Shark Savers Billboard Campaign!

I have recently donated to an innovative campaign by Shark Savers and Wild Aid who have been asking for US$100 which will buy two billboards in China that aim to educate people on the plight of global shark populations. Shark finning is decimating the world's shark populations and is primarily fueled by demand from China and other Asian countries. Hitting demand at its source I consider to be the way forward!

Shark Savers recently reached their target of 1,000 billboards to be displayed for a year. This is brilliant but they can always benefit from further donations to continue this project. They plan to expand into a third city in China to reach an even greater audience.

This would be a brilliant Christmas gift, they'll send a certificate as evidence! Often we buy gifts that are never to be seen/used again after a few weeks. This gift will literally keep on giving. Maybe there will be sharks left in fifty years. With current trends this might be unlikely but fingers crossed Shark Savers can make a difference.

Follow this LINK to donate!

Identifying Rhinopias Species

One of my pet peeves is the misidentification of members of the scoprionfish genus Rhinopias. There are 3 members of this genus that are commonly seen by divers in South East Asia - Rhionpias aphanes, R. eschmeyeri and R. frondosa. Actually geography plays a much greater part in the identification of them that people realise.

Rhinopias aphanes / Lacy Scorpionfish - is endemic to the Coral Sea area of Papua New Guinea, Great Barrier Reef, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia. They differ in habitat preference from the other two species as a result of the predominant environ

mental conditions in the Coral Sea. They are found on rich coral bommies and walls sitting out in the
open, mimicking crinoids. The patterning on the body is made up of a network of line rather than spots and colouration is quite variable as with the other species.

Rhinopias eschmeyeri / Paddle Flap Scorpionfish - This is the easiest species to identify. The body is generally only one colour with very few other markings. There are also ha

rdly any filaments on the skin and the dorsal fins are completely lacking in skin filaments or indentat

ions adjacent to the spines, hence the common name. I have seen red, pink and purp

le individuals. The range is throughout much of the tropical Indo West Pacific. It prefers 'muck' dive sites with black sand and algal beds.

Rhinopias frondosa - Weedy Scorpionfish - Basically this is the only species of filame

ntous Rhinopias that is found in Indonesia and Philippines but is often incorrectly identified as the Lacy / R. aphanes species. It shares the same habitat as R. eschmeyeri and the two often co-occur. This species is found in white, yellow, purple, red and all manner of other colours. It has circles rather than lines covering the body. It is also found throughout the Indo West Pacific as far west as Mozambique. It can therefore occur in the Coral Sea but habitat type and body patterning easily distinguish it from R. aphanes.

Wakatobi Final Blogs

My final weeks at Wakatobi Dive Resort flew by and I seem to have forgotten to post the links to my last two FiNS blogs:

Week 7

Week 8

Since my focus is so specifically about the pygmies, it is easy to get caught up in all the adventure of that, but I would like to make a point of thanking all the staff and owners of Wakatobi for their support and enthusiasm for my project. Without them it would have never been possible.

Wakatobi Dive Resort really is one of a kind, an oasis, with every feature of a 5 star resort and more! The resort has maintained pristine reefs and an ethos of sustainable management, whilst other reefs in Indonesia are systematically destroyed.

If you ever have opportunity to visit Wakatobi don't pass it up! You won't regret it!

Working/Planning!

As Christmas draws ever closer I am trying my best to remain focused on the work at hand rather than become distracted by exciting times ahead!

I am currently working on the final draft of a scientific journal submission provisionally called 'Extreme habitat specialisation and unusual population structure in two gorgonian-associated pygmy seahorses'. This is based on the work I have been doing at Wakatobi Dive Resort over the past few years. I have also begun reading for my next journal article/PhD chapter about the behavioural and reproductive observations I made on Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise) also at Wakatobi.

It is only two weeks until I head to Maluku Divers in Ambon for Christmas and New Year and from there I am headed to Raja Ampat aboard the Peter Hughes vessel Paradise Dancer. I will be aboard the Paradise Dancer for two trips from 5-16th and 18-28th January, during which time I will be taking promotional shots of the boat and UW creatures as well as giving presentations about pygmies, conservation and biodiversity (if people are interested!). Of course I'll be taking the opportunity to look for the newly described Satomi's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus satomiae) and searching for the stunning red and white colour morph of Denise's pygmy which appears restricted to the Raja Ampat region.

