The beautiful fan worm Sabellastarte australiensis looks all the world like a miniature palm tree in an exquisite coral and ascidian garden. Just a tiny part of the greater landscape under Edithburgh Jetty.
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Bad Beauty
The European Featherduster Worm (Sabella spallanzani) is an unwanted and feral guest in our South Australian waters. For the most part they are quite unattractive, living in silty conditions and lacking the vibrant rich orange fans of its native local cousin. Anyone who has dived recently in Westlakes waterways would attest to the ugly mess […]
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Aquatic Feathers
Last night was my first night dive for 2017. In fact it was my first dive for the new year and the conditions were perfect. The evening star and a waxing crescent moon shone down on the water as we slipped below the surface. To the fishers on Rapid Bay jetty above it must have […]
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Pink Grotto
Nestled inside a pocket of alien pink landscape is a Castelnau’s Goby, Nesogobius pulchellus Like all gobies this one is cute, curious and you can almost imagine it wanting to startup a conversation. Make a sudden move though and in the blink of an eye there will only be an empty pink grotto. Photo: Robert […]
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Feather Duster
This feathery looking thing is actually a worm. It’s a Southern fan worm Sabellastarte australiensis Sometimes they are even called Feather Duster Worms and just like its cleaner namesake those appendages sweep the water clean hoping to find nutrition in the suspended particles floating by. Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Feather Duster’ 1/200s f/32 ISO100 100mm
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