning coral reefs and to recreate a climate in which they can thrive."
-via Phys.org, March 11, 2024
Got facts about pyjama sharks? They are very cute :)
Pyjama shark or striped catshark (Poroderma africanum).
You're 100% right, they're absolutely adorable. These little guys only grow to be approximately 1.1 m (3.6 ft) long. These sharks are primarily nocturnal and hunt small fish, crustaceans, and shark egg cases. They capture prey the same way that crocodiles do! They'll bite onto their prey and roll to disorient and kill it.
These sharks are endemic to the waters of the South Africa coast (aka, that's the only place they're found in the wild). The biggest threat to their population is being caught as bycatch. The good news is that their populations are believed to be increasing and their conservation status is that of least concern!
Got any cool info on cow sharks?
YES
There are five species of cowshark: Broadnose sevengill, Bluntnose sixgill, Sharpnose sevengill, Bigeyed sixgill, and the Atlantic sixgill.
My favorite fact about these adorable little sharks is that they have more fins than most sharks do (which is why its mentioned in their name). Most sharks have five gill slits! They also don't have the notably large dorsal fin synonymous with sharks.
These sharks have even been observed to hunt in packs for larger prey like seals and other sharks! They're commonly found in shallow, warm waters.
Hi! What do you know about the Magnapinna Big fin squid? Is that even it's actual name?
I'm talking about this guy:
Bigfin Squid are AWESOME! They're in the genus Magnapinna which is Latin for "great fin". They're the largest squid species alive today that we know of! They've been recorded to grow around 6 m (20 ft) long and live in depths of up to 6,000 m (20,000 ft)- which is the deepest a squid is known to reside.
There are about three known species of these squid, but most likely more! Even though they're widely distributed across the oceans, they're still difficult to find- only approximately a dozen have been observed. Because they're hard to find and study, there's little we know about them. So, a lot of what we hypothesis is based on what we know of other squid species.
Barracuda. Filmed in the Mediterranean Sea. From Mare Nostrum (2011).
Have you played @fathomverse yet? This cozy sci-non-fi game for ocean explorers was created by our research and technology partners @mbari-blog . By playing you can interact with real underwater images to improve the artificial intelligence that helps researchers study ocean life.
Now available for download on the App Store and Google Play! Read more at https://mbayaq.co/FathomVerse
happy boops boops day, all
Can't believe I didn't post about these guys for April Fools. More the fool am I.
Don't let the looks fool you! 🐉 This mesmerizing blue creature, the Glaucus Atlanticus, is known as the "Blue Dragon" for a reason. It's a venomous predator that floats upside down in the ocean, feasting on jellyfish and stealing their stinging power! 🌊 Nature is wild! 🦠