Meanwhile back to reading about seahorse operational sex ratios, potential reproductive rates and sex role reversal! All in a day's work for a marine biologist!

Asian Diver Article: issue 105

Check out the new issue of Asian Diver (105) where you can find a whole issue dedicated to sharks!

I have an article entitled 'Sharks Demystified' explaining that there is more to sharks than meets the eye!

Becoming an EcoAsia Advisor

I was lucky enough to meet Christina Ngiam, who is the founder of EcoAsia, recently whilst working at Wakatobi. It was great to meet someone who has a passion for conserving our natural resources whilst also realising that this can occur along side development and everyday living.

Christina has since asked me to act as a Marine Advisor for EcoAsia so hopefully together we can encourage conservation of the amazingly biodiverse and globally important marine ecosystems throughout Asia.

Check out the EcoAsia website at: www.eco-asia.info

Check out my run down of 10 fascinating facts about pygmy seahorses that you may not know. I found out these facts during my time at Wakatobi Dive Resort.

Sport Diving Issue 136 Article: Apex Predators in Peril

The new issue of Sport Diving Magazine (136), available throughout Australasia contains my article 'Apex Predators in Peril'. No prizes for guessing it's about sharks! These amazing and graceful creatures are being caught at such alarming rates that many species may well become extinct if measures aren't taken soon to protect them. There is good news from Palau that they have created a shark conservation area in their waters to forbid sharks being caught there.

FiNS Blog - Week 6

My FiNS blog for week 6 of my pygmy seahorse research has gone online so please check it out!

There have been all sorts of exciting developments over the past seven days. Excitingly you will be introduced to the new group, which will be the focus of my behavioural studies.

Only two more blog from Wakataobi to go :(

I have also been uploading more images to my online gallery from here so check them out too!

Facebook Group for Pygmy Seahorses!

Something that we have unfortunately had to live without until now is a Facebook group dedicated to Pygmy Seahorses! I have solved this shameful situation and now you can join over 100 other pygmy enthusiasts at the "Pygmy Seahorse Fan" Group. Enjoy!

Week 5 FiNS blog

My week 5 FiNS blog has just gone online so please check it out. This week's update concerns the birth of a new generation of Denise's pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus denise) that I was lucky enough to witness a few days ago. It was quite the adventure but unfortunately followed by some tragedy!

Wakatobi Week 4 - FiNS Blog

Week 4 FiNS blog is now online!

Check it out for all the news from Gorgonian coral 3 and it's inhabitants. The pygmy shenanigans have continued this week and building up to the birth next week!

Have been uploading more pictures to my website too so check them out!

Wakatobi Marine Life News Updates

To check out more about the reefs of Wakatobi and some of the creatures we've been seeing recently go to the Wakatobi Marine Life News page. I have posted some of my recent favorite images and more info about our sightings!

Asian Diver Article

If you're interested in learning more about Ghost pipefish, which I'm sure you are, my article has been published in the new issue of Asian Diver (104). It's only a condensed version so you'll have to buy the magazine to experience the full ghost pipefish excitement! I am a little bit obsessed with ghost pipefish and even saw a pair of robust from the Wakatobi jetty about 5 m away in about a foot of water this morning!

Wakatobi Week 3 - FiNS Blog

I have just received word that my third weekly blog has been posted on the FiNS website. So, if you would like to read more about my pygmy seahorse research or some of the creatures we've seen recently at Wakatobi Dive Resort then check it out. I have also ben uploading images to my website as I take them so it's constantly changing!

Twitter!

I'm on twitter if you'd like to follow me:

twitter.com/Rich_Underwater

Wakatobi Week 2 - FiNS Blog

After my second week here at Wakatobi I have uploaded my latest blog to the FiNS website so check it out!

Pygmy Seahorse Research

I am back at Wakatobi Dive Resort for the coming months to conduct field observations of the areas pygmy seahorses. This is my third extended stay here and this time I will be focusing on the behavioural and social interactions of Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise).

There will be updates of my diving and study highlights on both the resort's and FiNS websites, so have a look at these:

FiNS weekly Wakatobi Blog

Wakatobi Pygmy Seahorse Research page

Sport Diving Issue 135 Front Page!

