The Right Blue

Who are you calling a worm?!

by B. N. Sullivan

What the heck is that thing? A caterpillar? A centipede? Nope, it's a marine worm called a Bearded Fireworm (Hermodice carunculata). I wrote an article about this critter for Photo Synthesis, and it includes some ultra-close-up shots of this mean-looking creature. Be sure to go and have a look.

Long-time readers of The Right Blue might recognize this creature. H. carunculata was the 'model' for an article I wrote back in 2007 about photographing critters on different backgrounds. The one pictured here, at right was, was photographed in the Aegean Sea, near Cape Sounion, Greece. [Click on the photo to enlarge, if you dare.]

Also posted on Photo Synthesis this past week was an article -- titled Gimme shelter! -- about creatures that live on or among sea anemones and corals for protection. The article is illustrated with some of my photos of clownfish, including the species that was the model for the cartoon movie character, Nemo.

Another Photo Synthesis article was about photographing feeding records of nudibranchs. Readers of The Right Blue already have seen quite a few of my nudibranch photos, I know, but go and have a look there if you'd like to see a few more.

Next was a photo essay featuring Gorgonian sea fans, including macro photos of several different types. Finally, I posted an article about Cerianthid tube anemones on Photo Synthesis, a topic I wrote about here on The Right Blue just about a year ago. Remember Cerianthid Tube Anemones - Flowers of the Deep?

This is my final week of writing for Photo Synthesis. Just a few more posts there, and I will be back to publishing my underwater photos exclusively here on The Right Blue. Stay tuned...

"Does this pose make my butt look big??"

What: The critter asking the question is a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas).
The diver is Jerry, of course.

Where: I took this photo at Pulau Sipadan, Malaysia.

Click on the photo to enlarge -- turtle butt and all!

Crinoids, fish faces and backscatter - oh my!

Bobbie has been busy over at PhotoSynthesis this past week, posting close-up protraits of Wrasses, showing and writing about Crinoids, and suggesting ways for underwater photographers to cope with the problem of backscatter.

What's backscatter, you ask? It's the stuff that all too frequently spoils underwater photos that were taken in water that's not exactly clear. For an explanation, check out Backscatter: The bane of underwater photography, in which Bobbie holds forth about matters of physics and light, but also includes a handful of really nice critter photos.

The photo on this page shows some Crinoids on a reef in the Celebes Sea. Remember them? Long time readers may recall that Bobbie wrote about Crinoids -- also known as Feather Stars -- here on The Right Blue more than a year ago. This week she wrote about Crinoids on PhotoSynthesis, so if you find these Echinoderms interesting, or you like to see pictures of them (including some pretty amazing macros), check out Getting to know crinoids through close-up photography, and then Crinoids on the night shift. (Yep, a two-parter.)

And finally, do have a look at Hello, Fish Face -- four in-your-face close-ups of pretty fishies from the Wrasse family.

Video: Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles

The folks over at JournOwl.com have put together this very nice video about Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, one of our favorite ocean creatures. The narration of the video echoes much of what we said in our earlier article about Hawaiian green sea turtles.

P.S. There are many more sea turtle articles and photos on The Right Blue.