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Perophora namei
Also known as Namei Sea Squirt. They feed on plankton and detritus. These ascidian colonies grow to a height of about 10cm.
Found on coral and rocky reefs on walls and drop-offs, often at the base of slopes, at depths of 10 to 26m. Widespread in the Western Pacific or Central Indo-Pacific region.
I spotted this pretty little thing at around 25m depth. There were several others like it, all growing out of the sandy bottom. They look like flowers, but they're not marine plants. Dive site: San Juan Reef, Samal Island, Philippines.
Spotted on Jan 23, 2012
Submitted on Jan 24, 2012
9 Comments
Finally got this one identified! Thanks to WhatsThatFish.com for pointing me in the right direction!
Thanks, Laura! I hope we can ID this marine life with absolute certainty soon.
Blogie this is awesome! I am fairly certain it is a thecate hydroid (also called leptomedusae), and belong to the family Campanulariidae. The most common genus in that is Obelia, but it's at this point I am stuck! You'd need a good ID guide on the family, and I am unsure where you can get one! Either way, absolutely awesome find!!
Thanks Leuba & Argybee! I think we're getting closer...
http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall/hydr...
could be a Thecate Hydroid -hope someone with expertise can confirm this.
Good clear series of photos - identification should be easy
Could it be a Siphonophore ? - I know they are free floating - maybe there are sessile ones! -I can clearly see the brown jelly cups with a wide opening and the pale blue structures inside (some of them stinging cells perhaps).
The blue structures also look like developing young of some creature - will check further.
Thanks, Argybee! I don't think it's a gorgonian... Yesterday was my first time to see it underwater, and I have no clue at all what it is.
That's a beautiful thing. Is it some sort of gorgonian? Great set too blogie.