The cover shot of Sport Diving Magazine Australasia is again one of mine this issue (135)! It's a shot I took in Komodo, Indonesia of a pair of tiny shrimp found by super-dive guide Yann Alfian living on a soft coral. It took quite a lot of patience to get the image as they measured just over 1 cm each and were very active. They settled momentarily either side of the coral and I managed to get the shot.

Their camouflage is absolutely amazing, I've never seen anything quite like it! As far as I know they're not described.

Don't forget to read all about Crustaceans in my article inside the same issue!

Wakatobi Bound

Time has flown and I’m off to Wakatobi Dive Resort this week for a couple of months, again conducting field observations on the behaviour and ecology of pygmy seahorses. Wakatobi is one of the best places in the world to see these tiny fish since they are common, shallow (I’ve seen all species above ten meters) and four of the seven species are found on Wakatobi’s reefs.

Obviously there’s more to diving than just pygmy seahorses! The reefs are packed full of all sorts of critters from frogfish and ghost pipefish to big schools of parrotfish and trevally, and of course a kaleidoscopic reef. Check out my images from previous trips to see what I mean.

I will be at the resort until mid October during which time I’ll be conducting evening talks for guests about pygmy seahorses, reef biology and conservation. The resort has an amazing track record for protection of the reef and you’ll be able to see this if you’re lucky enough to dive there.

Check out my blog on the FiNS website

Sport Diving Issue 135

Check out the new issue of Sport Diving (Issue 135), which will be hitting the shelves of Australasia soon. In this issue I have an article about Crustacean biology with heaps of cool photos, fascinating facts and stuff you never knew you wanted to know about crabs, shrimps and their relatives.

Fish Rock Living Up To Its Name

Fish Rock is one of those dive sites that you can count on. I have been three times now and each trip has been well worth the seven-hour drive from Brisbane. South West Rocks is located half way between Brisbane and Sydney on Australia’s east coast and is also a great place to visit topside, forgetting the world-class dive site on its doorstep.

We went a few weeks ago, in the mid southern hemisphere winter, for a weekend trip and whilst the water was cold we were lucky to have clear blue skies. We’d made the pilgrimage to South West Rocks to see the Grey Nurse Sharks, also known as Sand Tiger or Ragged Tooth Sharks, which aggregate there pretty much year round.

The diving and accommodation was organised by Jon at Fish Rock Dive Centre who was very professional, extremely friendly and instantly won us over with hot soup and windbreakers for our surface intervals on the boat.

Unfortunately there had been some fairly strong swells a couple of days before and the visibility was pretty limited but it didn’t stop us from coming face to face with hoards of Grey Nurses. These sharks look extremely menacing due to their prominent teeth but in fact these are perfectly adapted for catching small fish rather than attacking humans. We saw at least 20 on each dive, which included pregnant females and some adolescents. This was great to see as the Australian east coast population of these animals is listen as critically endangered and numbers in the hundreds. I have posted some of my shots from the weekend on my website.

On a slightly sour note I am amazed how little protection these animals receive at Fish Rock given their rarity. Research at the site has found that around 40% of the animals have embedded hooks which they get from the many recreational fisherman who are allowed to fish all around this critical habitat. There has been continued lobbying to make this a no-take marine reserve to protect these stunning animals.

Originally written for my FiNS blog

First Few Days in Tonga

Having had a slow start to our Humpback whale watching experiences here in Tonga today was an absolutely mind blowing and unforgettable day! It is only the beginning of the season here in Vava’u, a northern island group in the Kingdom of Tonga, but the whales are starting to show up in increasing numbers. The season generally runs from mid July to October but apparently they are a little late in arriving this year.

For two days we caught only brief glimpses, whetting our appetites for the famed encounters that have attracted increasing numbers of wildlife enthusiasts over the past few years. The whales migrate here from the Antarctic searching for warm, benign waters in which to give birth and mate.

Finally today we finally struck gold and had some great in-water encounters! First thing this morning our eagle-eyed guide spotted a whale within only tens of meters from the rugged cliff edge of an island and we managed to spend a little time with it in the water. It was an adolescent who was on a mission to the open sea but it did make a couple of close passes to check us out.

