Muddy Changi

I decided to take a breather from all the worrying of my written exams (which I completed yesterday with some worries) and all the other stressors... Back to the shores around us... Did you know that just on the mainland, there are possibly more than 30 sites that you can easily visit? haha... Go look at the Google Maps and see if you can find these places... For the coming LSM3254 - Aquatic and Freshwater Biology, students are asked to visit a shore and present a poster on the shore --> Sell your shore! I'm looking forward to this batch's works. :)

Just not too far from my area, Changi has always been star-studded (literally)... I believe that just around Changi itself, I have seen at least 10 different seastars! haha... Let's find out what this muddy shore has installed for us...

Wiggling small octopuses were squirming around in the shallow pools. This fellow here was trying to escape! It kept going in circles though... I made note that this critter started to wrap a bundle of silt/mud and started filtering it and producing this turbid water! I'm wondering if it's a way to camouflage itself from me!

The blue-lined flatworms were mostly stuck on the surfaces of the rocks or under the rubble...

The common Gymnodoris nudibranch usually found near seagrass beds...

Nicholas came with us on the trip in search of the 'brown' Peachia anemone... I had a hard time identifying it! And it's said to be quite rare! Cool! This one below is however an Anthopleura sp.

The peacock anemone is not a true anemone... Ria mentioned that the Phoroid worms around them are common and usually white! The black morphs are the first sighting! Nice... This is my first time noting their presence around the peacock nems... I should hone my observation skills even more!

The Spearman's mantis shrimp sitting outside its home...

A juvenile horseshoe crab decided to join in the muddy fun... I was having a hard time just trying to take each step without getting stuck! I wished I was flat with a larger surface area, crawling on the substrate like the horseshoe crab. :P

Ah... Here comes the 'stars'! Orange morph crown seastar (Asterina sp.)

Brown morph crown seastar

Luidia seastar!! Uncommon.

Plain sand star (Astropecten indicus)

I think this is a cake seastar...

Clammy! This venus clam decided to do a leaping performance with its large foot (right of photo). This leaping behaviour is used for both locomotion and escape response when a crab comes along!

Lastly, another uncommon sea cucumber with stubby feeding tentacles... It retracted into the substrate after one shot... Zzz! haha...

Stay tune to another post! :D