More California Muck Diving

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Some fringe benefits of cold water:

 

[Cacia]

Fringehead Blenny is too funny! He looks like he has antlers or a hatrack on his head!

 

[RichKirby]

Gorgeous nudis! Thanks for sharing. The "warm water wussie" in me still has a problem thinking about diving in 53 degree water in July, though!

I agree. Great photos, but I'm with :lol:

 

[Larry C]

What kind of anemones are those? They look like the metridium we get up here, but not the tendrils.

PS: 53 is pretty toasty. Most of my dives this summer have been 50-52, with a couple in the upper 40's. This weekend we saw 54, the normal winter temp, and it felt positively warm.

 

[parabolic]

Larry - I have always thought they were metridium senile, just smaller than the ones you get in Monterey (and farther north). I have seen some in the San Juans and in Alaska that are 3 feet tall. These in Morro Bay are about 6-8 inches tall. Even in my drysuit 53 didn't seem very toasty after an hour at 30fsw.

 

[Larry C]

This is what I'm used to seeing.

These have the "Cauliflower" top. Your picture looks more like a bunch of small anemones mounted on a stalk. I'll have to check the internet id spots for any differentiation.

After checking around, there are apparently several varieties of Metridium Senile, as well as different colors. A couple of the varieties are Pallidum and Dianthus. I couldn't find any specific name for the finer top ones we have here. All the pic's just said Metridium Senile.

After further research, ours are Metridium Giganteum.

 

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Larry - 2 little ones:

 

[Larry C]

Now I'm racking my brain trying to figure out the budwiser ad that goes with the picture!

 

[parabolic]

Me too. Haven't got it yet, somehow nothing works with the horses or the women!

 

[Larry C]

I apologize for taking liberties. (And for my bad photoshop skills) I'll delete it if you want.