We then headed to the open ocean where we came across a group comprising a female and three potential male suitors. We ended up in the middle of a heavy weight match between the males trying to entice the female. We didn’t get in the water since a misplaced pectoral fin or tail could easily give you a headache to remember.

Later we motored east and came across another group of four, again a female and three males. We had two amazing swims with this group, which were again jostling for the female’s attention but were much less violent! Although humans clearly aren’t on their menu their sheer size can be quite intimidating, especially when your in amongst four of these giant animals!

This was the first time I’d ever seem a whale in the water and it really was a dream come true and something I will never forget. It is a shame that this is a very sensitive time for whale conservation as the International Whaling Commission works hard to prevent breakaway nations from resuming commercial whaling which, as we all know, drove many species to the brink of extinction. Seeing these amazing creatures face-to-face gives not a moments hesitation as to which side of the argument to support.

Originally written for my FiNS blog.

My Publications

I have just created a folder in the Gallery section of my website with all my publications.  Well, nearly all and I'll be finishing it off over the coming days.  Check it out!

Critter ID-Sport Diving Magazine - NEW SPECIES!

Check out the new issue (134) of Sport Diving Magazine which is now on the shelves of news agents throughout Australia and Asia.  Apart from the front cover I have some some images of creatures I have been unable to identify.  This doesn't happen very often so I thought I'd get a second opinion on these species.  Neville Coleman, the legend of a natural historian, writes a regular species ID feature and had a look at my photos.  Two of the species, a velvetfish and a nudibranch, he had never seen before, one nudibranch he's seen but isn't yet named and he was able to confirm my guestimate of the identity of an unusual Inimicus species.

The velvetfish was found by my friend Yann Alfian at a random bay in Komodo where we thought it looked interesting and jumped in one night!  There were a pair of these velvetfish at around 20 m and neither Yann or I had seen them before.  The nudibranch was found by Paul Batuna in Kalibahi Bay in Alor on a silty site.  I am pretty good with nudibranch ID but didn't even know where to start with that one!

BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009

The feedback from the BBC Wildlife photographer of the year has just been released and unfortunately I was pipped to the post again this year.  The image here made it to the final judging stage, 7 images were semi finalists and 12 to the first round.  Oh well, there's always next year!

I will be heading off to Wakatobi Dive Resort in August so if you are in search of a great dive destination with amazing service and a little marine biology thrown in (between mid August and mid October) then contact the resort about availability!  I will be blogging on the FiNS website with updates but now you can follow the link to my most recent blog!

FiNS Blog -IPFC Round up

I have just posted a blog on the FiNS website to sum up my trip to the Indo Pacific Fish Conference last week.  It was a great trip, good to meet colleagues, make new friends and learn about some of the amazing research that is going on.  Sometimes I think we could all do more to help the imperiled oceans with primary research only one small part of a bigger approach to marine conservation.

FiNS Blog

Check out my FiNS blog about the upcoming Indo Pacific Fish Conference which I'm attending and presenting at!

Sport Diving Issue 134 Cover Image

In the coming issue of Sport Diving Magazine (issue 134) the Cover shot is mine!  This should be available throughout Australia and Asia in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled!

The shot of a pair of Many-host gobies was taken at Wakatobi Dive Resort on a whip coral.  The female was in fact laying eggs and the male moving over them to ensure they were attached to the coral whilst also fertlising them.  Pretty amazing to have seen!  It's certainly a special place to dive!

Leafy Seadragons

A couple of weekends ago I was lucky enough to fulfill a dream!  I finally saw a leafy seadragon at Rapid Bay Jetty south of Adelaide.    These were really amazing syngnathids probably only second to pygmy seahorses in my opinion!  Anyway, I have posted some of my shots on my website so take a look!

Wakatobi Pygmy Challenge!

Wakatobi resort in south east Sulawesi, Indonesia is a great place for spotting pygmy seahorses.  In fact they have four species all told as well as the pygmy pipehorse Kyonemichthys rumengani.  Follow this link to some information I wrote for them about the pygmies.  I have spent many months there studying their pygmies and can guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Back from Bangka!

After a month at Murex Resort on Bangka Island in north Sulawesi, Indonesia I am back in the land of internet and other 'mod-cons'!  I had a great trip with amazing diving and brilliant staff that made my stay a home away from home.  Unfortunately my Denise's pygmy seahorses were a little thin on the ground (there weren't any!) so spent time with Bargibant's and Pontoh's species instead.  I'll be posting some images on my website soon so have a look.

