4:25 PM
(Photo found here)
Happy Mother’s Day :)
Mother and baby sperm whales (see this previous post)
Sperm whale society is matrilineal (grandmothers, mothers, and their daughters live together for life). Sperm whale mothers are pregnant for about 16 months. Calves are born at about 4 meters long and weigh around one ton. Sperm whale calves suckle for at least three years, during which time they do not dive deeply to feed on squid with their mothers. As a result, at least one of the calf’s family members remains at the surface to “babysit.”
(Source)
5:44 PM
The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is the second largest sea star in the world and can reach over half a meter in diameter. Their bodies are covered with sharp spines, approximately 5 cm long, which they use as a defense mechanism against any threat, including humans. Crown-of-thorns have between thirteen and sixteen arms that extend out radially from a central body. They vary in color, with their spines generally having a different color from the rest of their body. Although they are a species of starfish, they differ from all other starfish in their feeding behavior. Unlike any other starfish, crown-of-thorns prey directly on live coral, often killing them in the process. Through this destructive feeding, crown-of- thorns disrupt the entire reef ecosystem. At various times it has been blamed for the killing of large portions of reefs in parts of the Pacific ocean, including a large portion of the great barrier reef of Australia during the 1960’s. It is so despised that many scuba clubs organize “starfish hunts” in which these starfish are rounded up in an effort to save reefs from destruction. These starfish should be handled carefully, since the long, sharp spines are mildly venomous and can inflict painful wounds.
2:01 PM
The pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea) is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. The pelagic stingray is easily distinguished by its characteristic, serrated tail spine which is flattened and attached rigidly to the skin of the tail. Cells at the base of the spine secrete a poison which can inflict exceedingly painful wounds. It is possible, as with other members of the family Dasyatidae, that new spines develop before an old one is lost. The body of the pelagic stingray is disc-shaped and depressed but thick, with a blunt, rounded snout and angular pectorals. The mouth is small and curved, and filled with bands of small, rounded teeth with cusps, ridges, or tubercles. Pelagic stingrays have no prominent markings on their skin, and vary in color from uniformly violet or purple to dark blue-green, both on their dorsal and ventral surfaces. As its name suggests, the pelagic stingray occupies open surface and near surface waters, usually occurring in the first 100 m of the water but reaching depths of 381 m. It is often reef-associated, and is perhaps the only totally pelagic member of the family Dasyatidae. Traditionally, spines of members of this family (Dasyatidae) were used for spear tips, awls, and daggers, and are currently sold as curios. However, the pelagic stingray is of no great commercial importance, and – due to its pelagic existence - comes into contact with humans only rarely.
(Source)
5:39 PM
(Photo found here)
That weird blue thing is a pyrosome. Pyrosomes, genus Pyrosoma, are free-floating colonial tunicates (marine filter-feeders, see this post) that live usually in the upper layers of the open ocean in warm seas, although some may be found at greater depths. Pyrosomes are cylindrical or conical shaped colonies made up of hundreds to thousands of individuals, known as zooids. Colonies range in size from less than one centimeter to several meters in length. The individuals that make up this giant, floating, colonial tunicate are only about 1 in (2 cm) long, but the giant pyrosome colony, which resembles a gigantic hollow tube, can be large enough for a person to fit inside. Each individual lies embedded in the wall of the tube, with one end drawing in nutrient-laden water from outside and the other end expelling water and waste inside. The expelled water is used to propel the giant pyrosome colony as a whole. A wave of bioluminescent light travels along the community if it is touched.
(Source)
