Nembrotha chamberlaini, Green Island, Philippines by Sergio Discepolo 2010 Nembrotha chamberlaini is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 1997. This species is known only from the Philippines and Indonesia. Nembrotha chamberlaini is white with streaks of black and occasionally yellow splashed across the upper mantle. It has very distinctive bright red gills and rhinophores. The foot and mouth parts are typically light-purple. This nudibranch has a very characteristic color pattern which is typical of species that display warning coloration to other species. Nembrotha chamberlaini is easily confused with Nembrotha aurea and Nembrotha purpureolineata. All three species have a similar range of color variation although N. aurea often has orange patches not present in Nembrotha chamberlaini. N. chamberlaini can reach a length of 100 mm. This species feeds on ascidians and tunicates. It has been seen feeding on the bright-blue ascidian, Rhopalaea sp, as well as other ascidians Clavelina sp., & Oxycorynia sp. Notes from Wikipedia
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Nembrotha chamberlaini, Green Island, Philippines

by Sergio Discepolo 2010

Nembrotha chamberlaini is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 1997.

This species is known only from the Philippines and Indonesia.

Nembrotha chamberlaini is white with streaks of black and occasionally yellow splashed across the upper mantle. It has very distinctive bright red gills and rhinophores. The foot and mouth parts are typically light-purple. This nudibranch has a very characteristic color pattern which is typical of species that display warning coloration to other species.

Nembrotha chamberlaini is easily confused with Nembrotha aurea and Nembrotha purpureolineata. All three species have a similar range of color variation although N. aurea often has orange patches not present in Nembrotha chamberlaini.

N. chamberlaini can reach a length of 100 mm.

This species feeds on ascidians and tunicates. It has been seen feeding on the bright-blue ascidian, Rhopalaea sp, as well as other ascidians Clavelina sp., & Oxycorynia sp.

Notes from Wikipedia

Falco Hawkfish or dwarf hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco by Giorgio Giampieri 2012 Malapascua Philippines The  Falco Hawkfish or dwarf hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco, is a hawkfish of the family Cirrhitidae found across the Indo West Pacific oceans from the Philippines to Japan, Samoa, the Barrier Reef, and New Caldonia. The spotted hawkfish can reach a maximum length of 7cm. They are red-pink and white in color and they have tassles on the tip of their dorsal fins. They inhabit tropical reefs and they feed on very small fish and benthic invertebrates.
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Falco Hawkfish or dwarf hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco

by Giorgio Giampieri 2012

Malapascua Philippines

The  Falco Hawkfish or dwarf hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco, is a hawkfish of the family Cirrhitidae found across the Indo West Pacific oceans from the Philippines to Japan, Samoa, the Barrier Reef, and New Caldonia. The spotted hawkfish can reach a maximum length of 7cm. They are red-pink and white in color and they have tassles on the tip of their dorsal fins.

They inhabit tropical reefs and they feed on very small fish and benthic invertebrates.

Nembrotha milleri Puerto Galera Philippines By Sergio Discepolo 2010 Nembrotha milleri is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species occurs in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean. There is another nudibranch species known only as Nembrotha sp. 14 in East Africa which may be a form of Nembrotha milleri. This animal can reach a total length of at least 60 mm. It has a grey-green to dark green body with blackish longitudinal wrinkles running down the length of the body. A different color form with pale yellowish green background has been observed around Taiwan. The rhinophores and gills are typically black. Nembrotha milleri feeds on ascidians and tunicates. It has been seen feeding on the green-ringed ascidian, Sigillina signifera. Notes from Wikipedia
Nembrotha milleri Puerto Galera Philippines By Sergio Discepolo 2010 Nembrotha milleri is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species occurs in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean. There is another nudibranch species known only as Nembrotha sp. 14 in East Africa which may be a form of Nembrotha milleri. This animal can reach a total length of at least 60 mm. It has a grey-green to dark green body with blackish longitudinal wrinkles running down the length of the body. A different color form with pale yellowish green background has been observed around Taiwan. The rhinophores and gills are typically black. Nembrotha milleri feeds on ascidians and tunicates. It has been seen feeding on the green-ringed ascidian, Sigillina signifera. Notes from Wikipedia

Nembrotha milleri

Puerto Galera Philippines

By Sergio Discepolo 2010

Nembrotha milleri is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species occurs in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean. There is another nudibranch species known only as Nembrotha sp. 14 in East Africa which may be a form of Nembrotha milleri.

