Rudolph, the reindeer wrasse...
had a very long dorsal spine... (join in if you know it!)
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Juvenile reindeer wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus) have two prolonged dorsal spines. Adults of the species are not nearly as festive, without the long spines after reaching maturity.
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For more holiday musical inspiration, check out the
harp sponge (
Chondrocladia lyra) a carnivorous species recently discovered in deep waters (>10,000 feet) off the coast of California. This deep-sea predator captures tiny animals that are swept into its branches by deep-sea currents.
After all that music, you're probably ready for a holiday snack. Allow me to introduce the
cookie star (
Ceramaster patagonicus).
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The cookie star
Photo: Echinoblog
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Consider decorating your holiday cookies without icing this year, and you'll have an excellent copy. This well- decorated animal inhabits deep waters of the Southern and Pacific Oceans and dines on sponges, including the deliciously-named chocolate puffball sponge (
Latrunculia austini).
But don't count on the
cookie cutter shark (
Isistius sp.) to help with your holiday baking. The cookie cutter shark is named because of its unusual feeding habit of gouging out round holes from larger animals, including marine mammals, fishes, and even a few unlucky humans- yikes! Thankfully, the largest ever recorded specimen is only 42 cm (~16 inches) long.
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(Left) Cookie cutter shark (copyright George Burgess). (Right) Examples of cookie cutter shark bites in fishes. Ba-Humbug!
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Pinecone fish are from the family Monocentridae. Their distribution is limited to tropical
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Source: FishWise Professional
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and sub-tropical waters of
the Indo-Pacific. Because of their unusual appearance, they are popular with aquarists, but are notoriously difficult to maintain in captivity, so
you can't count on incorporating them into your holiday decorations. Holiday dinner party
FUN FACT- On either side of the lower jaw is a bioluminescent organ called a photophore- a pale light is produced by symbiotic bacteria in the organ, and the color of the light varies from orange by day to blue-green at night.
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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...If you're vacationing in warmer waters than those around New England, you might encounter these white-spotted reminders of winter. The
Snowflake Moray (
Echidna nebulosa, below at left) is widespread on coral reefs in the tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the Americas, and the mouth of the Gulf of California to Colombia, and all the oceanic islands. The
Snowy Grouper (
Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus, below at right) also occurs in warm coral-rich areas, commonly in or near caves. This species is a likely find at live fish markets in Hong Kong.
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Photos: D. Ross Robertson (left) and J.E. Randall (right)
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The frosted nudibranch (
Dirona albolineata) is just too beautiful not to mention. Despite it's delicate appearance, it is a ferocious predator.
Watch a video of this beautiful marine creature to learn more.
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Photo: California Academy of Sciences
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And yes, it does "snow" in the ocean, at least if you count
marine snow, made of decaying marine plants and animals, sand, soot, inorganic dust and waste falling to the ocean floor. Once it reaches the darkest parts of the ocean, it becomes a very important energy source for the deep sea ecosystem. Check out this cool posting with
videos of a marine snowstorm.
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For more holiday fun, check out the
12 Days of Fishmas
