Anomalorhiza Shawi
Image Copyright BB Divers
Image Copyright BB Divers
Last Observed: October 2014, Koh Chang
Observed By: BB Divers
This truly bizarre species of jellyfish is thought to be named after the shocked cry that you make when you step on one on the beach.
You won’t find much about it on the net, not sure whether that’s because little is known about it but its classification is recorded below.
Anomalorhiza Shawi Animal Diversity Web
…and here are some more nice pics of this oddly compelling beast.
Merten’s Sea Anemone (Stychodactyla mertensii)
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, December 2015
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
Merten’s Sea Anemone is the largest of all the sea anemones – another Koh Chang species that’s the biggest of its kind. It has a diameter of over 1 metre and attaches itself to the sea bed with special wart-like protuberances called verrucae.
Like most anemone species it has symbiotic relationships with anemonefish – which protect the anemones from predation in return for the protective environment of the anemone’s stinging tentacles. This species hosts plays host to around half of all the different species of anemone fish.
Merten’s sea Anemone Wikipedia
Other Koh Chang Corals and Anemones
Rusty Gorgonian (Alyconacea)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
The rusty gorgonian is a brightly coloured member of the same coral family as the sea whips and sea fans. These corals grow in long and delicate filaments.They are a popular aquaruim coral.
Apparently there are over 500 species of Gorgonians, and whilst this one looks very much like the rusty one but I wouldn’t bet my house on it!
Gorgonians Wikipedia
Robust Staghorn Coral (Acropora robusta)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
Another case of clear, almost tautological species naming is the Robust staghorn coral. This is a coral that looks very much like a stag’s horns, and a robust stag at that.
It is a species of stony coral that is common throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Its main predator is that great enemy to corals and reefs the crown-of-thorns sea star, boo hiss.
Robust Staghorn Coral at What’s That Fish
Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica)
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
It’s probably stating the obvious but the Magnificent Sea Anemone is, well, magnificent.
It is a huge and brilliantly purple coloured anemone that can have a diameter of up to one metre.
As with many species of anemone the magnificent sea anemone has symbiotic relationships with anemonefish – which protect the anemones from predation in return for the protective environment of the anemone’s stinging tentacles. This species hosts twelve different species of anemonefish.
Magnificent sea Anemone Wikipedia
Other Koh Chang Corals and Anemones
Giant Gorgonian Fan Coral (Annella mollis)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
Giant Gorgonian Fan Coral is a striking and very attractive species of fan coral that has a distictive network of branch-like filaments that are typically red in colour.
They live on tropical reefs to depths of up to 40 metres and can grow up to 2 metres in width.
Annella Mollis Florent’s Guide to the Tropical Reefs
Delicate Sea Whip (Junceella fragilis)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
The Delicate Sea Whip is much different to the more robust reef-building coral species. The living polyps of this species instead extand outward in long fragile-looking filaments. they live on tropical reefs to depths of up to 50 metres and can frow up to 2 metres in length.
Delicate Sea Whip Atlas of Living Australia
Compact Coral (Diploastrea-heliopara)
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
It seems that corals have all kinds of vernacular names. This one is know as Compact Coral, Honeycomb Coral and Diploastrea Brain Coral. Pick one you like and go with it.
It is an intricately patterned hard coral that is widespread throughout tropical waters all across the Indo-West Pacific, including the Gulf of Thailand.
Compact Coral Wikipedia
Solid Table Coral (Acropora hyacynthus)
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
Acropora is a genus of small polyp-corals that include table corals such as this Solid table coral as well as elkhorn and staghorn corals.
These are some of the major reef-building corals since they create huge calcium carbonate structures that support the very thin living coral exterior.
Acropora Wikipedia
Orange Sea Whip (Ellisella circidia)
Image Copyright 2010 Jonathan Milnes
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 21-02-2010
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
The Orange Sea Whip is a brilliantly coloured species of Gorgonian coral, a family comprising many species of sea fan and sea whip corals that are characterised by long branching arms. It is fairly common sight on the reefs surrounding Koh Chang.