This animal can reach a total length of at least 60 mm. It has a grey-green to dark green body with blackish longitudinal wrinkles running down the length of the body. A different color form with pale yellowish green background has been observed around Taiwan. The rhinophores and gills are typically black.

Nembrotha milleri feeds on ascidians and tunicates. It has been seen feeding on the green-ringed ascidian, Sigillina signifera.

Notes from Wikipedia

Dardanus is a genus of hermit crabs belonging to the Diogenidae family, containing several species. The decapods or Decapoda (literally “ten-footed”) are an order of  crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such ascrayfish,  crabs,  lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is estimated to contain nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera. As the name Decapoda (from the Greek δέκα, deca-, “ten”, and πούς / ποδός, -pod, “foot”) implies, all decapods have ten legs. These are in the form of five pairs of thoracic appendages on the last five thoracic segments. The front three pairs function as mouthparts and are generally referred to as maxillipeds; the remainder are pereiopods. In many decapods, however, one pair of legs has enlarged pincers; the claws are called chelae, so those legs may be called chelipeds. Further appendages are found on the abdomen, with each segment capable of carrying a pair of biramous pleopods, the last of which form part of the tail fan (together with the telson) and are called uropods. The Malacostraca are the largest class of crustaceans and more evolved. There are two families of crabs: the Diogenidae family, with claws equal or more developed than the left, and Paguridae with claw right largest. The hermit crab is represented by hundreds of species founds in all seas. Unlike his peers such as crabs and shrimp, the hermit crab is not protected by the carapace and his abdomen is soft. So, he is forced to live, practically from birth, inside dead shells. Like all crustaceans, hermit crabs grow to make wetsuits. However this is not sufficient for them, because their growth is necessarily bound to the type of refuge they can find: to be able to increase in size, in fact, must often change shell, choosing, possibly, larger ones and light. The lightness of the shell is still a parameter that considered with caution, because the thinner shells are easier to carry but also easier to be crushed by a possible predator. The volume of the structures is instead a particularly important parameter for females during the breeding season, as it often determines the number of eggs they may release. Are not rare cases where the hermit crabs cover their “home” with camouflage structures or defense, such as sponges and coelenterates. This particular coexistence between species is called symbiosis. In particular, the coexistence between the sponge and the crab provides benefits to both: the stinging cells  protect the crab from enemies, while the sea anemone can get scraps of food that the his host disperses in the water and move using the movement of the hermit crab (usually the sea anemones live in a fixed point). Sometimes this coexistence is so driven, that some species of hermit crab can live only with certain species of sea anemones. The dimensions of the hermit crab are limited and, however, vary with the species. For example, the Pagurus arrosor is about 80 mm long.
Dardanus is a genus of hermit crabs belonging to the Diogenidae family, containing several species. The decapods or Decapoda (literally “ten-footed”) are an order of  crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such ascrayfish,  crabs,  lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is estimated to contain nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera. As the name Decapoda (from the Greek δέκα, deca-, “ten”, and πούς / ποδός, -pod, “foot”) implies, all decapods have ten legs. These are in the form of five pairs of thoracic appendages on the last five thoracic segments. The front three pairs function as mouthparts and are generally referred to as maxillipeds; the remainder are pereiopods. In many decapods, however, one pair of legs has enlarged pincers; the claws are called chelae, so those legs may be called chelipeds. Further appendages are found on the abdomen, with each segment capable of carrying a pair of biramous pleopods, the last of which form part of the tail fan (together with the telson) and are called uropods. The Malacostraca are the largest class of crustaceans and more evolved. There are two families of crabs: the Diogenidae family, with claws equal or more developed than the left, and Paguridae with claw right largest. The hermit crab is represented by hundreds of species founds in all seas. Unlike his peers such as crabs and shrimp, the hermit crab is not protected by the carapace and his abdomen is soft. So, he is forced to live, practically from birth, inside dead shells. Like all crustaceans, hermit crabs grow to make wetsuits. However this is not sufficient for them, because their growth is necessarily bound to the type of refuge they can find: to be able to increase in size, in fact, must often change shell, choosing, possibly, larger ones and light. The lightness of the shell is still a parameter that considered with caution, because the thinner shells are easier to carry but also easier to be crushed by a possible predator. The volume of the structures is instead a particularly important parameter for females during the breeding season, as it often determines the number of eggs they may release. Are not rare cases where the hermit crabs cover their “home” with camouflage structures or defense, such as sponges and coelenterates. This particular coexistence between species is called symbiosis. In particular, the coexistence between the sponge and the crab provides benefits to both: the stinging cells  protect the crab from enemies, while the sea anemone can get scraps of food that the his host disperses in the water and move using the movement of the hermit crab (usually the sea anemones live in a fixed point). Sometimes this coexistence is so driven, that some species of hermit crab can live only with certain species of sea anemones. The dimensions of the hermit crab are limited and, however, vary with the species. For example, the Pagurus arrosor is about 80 mm long.
