Never a dull moment at Goat Harbor, Catalina Island

Merry · Feb 24, 2012

Salp species, small comb jellies, tiny medusas, and the magnificent siphonophore, Apolemia, constantly appeared throughout our dive.

Apolemia is actually a unique "colony" made up of 9 highly specialized structures that function together as a single organism (or superorganism). This predator means business.
Stem
Pneumatophore - acts as a self-righting buoy
Nectophores - swimming bells for propulsion
Bracts - shields
Palpons - defense
Gastrozoids - digestive function, with side-branching Tentillae containing powerful, prey-zapping Nematocysts
Gonophores - reproduction

The biggest surprises were, well, the largest surprises. A colossal bat ray vanished as I circled around to get a shot. This angel shark was > 4 ft.

A wentletrap snail - possibly the money wentletrap, Epitonium indianorum. Paul? Kathy?

California phoronid, Phoronopsis californica

Peter Schuchert's siphonophore structure

FrankPro1 · Feb 25, 2012

Awesome! Love the detail on the Sea Hare. What's the small whisp's surrounding her head? Super unique wentletrap snail find! Thx for sharing your pics and thx for the Peter Schuchert's link

I'm a fiend for aquatic science.

drbill · Feb 25, 2012

Goat harbor can be a pretty awesome place to dive. I've seen as many as 7 angel sharks there on a single dive. Thanks for sharing, Merry.

Merry · Feb 26, 2012

Those wisps may be the False Spaghetti Worm, Frank. Leslie Harris would have to confirm this, but Phil found the genus Phyllochaetopterus in the family Chaetopteridae. The entire worm would have to be visible to make a definitive ID.

robint · Feb 26, 2012

note to self... request Goat Harbor next trip to Calif. (I have never seen an angel shark!)

robin

MaxBottomtime · Feb 26, 2012

Giant sea bass congregate there in August.

drbill · Feb 26, 2012

MaxBottomtime:
Giant sea bass congregate there in August.

Unfortunately so do too many divers. I think the ones around Goat Harbor may have been driven away from the Italian Gardens spot by diver pressure. No scientific data to support that, but it does seem that these incredible fish have dispersed from some of the sites they initially congregated at. I don't see as many courting pairs in the Casino Point Dive Park as I did 6-10 years ago.

MaxBottomtime · Feb 26, 2012

Two years ago we had a large invasion on the Star of Scotland wreck one mile off the Santa Monica Pier. I hadn't seen that many before nor since.
[youtubehq]sC1SyJiBNmE?hd=1[/youtubehq]

keithbt · Feb 27, 2012

goat harbor is one of our favorite spots on the island....I wanted to congradulate you on yor photo in California Dive News

Never a dull moment at Goat Harbor, Catalina Island

Please register or login

Merry

Contributor

FrankPro1

Contributor

drbill

The Lorax for the Kelp Forest

Merry

Contributor

robint

Contributor

MaxBottomtime

Contributor

drbill

The Lorax for the Kelp Forest

MaxBottomtime

Contributor

keithbt

Contributor

Similar threads