The FiNS Crew!

I am in Lembeh at the moment having a few days R&R before heading off to Murex resort later today to check out the pygmies!  I had the pleasure of finally meeting Aey and Mean from FiNS yesterday who are also here diving in the strait.  I also met Tony Wu who paid me out plenty!  Check out the FiNS blog to their run down of events.  They actually tricked me into visiting them and before I knew it was being interviewed for FiNS TV!

FiNS Blog

Check out my blog on the FiNS website going into a little more detail about the new pygmy seahorse species.  There will be a longer article at some point in the not too distant future so keep your eye peeled!

ARKive Collaboration

I have recently been working with ARKive, which is a unique and in my opinion hugely valuable venture that is attempting to catalogue images, sound and video recordings of the world's threatened animals.  Given that species are disappearing faster than ever before on our planet these sadly might be the only way our next generation will view the lost natural world.  Hopefully by creating a catalogue of our disappearing species the reality of this extinction may hit-home to decision makers before it is too late.

Please support ARKive and check out my images of the hedgehog seahorse (Hippocampus spinosissimus) and Great seahorse (Hippocampus kelloggi).  There will be more to follow soon!

Another two new Pygmies!

Hot on the heels of three new pygmy seahorses described at the end of 2008 another two have been added to the fray!  Both live on soft corals and are found in very restricted geographical ranges.  

The first, the Walea soft coral pygmy sahorse (Hippocampus waleananus) (Pictured right), is found only in the Togian islands of central Sulawesi, Indonesia.  I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks last year at Walea Resort who brought this amazing species to the attention of the scientific community.  Most often the pygmy is found between 4 - 20 m where its soft coral host is most abundant.

The second species has been named after Helmut Debelius who is well known as a coral reef naturalist.  H.debelius is the name of this new species that actually appears to be a dwarf seahorse rather than pygmy.  It lives on the abundant bright red Dendronephthea soft corals commonly seen in the Red Sea where it is endemic.

FiNS Article and New Site

The new FiNS site has just been launched.  FiNS is a great place to read about diving in the Asia-Pacific region so check out the new layout and features.  Of course you must read my feature 'Saving Nemo' which investigates the effects that the aquarium trade has had on reef fish populations and how it really is possible to keep marine fish in a manner that doesn't damage the reef and its inhabitants! 

Walea Marine Biology

Last year I did some work at Walea Resort in the Togian Islands of central Sulawesi, Indonesia.  They have posted some of the comments I had about their reefs, endemic pygmy seahorse Hippocampus waleananus and the recently described Pygmy Pipedragon Kyonemichthys rumengani.  Follow the links on each subject to read more!

Pygmy Seahorse Article in Sport Diver UK Magazine!

I have a new article published in the February 2009 issue of Sport Diver UK Magazine entitled 'Pygmy Seahorses - Sex and Violence on a Miniature Scale!'.  Pick up a copy today!

3 New Pygmy Seahorse species described!

There has been exciting developments in the world of pygmy seahorses of late with the scientific description and naming of three new species.  

I have seen two of these at Wakatobi and whilst a few debates at the time as to whether they are distinct species occured they have been confirmed as Hippocampus pontohi and H. severnsi.  H. pontohi can be distinguished primarily by colour from H. severnsi and from H. colemani, which is another white pygmy seahorse, by the number of rings on the tail and geographic location, the latter occurring at Lord Howe Island and possibly in PNG.  

The third pygmy to be described is H. satomiae, which I have unfortunately never seen so I don't have any images, is a uniformly pale beige species with a red tuft on the head and small red tufts on the back, I hope to see it one day!  

If these 3 new species aren't enough the descriptions of two new species will be published in the coming weeks!  Including H. bargibanti and H. denise the number of true pygmy seahorses will rise to 7!

Solomon Islands

Happy New Year!  Having just spent Christmas and New Year in the Solomons I have plenty of new images that are going up on my site.  The diving was awesome and it was great to see healthy corals, fish and shark populations.  We saw white tip, black tip, silver tip and grey reef sharks as well as smaller critters such as pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish and I even found a velvet fish!  Anyway, hope you enjoy these new shots!