Dardanus is a genus of hermit crabs belonging to the Diogenidae family, containing several species. The decapods or Decapoda (literally “ten-footed”) are an order of  crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such ascrayfish,  crabs,  lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is estimated to contain nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera. As the name Decapoda (from the Greek δέκα, deca-, “ten”, and πούς / ποδός, -pod, “foot”) implies, all decapods have ten legs. These are in the form of five pairs of thoracic appendages on the last five thoracic segments. The front three pairs function as mouthparts and are generally referred to as maxillipeds; the remainder are pereiopods. In many decapods, however, one pair of legs has enlarged pincers; the claws are called chelae, so those legs may be called chelipeds. Further appendages are found on the abdomen, with each segment capable of carrying a pair of biramous pleopods, the last of which form part of the tail fan (together with the telson) and are called uropods. The Malacostraca are the largest class of crustaceans and more evolved. There are two families of crabs: the Diogenidae family, with claws equal or more developed than the left, and Paguridae with claw right largest. The hermit crab is represented by hundreds of species founds in all seas. Unlike his peers such as crabs and shrimp, the hermit crab is not protected by the carapace and his abdomen is soft. So, he is forced to live, practically from birth, inside dead shells. Like all crustaceans, hermit crabs grow to make wetsuits. However this is not sufficient for them, because their growth is necessarily bound to the type of refuge they can find: to be able to increase in size, in fact, must often change shell, choosing, possibly, larger ones and light. The lightness of the shell is still a parameter that considered with caution, because the thinner shells are easier to carry but also easier to be crushed by a possible predator. The volume of the structures is instead a particularly important parameter for females during the breeding season, as it often determines the number of eggs they may release. Are not rare cases where the hermit crabs cover their “home” with camouflage structures or defense, such as sponges and coelenterates. This particular coexistence between species is called symbiosis. In particular, the coexistence between the sponge and the crab provides benefits to both: the stinging cells  protect the crab from enemies, while the sea anemone can get scraps of food that the his host disperses in the water and move using the movement of the hermit crab (usually the sea anemones live in a fixed point). Sometimes this coexistence is so driven, that some species of hermit crab can live only with certain species of sea anemones. The dimensions of the hermit crab are limited and, however, vary with the species. For example, the Pagurus arrosor is about 80 mm long.
Dardanus is a genus of hermit crabs belonging to the Diogenidae family, containing several species. The decapods or Decapoda (literally “ten-footed”) are an order of  crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such ascrayfish,  crabs,  lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is estimated to contain nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera. As the name Decapoda (from the Greek δέκα, deca-, “ten”, and πούς / ποδός, -pod, “foot”) implies, all decapods have ten legs. These are in the form of five pairs of thoracic appendages on the last five thoracic segments. The front three pairs function as mouthparts and are generally referred to as maxillipeds; the remainder are pereiopods. In many decapods, however, one pair of legs has enlarged pincers; the claws are called chelae, so those legs may be called chelipeds. Further appendages are found on the abdomen, with each segment capable of carrying a pair of biramous pleopods, the last of which form part of the tail fan (together with the telson) and are called uropods. The Malacostraca are the largest class of crustaceans and more evolved. There are two families of crabs: the Diogenidae family, with claws equal or more developed than the left, and Paguridae with claw right largest. The hermit crab is represented by hundreds of species founds in all seas. Unlike his peers such as crabs and shrimp, the hermit crab is not protected by the carapace and his abdomen is soft. So, he is forced to live, practically from birth, inside dead shells. Like all crustaceans, hermit crabs grow to make wetsuits. However this is not sufficient for them, because their growth is necessarily bound to the type of refuge they can find: to be able to increase in size, in fact, must often change shell, choosing, possibly, larger ones and light. The lightness of the shell is still a parameter that considered with caution, because the thinner shells are easier to carry but also easier to be crushed by a possible predator. The volume of the structures is instead a particularly important parameter for females during the breeding season, as it often determines the number of eggs they may release. Are not rare cases where the hermit crabs cover their “home” with camouflage structures or defense, such as sponges and coelenterates. This particular coexistence between species is called symbiosis. In particular, the coexistence between the sponge and the crab provides benefits to both: the stinging cells  protect the crab from enemies, while the sea anemone can get scraps of food that the his host disperses in the water and move using the movement of the hermit crab (usually the sea anemones live in a fixed point). Sometimes this coexistence is so driven, that some species of hermit crab can live only with certain species of sea anemones. The dimensions of the hermit crab are limited and, however, vary with the species. For example, the Pagurus arrosor is about 80 mm long.
