Hi all.
They're at last here. The production models have been in field tests for a little while and are holding up well. Its time to release the announcement. They're here, they're here, they're here!!
The first edition run of an excellent guide to our local Nudibranchs: the Southern California Nudibranch Lineup reference sheets.
These sheets are designed to allow divers of all experience levels to quickly and effectively identify the most common Nudibranchs in our local waters, as well as discern the primary identifying features of similar looking species. If you dive locally or are visiting Southern California, these cards are an excellent resource.
Features of the Southern California Nudibranch Lineup include:
Design - "The Tiles"
What makes these cards really work is the tile design we've employed for each Nudi. A couple of rows from Card #001 below show the reference information you'll receive on each species.
Each single-species "tile" features:
The tiles are oriented on the card so Nudis with similar features and/or colors - or Nudis that are easily confused with each other, are set on the card in near horizontal or vertical proximity so you can start to better tell them apart.
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.
.
.
.
SlugJunkie - Home of Nudibranch Nation
SlugJunkie.com is a site I'm launching this week that will support users of the card, and general Nudi lovers all over. Its a Nudibranch fan site that will be loaded with zillions of high-quality images, all cataloged in an easy-to-search format - featuring Nudis in all stages from egg to silly juvenile to wacky adult. It will also feature most of the color variants of each Nudi (example: Sandy can vary from White-WHITE to almost buff. Lemons range from yellow to raging orange, etc.)
Slugjunkie is a Nudibranch site unlike any other, as its not a scientific site. Not by a long shot. Its a fan site, conceived and run by a slugjunkie - by a fan (uh, that would be me...)
It has a blog and lots lots of fun features. It has lots of gorgeous photos and most of all, its going to be a fun place to celebrate the slug.
If you've read my posts over the years, and if you've seen my Nudibranch photos, you kind of get the idea of what to expect. Basically, if the photography of National Geographic and the blogging of TMZ had a love child, it would be SlugJunkie.
.
.
.
.
.
There will be a third Lineup card coming (#003) in late Spring. This one will feature some of the more fringe, lesser seen Nudi's we have around here. However, the first two Lineup cards are loaded with slugs you can see on virtually any dive from Monterey to San Diego and will be an excellent, usable resource for any diver looking for Nudis in our local waters.
This has been a long time coming. Many years, tens-of-thousands of Nudi shots and a lot of work. My principal dive buddy Claudette Dorsey has been instrumental in the creation of these Lineups - not just as a consultant in the collection and selection of the shots, but in also field testing the prototypes, the design and orientation of the tiles, the information presented, and has essentially been in charge of the entire general usability study.
The current version has her paw prints all over it and has been receiving very high marks, so its time to smash the champagne over some slug's dome and get this thing out there.
If you're a fan of slugdom, you're gonna dig the lineup sheets.
Send me a PM if you'd like more information or are interested in them. I'd love to hear from you.
Thanks
---
Ken
They're at last here. The production models have been in field tests for a little while and are holding up well. Its time to release the announcement. They're here, they're here, they're here!!
The first edition run of an excellent guide to our local Nudibranchs: the Southern California Nudibranch Lineup reference sheets.
These sheets are designed to allow divers of all experience levels to quickly and effectively identify the most common Nudibranchs in our local waters, as well as discern the primary identifying features of similar looking species. If you dive locally or are visiting Southern California, these cards are an excellent resource.
Features of the Southern California Nudibranch Lineup include:
- Convenient size - 6" X 9", with a portrait orientation - so it will fit into most any standard log book
- Very heavy duty 10 mil Laminate - making the card completely waterproof and virtually indestructible
- Large, clear, sharp photographs that provide both fidelity of color and primary identifying features
- Two sided. Card #001 features 24 Nudis - 12 on a side (3 X 4). This limited number allows me to make the photos large enough to be meaningful. Card #002 features 22 Nudis with the two common Navanax species added.
- Cards #001 and #002 are sold as a set for $20, delivered.
Design - "The Tiles"
What makes these cards really work is the tile design we've employed for each Nudi. A couple of rows from Card #001 below show the reference information you'll receive on each species.
Each single-species "tile" features:
- Accepted Common Name
- Scientific Name
- General Color
- The Page number in David Behrens' amazing book, "Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs" (3rd Edition)
- General Skin Type (Flowing Hair, Furry, Bumpy, Smooth)
- General Size (Tiny, Small, Large, Huge)
- An orientation arrow so you can tell from the picture which is heads or tails
- Additional Info - this will assist in providing a few words that will allow the user to quickly and confidently identify the animal they've just seen.
- SJ Number - this is the SlugJunkie website reference number
The tiles are oriented on the card so Nudis with similar features and/or colors - or Nudis that are easily confused with each other, are set on the card in near horizontal or vertical proximity so you can start to better tell them apart.
.
.
.
.
.
SlugJunkie - Home of Nudibranch Nation
SlugJunkie.com is a site I'm launching this week that will support users of the card, and general Nudi lovers all over. Its a Nudibranch fan site that will be loaded with zillions of high-quality images, all cataloged in an easy-to-search format - featuring Nudis in all stages from egg to silly juvenile to wacky adult. It will also feature most of the color variants of each Nudi (example: Sandy can vary from White-WHITE to almost buff. Lemons range from yellow to raging orange, etc.)
Slugjunkie is a Nudibranch site unlike any other, as its not a scientific site. Not by a long shot. Its a fan site, conceived and run by a slugjunkie - by a fan (uh, that would be me...)
It has a blog and lots lots of fun features. It has lots of gorgeous photos and most of all, its going to be a fun place to celebrate the slug.
If you've read my posts over the years, and if you've seen my Nudibranch photos, you kind of get the idea of what to expect. Basically, if the photography of National Geographic and the blogging of TMZ had a love child, it would be SlugJunkie.
.
.
.
.
.
There will be a third Lineup card coming (#003) in late Spring. This one will feature some of the more fringe, lesser seen Nudi's we have around here. However, the first two Lineup cards are loaded with slugs you can see on virtually any dive from Monterey to San Diego and will be an excellent, usable resource for any diver looking for Nudis in our local waters.
This has been a long time coming. Many years, tens-of-thousands of Nudi shots and a lot of work. My principal dive buddy Claudette Dorsey has been instrumental in the creation of these Lineups - not just as a consultant in the collection and selection of the shots, but in also field testing the prototypes, the design and orientation of the tiles, the information presented, and has essentially been in charge of the entire general usability study.
The current version has her paw prints all over it and has been receiving very high marks, so its time to smash the champagne over some slug's dome and get this thing out there.
If you're a fan of slugdom, you're gonna dig the lineup sheets.
Send me a PM if you'd like more information or are interested in them. I'd love to hear from you.
Thanks
---
Ken
