Small black bivalves encrust some of the boulders. No idea what they are.
Green mussels (Perna viridis). Many of the boulders were thick with them. I wonder if its natural or a result of animal releasing practices.
Hidden in the green mussels were tiny crabs.
Stone crab giving me the evil eye.
Onchs seem to be tough slugs that inhabit virtually any shore rocky areas.
The sand under the boulders seem to be thick with black stuff as well as white filamentous possibly some sort of bacteria?
Some of the boulders were also encrusted with something looking like tiny versions of Pavona coral.
A large stone crab that had nested itself under a boulder.
Tiny porcelain crabs could be found under the rocks too. This one seemed unfortunate enough to lose both its claws. Sometimes I worry if it was the act of turning over the rock that caused it.
Many of these black sea urchins could be found among the rocks.
Drill snails (Muricidae) too. These snails seem to be laying eggs together.
Spiral melongena (Pugilina cochlidium) eggs.
Climber crabs could be found scurrying up and down the pillars of the jetty. Occasionally one would plunge into the waves, possibly in panic at the human presence.
The pillars were also home to many tiny yet colorful anemones (Diadumene sp.?). They look like tiny gems and come in a variety of colors.
On the opposite side of the jetty was a rubbly shore inhabited by carpets of tiny organisms like these anemones (Anthopleura sp?).
These pale gentle hydroids were also home to many really tiny crustaceans, snails and other creatures.
A closer look at some of the organisms living on the hydroids. Around the snail seemed to be a couple of shrimp-like creatures. The tiny world seems to be a fascinating place indeed.
Hoof shield limpets (Scutus sp.) were occasionally found under the rocks here.
Sea spiders (Pantopoda). They seem to be quite common on this shore. They are tiny creatures with a splayed leg span of less than 1 cm. They are not true spiders, belonging in a different class of organisms (Pycnogonida). Oceanwideimages has some pretty amazing photos of sea spiders.
A closer look at a sea spider.
Kok Sheng found this rock star, a pair of nudibranchs (Dendrodoris fumata) and shrimp under some of the rocks.
The shrimps seem to come in purple as well.
Under the rocks were also strange egg-like gelatinous layers which are possibly ascidians.
Kok Sheng pointed out this beautiful growth
Ascidians carpet this shore.
Closer look at one of the ascidian lumps.
Toadfish.
Kok Sheng also found small patches of Halophila seagrass. Not sure if they are H. ovalis or H. decipiens.
This is one shore crawling with completely unshy brittlestars.
Not sure what that white stuff next to the disc is.
Henrietta pointed out to us the sunset which I would have missed had she not done so.
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