Dardanus is a genus of hermit crabs belonging to the Diogenidae family, containing several species. The decapods or Decapoda (literally “ten-footed”) are an order of  crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such ascrayfish,  crabs,  lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is estimated to contain nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera. As the name Decapoda (from the Greek δέκα, deca-, “ten”, and πούς / ποδός, -pod, “foot”) implies, all decapods have ten legs. These are in the form of five pairs of thoracic appendages on the last five thoracic segments. The front three pairs function as mouthparts and are generally referred to as maxillipeds; the remainder are pereiopods. In many decapods, however, one pair of legs has enlarged pincers; the claws are called chelae, so those legs may be called chelipeds. Further appendages are found on the abdomen, with each segment capable of carrying a pair of biramous pleopods, the last of which form part of the tail fan (together with the telson) and are called uropods. The Malacostraca are the largest class of crustaceans and more evolved. There are two families of crabs: the Diogenidae family, with claws equal or more developed than the left, and Paguridae with claw right largest. The hermit crab is represented by hundreds of species founds in all seas. Unlike his peers such as crabs and shrimp, the hermit crab is not protected by the carapace and his abdomen is soft. So, he is forced to live, practically from birth, inside dead shells. Like all crustaceans, hermit crabs grow to make wetsuits. However this is not sufficient for them, because their growth is necessarily bound to the type of refuge they can find: to be able to increase in size, in fact, must often change shell, choosing, possibly, larger ones and light. The lightness of the shell is still a parameter that considered with caution, because the thinner shells are easier to carry but also easier to be crushed by a possible predator. The volume of the structures is instead a particularly important parameter for females during the breeding season, as it often determines the number of eggs they may release. Are not rare cases where the hermit crabs cover their “home” with camouflage structures or defense, such as sponges and coelenterates. This particular coexistence between species is called symbiosis. In particular, the coexistence between the sponge and the crab provides benefits to both: the stinging cells  protect the crab from enemies, while the sea anemone can get scraps of food that the his host disperses in the water and move using the movement of the hermit crab (usually the sea anemones live in a fixed point). Sometimes this coexistence is so driven, that some species of hermit crab can live only with certain species of sea anemones. The dimensions of the hermit crab are limited and, however, vary with the species. For example, the Pagurus arrosor is about 80 mm long.
Dardanus is a genus of hermit crabs belonging to the Diogenidae family, containing several species. The decapods or Decapoda (literally “ten-footed”) are an order of  crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such ascrayfish,  crabs,  lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is estimated to contain nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera. As the name Decapoda (from the Greek δέκα, deca-, “ten”, and πούς / ποδός, -pod, “foot”) implies, all decapods have ten legs. These are in the form of five pairs of thoracic appendages on the last five thoracic segments. The front three pairs function as mouthparts and are generally referred to as maxillipeds; the remainder are pereiopods. In many decapods, however, one pair of legs has enlarged pincers; the claws are called chelae, so those legs may be called chelipeds. Further appendages are found on the abdomen, with each segment capable of carrying a pair of biramous pleopods, the last of which form part of the tail fan (together with the telson) and are called uropods. The Malacostraca are the largest class of crustaceans and more evolved. There are two families of crabs: the Diogenidae family, with claws equal or more developed than the left, and Paguridae with claw right largest. The hermit crab is represented by hundreds of species founds in all seas. Unlike his peers such as crabs and shrimp, the hermit crab is not protected by the carapace and his abdomen is soft. So, he is forced to live, practically from birth, inside dead shells. Like all crustaceans, hermit crabs grow to make wetsuits. However this is not sufficient for them, because their growth is necessarily bound to the type of refuge they can find: to be able to increase in size, in fact, must often change shell, choosing, possibly, larger ones and light. The lightness of the shell is still a parameter that considered with caution, because the thinner shells are easier to carry but also easier to be crushed by a possible predator. The volume of the structures is instead a particularly important parameter for females during the breeding season, as it often determines the number of eggs they may release. Are not rare cases where the hermit crabs cover their “home” with camouflage structures or defense, such as sponges and coelenterates. This particular coexistence between species is called symbiosis. In particular, the coexistence between the sponge and the crab provides benefits to both: the stinging cells  protect the crab from enemies, while the sea anemone can get scraps of food that the his host disperses in the water and move using the movement of the hermit crab (usually the sea anemones live in a fixed point). Sometimes this coexistence is so driven, that some species of hermit crab can live only with certain species of sea anemones. The dimensions of the hermit crab are limited and, however, vary with the species. For example, the Pagurus arrosor is about 80 mm long.

