Changi Beach Midweek

Mid this week I had a chance to visit a part of Changi that I've not been before. I could have passed this stretch of shore many times but don't know why I never noticed the exposed flat when the tides are low.

First critter: Painted Star

Not too sure but I think its a young Toadfish. Only slightly larger than half my thumb.

And here is a larger one that I found after the sunset. I saw a bright red reflection from the light of my torch and I just stared for a long time trying to figure out what the red colour was. It was only when the fish moved that I realised that they were they eyes of the fish.

Here, about 40 or more drills(cannot tell what drills they are) clustered together on a large boulder laying eggs n maybe mating too. The yellow colour are egg cases. There is alot more not visible in the picture because they are covered under the snails.

Cake Star. Brightly Orange coloured one :) It was just sitting nicely on a small rock, looking all ready for a photoshoot.

the underside

The shore that day seemed to be filled with lots of red seaweeds. Here a pic of what the shore looked like where the seagrasses were.

One thing about this shore that I found suprising was the large number of tube anemones. Here's 2 pics of them.

Peacock Anemone Phoronid Worm. I have always known they are found near to peacock anemones but it is my first time seeing them.

A Haddon's Carpet Anemone.
I tried to look for any anemone shrimps but none.

An abandoned trap

A thorny cucumber. Saw this too ealier part of the week on another shore at changi.

And this, I am sure it is a Giant Reef Worm in there. Unfortunately, it would not make an appearance for my camera even when I waited for more than 15 mins.

Other critters that I saw were brittlestars, acorn worms, mantis shrimp, very tiny anemone on ovalis leaf blade, peanut worm.

Changi Beach

..Finally.. a post for Changi..

First time I visited this shore was about 2 years ago.. but since the blog just started, this is a first post for changi here. The tide today was not as low as I expected so I couldn't go very far out.

First critter. Hermit. This beach is so filled with hermits. From sizes larger than my fist to some so small its hard to see if we're standing upright looking down.

A conch, there were plenty today. Look at those eyes :)

A warty sea cucumber. I see them everytime I visit this shore.

And this one is so small, it's almost the same size with the ovalis leaf next to it!



A shrimp

My suprising find for the day. A LARGE nobel volute. This is the biggest I have seen on this shore. Almost the size of my foot. After a lil bit of paparazzi-ing.. I put it back into deeper water cos there were a few poacher looking men lurking ard with pails and nets today.

I thought luck was on my side today. So when I made out the shape of a melo shell in the murky waters, I was so happy! BUT, it's only the shell today. I have seen live melo melo on this shore before many times, but none of the sizes came close to this shell.

Another common name of this marine snail is "Bailer Snail". Simple, just look at how large it is and how nicely it fits into the hands and how much volume of water it can take.. Every boatman would probably love one before the days of PLASTIC.

Almost time to leave and as I began my way out, I saw this downside up knobbly. First time I have seen a knobbly on this shore!! Anyway, it looked sad. I turn it back and sent it back into deeper waters. Long Live Starry King :)

Just about to exit the beach, saw this ghost crab just sitting there. SIT STILL. I am usually more afraid of this crab than it is afraid of me because it can move soo quickly across the sand, in the most unpredictible fashion. Today, Ghosty was being a really good crab. Even up for a close up :)

A few more steps, a dead horseshoe carb. I used to see them here alive. Nowadays, I see more dead ones.

This one, hmm... I think.. it was a mud skipper. Does mud skipper swim in the open sea? It just sudddenly skipped from the beach right into the sea and started swimming with only the eyes surfaced. After a while, it went out of sight.

And Yeap. It was time to leave. Monday. 19th October 2009. 6:55pm
*damn you sandflies*

*Since I am not familiar with the correct names of the critters that I see, I will begin with simple commom names and brush up along the way *

Star-ish Semakau

Last monitoring with TeamSeagrass for 2009. About 20 scouts joined us today, a chance to learn more about our shores :)

That's ChunFong and her team member, working hard at Site 2, when I am already done and roaming ard. Laughs*

Male flower of enhalus

Egg mass on Enhalus leaf balde.

Sunflower Mushroom Coral

My only nudi sighitng for the day

Knobbly Stars! many of them. KS was asking me if I could rem where I saw the stars. I managed to back track my steps and return to where I saw many of them. We put them together for "BIG HAPPY FMAILY" shot. After a few shots, we have them backed up away from each other a lil.