We just arrived from two weeks of diving the Triton bay area in Papua on the Damai liveaboard (I will post a report on this new luxury benchmark boat later) and I would like you to take a look at this picture and try to identify this shrimp or its lack of identity.
We were on one of the first dives when our (Luisa and I) diveguide Wayan showed us this beautiful shrimp of which I took many pictures. For us it was a first time but we are not experts so figured it was one more beautiful shrimp living perfectly camouflaged in its environment. When we finished the dive we showed the picture to Burt Jones and Maureen Shimlock (who were leading the trip) and they were completely surprised as they had never seen it! (and these are the photographers who wrote the Raja Empat´s dive guide), so we dove again the same site and found the same specimen.
So, is it new? I hope that if it is, it gets Wayan´s on name it!:
Really nice !
What's that he is sitting on ? a sea cucumber ?
I'm betting the host is the tiger night anemone Nemanthus nitidius. In which case give my sympathy to Wayan, David. It's fairly well known but the camouflage coloration is so good most people never see it. The species name is Izucaris masudai, described from Japan and reported (or at least photographed) through Papua New Guinea & elsewhere. The color pattern always matches the host.
Thank you Leslie!
I think it is more of a Zebra striped Gorgonian wrapper colonial anemone Nemanthus Annamensis. I googled Izucaris masudai and it looks like it is the same or a "close relative" shrimp, although I found it different (I guess it could be the same species but with different camo colour/pattern). Here is another picture showing the anemone:
And this is a picture of a Izucaris masudai from the web:
Could be, David. From what my shrimp friends have told me about commensals every species of host could have a different set of obligate commensals. So far there's only 2 described species of Izucaris - masudai which has been reported from Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, PNG area and I. crosnieri which is only known from French Polynesia. The anemone's correct id is a whole other question. Doing a little more research I see that Nemanthus & a couple of other genera are so similar they have to be dissected to be correctly identified.
The bottom line, as usual, is that to figure out if something is really new specimens have to be collected & sent to a specialist.
I like the second shot. Nice capture none the less.
Cheers
Todd
The bottom line, as usual, is that to figure out if something is really new specimens have to be collected & sent to a specialist.
Now don't start giving people ideas. The airline regulations are tough enough without formaldehyde tottin' fame seekers going nuts on dive sites
Now don't start giving people ideas. The airline regulations are tough enough without formaldehyde tottin' fame seekers going nuts on dive sites
Yer - quite agree Drew - probably best to eat the shrimp on site.
Paul C
Really beautiful shrimp. Excellent subject for images.
Alex
Now don't start giving people ideas. The airline regulations are tough enough without formaldehyde tottin' fame seekers going nuts on dive sites
I wouldn't worry about it Drew - too many coral huggers on the boards. When I first joined I hoped people would collect (legally) but that's happened once in 6 years. Nowadays I mention the need for specimens just to emphasize that pictures alone - even great pictures - aren't enough for an accurate id.
Besides, preserved specimens can always be mailed!
I wouldn't worry about it Drew - too many coral huggers on the boards. When I first joined I hoped people would collect (legally) but that's happened once in 6 years. Nowadays I mention the need for specimens just to emphasize that pictures alone - even great pictures - aren't enough for an accurate id.
Besides, preserved specimens can always be mailed!
Would that one time in 6 YEARS have been us by chance Leslie? Just got back on island yesterday afternoon, Spent today settling in and getting the camera ready to start searching for the unidentified tomorrow..
all the best
Cindy
BTW David Great photo of a beautiful shrimp!!!!
I was in Triton Bay at the same time!!! Definitely phenomenal diving. I dove with the MSY Seahorse...we actually passed by the DAMAI outside of Kaimana....it does look like a very nice liveaboard! I have to say that after 25 dives in Triton Bay, my experience in R4 seemed underwhelming...not that there isn't good diving in Raja Ampat, but Triton diving is simply phenomenal!!! Perhaps next time I will begin my diving in R4 and then move on to Triton...
Would that one time in 6 YEARS have been us by chance Leslie? Just got back on island yesterday afternoon, Spent today settling in and getting the camera ready to start searching for the unidentified tomorrow..
all the best. Cindy
Yup, although I forgot Ellen Muller, shame on me & my bad memory. In both cases Cindy & Ellen did all the right things, hooked up with a specialist for advice, got permits, etc. The white footed shrimp isn't new (although the associated worms might be) but the information Cindy & her group brought in adds quite a bit to our knowledge of the species & will be eventually published. Ellen's beautiful nudibranch was undescribed & she got to choose the species name which is a combination of Bonaire & Ellen - Trapania bonellenaea http://www.pbase.com/imagine/trapania
I think this species is amazing. Would love to see more images