Dardanus is a genus of hermit crabs belonging to the Diogenidae family, containing several species.

The decapods or Decapoda (literally “ten-footed”) are an order of  crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such ascrayfish,  crabs,  lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is estimated to contain nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera. As the name Decapoda (from the Greek δέκα, deca-, “ten”, and πούς / ποδός, -pod, “foot”) implies, all decapods have ten legs. These are in the form of five pairs of thoracic appendages on the last five thoracic segments. The front three pairs function as mouthparts and are generally referred to as maxillipeds; the remainder are pereiopods. In many decapods, however, one pair of legs has enlarged pincers; the claws are called chelae, so those legs may be called chelipeds. Further appendages are found on the abdomen, with each segment capable of carrying a pair of biramous pleopods, the last of which form part of the tail fan (together with the telson) and are called uropods.

The Malacostraca are the largest class of crustaceans and more evolved. There are two families of crabs: the Diogenidae family, with claws equal or more developed than the left, and Paguridae with claw right largest. The hermit crab is represented by hundreds of species founds in all seas.

Unlike his peers such as crabs and shrimp, the hermit crab is not protected by the carapace and his abdomen is soft. So, he is forced to live, practically from birth, inside dead shells. Like all crustaceans, hermit crabs grow to make wetsuits. However this is not sufficient for them, because their growth is necessarily bound to the type of refuge they can find: to be able to increase in size, in fact, must often change shell, choosing, possibly, larger ones and light. The lightness of the shell is still a parameter that considered with caution, because the thinner shells are easier to carry but also easier to be crushed by a possible predator. The volume of the structures is instead a particularly important parameter for females during the breeding season, as it often determines the number of eggs they may release. Are not rare cases where the hermit crabs cover their “home” with camouflage structures or defense, such as sponges and coelenterates. This particular coexistence between species is called symbiosis. In particular, the coexistence between the sponge and the crab provides benefits to both: the stinging cells  protect the crab from enemies, while the sea anemone can get scraps of food that the his host disperses in the water and move using the movement of the hermit crab (usually the sea anemones live in a fixed point). Sometimes this coexistence is so driven, that some species of hermit crab can live only with certain species of sea anemones.

The dimensions of the hermit crab are limited and, however, vary with the species. For example, the Pagurus arrosor is about 80 mm long.

Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) Mindoro Island, Philippines by Sergio Discepolo 2010 The pygmy seahorse, also known as Bargibanti’s seahorse, (Hippocampus bargibanti) is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae found in the western central Pacific Ocean. It is tiny, usually less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in size and lives exclusively on fan corals. For more details see below.
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Nikon E7900
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f/4,8
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1/60th 		Focal Length
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Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) Mindoro Island, Philippines

by Sergio Discepolo 2010

The pygmy seahorse, also known as Bargibanti’s seahorse, (Hippocampus bargibanti) is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae found in the western central Pacific Ocean. It is tiny, usually less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in size and lives exclusively on fan corals. For more details see below.

Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) Malapascua Island, Philippines by Giorgio Giampieri 2012 The pygmy seahorse, also known as Bargibanti’s seahorse, (Hippocampus bargibanti) is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae found in the western central Pacific Ocean. It is tiny, usually less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in size and lives exclusively on fan corals. There are two known color variations: grey with red tubercles, and yellow with orange tubercles. It is unknown whether these color varieties are linked to specific host gorgonians. Because of its camouflage, the species wasn’t discovered until its host gorgonian was being examined in a laboratory. Scientists believe other, similar, species remain to be found. The pygmy seahorse is well camouflaged, being extremely difficult to spot amongst the gorgonian coral it inhabits. So effective is this camouflage that the species wasn’t actually discovered until its host gorgonian was being examined in a laboratory. Large, bulbous tubercles cover its body and match the colour and shape of the polyps of its host species of gorgonian coral, while its body matches the gorgonian stem. It is not known whether individuals can change colour if they change hosts, although the ability to change colour according to their surroundings does exist in some other seahorse species, such as Hippocampus whitei. Other distinctive pygmy seahorse characteristics include a fleshy head and body, a very short snout, and a long, prehensile tail. This is also one of the smallest seahorse species in the world, typically measuring less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in height. The pygmy seahorse is found in coastal areas ranging from southern Japan and Indonesia to northern Australia and New Caledonia on reefs and slopes at a depth of 10–40 metres (33–130 ft). Adults are usually found in pairs or clusters of pairs, with up to 28 pygmy seahorses recorded on a single gorgonian, and may be monogamous. Unusually, it is the male, and not the female, that becomes pregnant in seahorses. Breeding occurs year-round. The female lays her eggs in a brood pouch in his trunk region. They are fertilized by the male, and incubated until birth with gestation averaging two weeks. In one birth witnessed underwater, a male ‘gave birth’ to a brood of 34 live young. The young look like miniature adult seahorses, are independent from birth, and receive no further parental care. Very little is known about the total number of pygmy seahorses, population trends, distribution, or major threats. It has therefore been classified as Data Deficient on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Because of the unusual and attractive colouration of this small seahorse it is possible that it could be being collected for the aquaria trade, although no international trade in the species has been recorded. All seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), effective as of May 2004, limiting and regulating their international trade. Australian populations of pygmy seahorses are listed under the Australian Wildlife Protection Act, so that export permits are now required, although they are only granted for approved management plans or captive-bred animals. With such limited data available, there is an urgent need for further research to be conducted on its biology, ecology, habitat, abundance and distribution, before its status can be properly assessed and conservation measures implemented accordingly. However, the remarkably effective camouflage of this species may make such surveys particularly challenging. notes from Wikipedia
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Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) Malapascua Island, Philippines

by Giorgio Giampieri 2012

The pygmy seahorse, also known as Bargibanti’s seahorse, (Hippocampus bargibanti) is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae found in the western central Pacific Ocean. It is tiny, usually less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in size and lives exclusively on fan corals. There are two known color variations: grey with red tubercles, and yellow with orange tubercles. It is unknown whether these color varieties are linked to specific host gorgonians. Because of its camouflage, the species wasn’t discovered until its host gorgonian was being examined in a laboratory. Scientists believe other, similar, species remain to be found.

The pygmy seahorse is well camouflaged, being extremely difficult to spot amongst the gorgonian coral it inhabits. So effective is this camouflage that the species wasn’t actually discovered until its host gorgonian was being examined in a laboratory. Large, bulbous tubercles cover its body and match the colour and shape of the polyps of its host species of gorgonian coral, while its body matches the gorgonian stem. It is not known whether individuals can change colour if they change hosts, although the ability to change colour according to their surroundings does exist in some other seahorse species, such as Hippocampus whitei. Other distinctive pygmy seahorse characteristics include a fleshy head and body, a very short snout, and a long, prehensile tail. This is also one of the smallest seahorse species in the world, typically measuring less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in height.

