A few critters from Thailand...

[huskychemist]

I've been meaning to post a few of these and I've been a bit of a slacker, so here they are:

All of these have been spotted in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Pattaya. (Either Koh Sak or Koh Larn) All in 5-15 msw, either on the sandy bottom or on coral reef. All photos were taken within the last month.



Critter Number 1: Pipefish of some sort. Can't find any like this in "Reef Fish Identification: Tropical Pacific." Any idaes on the species?

Critter Number 2: Seahorse. Also can't find a match for this in my books.

Critter Number 3: A sea urchin. (The one in the front.) Closest I can seem to get from my books is Prionocidaris verticillata, but I'm not convinced that's correct.

Critter Number 4: Seastar from the genus Luidia. The book I'm using says that Luidia maculata has 7-9 arms and Luidia magnifica has 9-10 rays. So of course I see the star with nine. Not sure how else to tell the difference...

Critter Number 5: My thought on this one: Leopard flounder, Bothus pantherinus. Am I correct? Any other ideas?

Critter Number 6: Cone shell. Can't seem to identify the species.

Critter Number 7: Unknown fish...my only thought is its body shape reminds me of a puffer or boxfish, but it just doesn't seem right. And I can't find it in any of my books.

Thanks for any help provided.

 

[huskychemist]

Looking through "Reef Fish Identification: Tropical Pacific" (Allen, Steene, Humann and DeLoach) I think I found critter #7.

I think it's a milkspotted puffer, Chelonodon patoca.


I'm still hoping some of you will chime in with help on the others.

Thanks.

 

[300bar]

Pic#1 is a pipefish or seaneedle(Syngnathus) family of the seahorse

 

[huskychemist]

Thanks for the response. Glad to get confirmation that it's a pipefish.


Any other thoughts out there on any of the critters here?

 

[Vie]

Critter Number 6 is a volute - Cymbiola nobilis.

 

[huskychemist]

Critter Number 6 is a volute - Cymbiola nobilis.

Vie,

Thanks for the ID. Of course, as soon as you give me the ID and I find it in my book, I slap my forhead and go "Duh!" But I didn't catch it the first time because I was focusing on the cone shells. The general consensus on the boat that day was that this was a cone shell (and therefore venomous). But in looking for more information on this snail, it doesn't appear to be a cone shell.

Thanks again.

Lowell