Last update: 22/10/15
Eric H. Biass
Friday, 12 April 2013 18:19
Sand Dollar
| Aspect: | Disc-shaped, about 1.5 cm thick at its centre and covered with short brown brush-like spines. Dead species are white-ish, hollow and extremely brittle. |
| Population: | Common |
| Notable feature: | Five teardrop-shaped bluges adorn the back |
| Environment: | Sandy bottoms on which it creeps |
| Behaviour: | - |
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Echinoderms
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Thursday, 11 April 2013 23:48
Long-Spined Urchin
| Aspect: | A large ball of black spines may best describe the urchins found around the Ilets Pigeon which, with an overall diameter that can easily reach or exceed 20cm in diametre, are noticeably larger than those found along the pebble shores and beaches of the main lsland. Colours can vary, some can be grey and others white. Body can reach the size of a tennis ball. |
| Population: | Common. |
| Notable feature: | Drops in between rocks an stones during the day, and raises itself atop rocks at night. Feeds on algae. |
| Environment: | Has a preference for rocky bottoms. |
| Behaviour: | - |
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Echinoderms
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Wednesday, 10 April 2013 19:32
Golden Crinoid
| Aspect: | A graceful bunch of orange to orange-green feathered branches emerging from a recess in which the body of the animal lives. Like the related sea star this usually hidded body has five arms that immediately subdivides into an equal number of branches (the actual darker stem of the plume) that are tasked with catching the passing food. |
| Population: | Very common. |
| Notable feature: | The number of feathers are always a multiple of five. |
| Environment: | In well circulated waters, but where its body can hide. |
| Behaviour: | Ignores divers even if approached closely. May have a stinging effect if touched. |
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Echinoderms
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Wednesday, 10 April 2013 17:52
Porkfish
| Aspect: | Silvery body with bright yellow lines running horizontally from gills to tail, all fins also yellow. The Porkfish's body oultine is amazingly similar to that of the Black Margate. |
| Population: | Common, solitary. |
| Notable feature: | Head ahead of vertical black bar crossing eyes is plain bright yellow. Second black bar runs vertically just behind gills. The name "Grunt" is owed to the sound they can produce if under stress. |
| Environment: | Usually found close to bottom, searching for algae on rocks and boulders. |
| Behaviour: | The Porkfish is not too difficult to approach, if this is done slowly. |
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Grunts
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