The pygmy seahorse is found in coastal areas ranging from southern Japan and Indonesia to northern Australia and New Caledonia on reefs and slopes at a depth of 10–40 metres (33–130 ft).

Adults are usually found in pairs or clusters of pairs, with up to 28 pygmy seahorses recorded on a single gorgonian, and may be monogamous. Unusually, it is the male, and not the female, that becomes pregnant in seahorses. Breeding occurs year-round. The female lays her eggs in a brood pouch in his trunk region. They are fertilized by the male, and incubated until birth with gestation averaging two weeks. In one birth witnessed underwater, a male ‘gave birth’ to a brood of 34 live young. The young look like miniature adult seahorses, are independent from birth, and receive no further parental care.

Very little is known about the total number of pygmy seahorses, population trends, distribution, or major threats. It has therefore been classified as Data Deficient on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Because of the unusual and attractive colouration of this small seahorse it is possible that it could be being collected for the aquaria trade, although no international trade in the species has been recorded.

All seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), effective as of May 2004, limiting and regulating their international trade. Australian populations of pygmy seahorses are listed under the Australian Wildlife Protection Act, so that export permits are now required, although they are only granted for approved management plans or captive-bred animals. With such limited data available, there is an urgent need for further research to be conducted on its biology, ecology, habitat, abundance and distribution, before its status can be properly assessed and conservation measures implemented accordingly. However, the remarkably effective camouflage of this species may make such surveys particularly challenging.

notes from Wikipedia

Dwarf hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco) by Sergio Discepolo 2012 Malapascua Island Philippines The  Falco Hawkfish or dwarf hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco, is a hawkfish of the family Cirrhitidae found across the Indo West Pacific oceans from the Philippines to Japan, Samoa, the Barrier Reef, and New Caldonia. The spotted hawkfish can reach a maximum length of 7cm. They are red-pink and white in color and they have tassles on the tip of their dorsal fins. They inhabit tropical reefs and they feed on very small fish and benthic invertebrates.
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Dwarf hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco)

by Sergio Discepolo 2012 Malapascua Island Philippines

The  Falco Hawkfish or dwarf hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco, is a hawkfish of the family Cirrhitidae found across the Indo West Pacific oceans from the Philippines to Japan, Samoa, the Barrier Reef, and New Caldonia. The spotted hawkfish can reach a maximum length of 7cm. They are red-pink and white in color and they have tassles on the tip of their dorsal fins.

They inhabit tropical reefs and they feed on very small fish and benthic invertebrates.

Banded sea urchin (Echinothrix calamaris) by Sergio Discepolo 2010 - Green Island, Mindoro, Philippines The banded sea urchin or double spined urchin, Echinothrix calamaris, is a sea urchin with a test (shell) diameter of about 5 cm. It has two sets of spines, shorter closed spines which are dark in colour and can deliver a nasty sting, and longer open ended spines that are often banded. This gives it a significant advantage. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region, on back reefs. It is active at night, hiding in crevices or under rocks at night. Many juvenile fish of the family Apogonidae (cardinal fish) may hide in the spines for protection. The differences between Echinothrix calamaris and Echinothrix diadema are: the spines of E. diadema are not banded, there is only one layer, and they are darker. The more similar species is Diadema savignyi (which has banded spines) - the distinguishing feature being that the banded spines of D. savignyi are closed at their ends. From Wikipedia
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Banded sea urchin (Echinothrix calamaris)

by Sergio Discepolo 2010 - Green Island, Mindoro, Philippines

The banded sea urchin or double spined urchin, Echinothrix calamaris, is a sea urchin with a test (shell) diameter of about 5 cm. It has two sets of spines, shorter closed spines which are dark in colour and can deliver a nasty sting, and longer open ended spines that are often banded. This gives it a significant advantage.

It is found in the Indo-Pacific region, on back reefs. It is active at night, hiding in crevices or under rocks at night.

Many juvenile fish of the family Apogonidae (cardinal fish) may hide in the spines for protection.

The differences between Echinothrix calamaris and Echinothrix diadema are: the spines of E. diadema are not banded, there is only one layer, and they are darker. The more similar species is Diadema savignyi (which has banded spines) - the distinguishing feature being that the banded spines of D. savignyi are closed at their ends.

From Wikipedia

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