Pipefish
We had a lot of luck finding seahorses at St Helens recently. But they weren’t the only interesting critters we found. We were at St Helens for around three hours so could take our time. This led us to find species that we normally wouldn’t.
I haven’t tried to identify most of the pipefish. I had a quick look at the Port Phillip Bay marine life website but only have a basic understanding of the species.
I think the below three photos are of a Spotted Pipefish, or Stigmatopora argus. I’ve also decided there are too many pipefish species!
The above doesn’t look like a pipefish, but I’m not sure what it would be.
Cowfish
Seth found a couple of smaller cowfish, which is becoming a frequent find. I *think* the above is one. I have difficulty getting clear photos of them due to how fast they move.
Sea Squirt
Seth found this solitary ascidian, which I thought was interesting. I always try to get photos of any transparent sea squirts as I know the internal organs are a key diagnostic feature.
A friend said it could be Corella eumyota due to the C-shaped gut loop. As expected, I was too amused by a sea squirt having the same name as a cockatoo.
Smaller Creatures
We gravitate towards the larger creatures when looking for marine life. This trip, Seth focused a bit more on some of the smaller specimens.
He found two small brittle stars which were only 1cm in length. He was really impressed the level of detail I was able to get with the Olympus TG6 using the micro feature. If only I could figure out the best setting for the rest of the time!
This trip really opened up my eyes to the sheer variety of life we get in this small area. I’ve been so besotted with the ascidians that I’ve ignored the rest.
