Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands aboard the Peace

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Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands aboard the Peace

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Posted by Chris on July 15, 2006 at 16:43:17:

On July 2, 2006 my girlfriend Kathryn and I went on the Malibu Divers trip to Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands aboard the Peace.

Our first dive was at the East End Reserve on the North size of the Anacapa Island. Since I was there a year ago the area appears to have become overgrown with Bryozoan (Thalamoporella californica). At first look it appeared to be a large mass of dead plants, but upon closer inspection it was a bryozoan. At places it was 600 cm think.
Bryozoan is the favorite food of many nudibranchs, however I was only able to find small ones. The visibility at this site was only about 15 feet and green.

Our second dive was at Coral Reef, which is near the West End on the South side of Anacapa Island. When we were there a year ago the Spiny Brittle Stars (Ophiothrix spiculata) were starting to invade the area, but had not yet covered the reef. This time all but the highest spots on the reef were covered with a thicket of the Ophiothrix spiculata. Agin visibility at this site was only about 15 feet and green, and seemed to get worse at greater depth.

Looking for better visibility Captain Kevin moved to Yellow Ribbon Drop-Off at Santa Cruz Island for the third dive. The water was less green here and the visibility was about 40 feet. Kathryn and I spent most of our dive in the sand instead of on the wall. While there I found an unusual spotted Tube-Dwelling Anemone (Pachycerianthus fimbriatus). This was the first time I had seen one with spots, every other one I can remember was a solid color.

Our last dive was South-East Kelp Bed at Santa Cruz Island. Here I encountered a blue or cobalt finger sponge. I had never seen one like it before. Interestingly Ross Overstreet found a similar specimen at Palos Verdes on the same day.

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Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands
with Malibu Divers
July 2, 2006

click on the images to enlarge

East End Preserve, Anacapa Island

Tube-Dwelling Anemones
(Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)
Spanish Shawl
(Flabellina iodinea)
Spanish Shawl
(Flabellina iodinea)
Ostrich Plume Hydroid
(Aglaophenia struthionides)

Ostrich Plume Hydroid
(Aglaophenia struthionides)
Mexichromis porterae
on Thalamoporella californica
Bryozoan
(Thalamoporella californica)
Bryozoan
(Thalamoporella californica)

White Spotted Dorid
(Doriopsilla albopunctata)
on Bryozoan
(Thalamoporella californica)
White Spotted Dorid
(Doriopsilla albopunctata)
on Bryozoan
(Thalamoporella californica)
White Spotted Dorid
(Doriopsilla albopunctata)
on Bryozoan
(Thalamoporella californica)

Moss Animal
(Bugula californica)

Blackeye Goby
(Coryphopterus nicholsii)
Sand Anemone
(Phyllactis sp.)
Sand Anemone
(Phyllactis sp.)
Aggregating Anemone
(Anthopleura elegantissima)

Coral Reef, Anacapa Island

Spiny Brittle Stars
(Ophiothrix spiculata)
entwined in a Red Gorgonian
(Lophogorgia chilensis)
Spiny Brittle Stars
(Ophiothrix spiculata)
entwined in a Red Gorgonian
(Lophogorgia chilensis)
Tunicate on a
Purple Gorgonian
(Eugorgia rubens)
Tunicate on a
Purple Gorgonian
(Eugorgia rubens)

Tritonia festiva
Tritonia festiva
White Spotted Dorid
(Doriopsilla albopunctata)
and a Noble Dorid
(Peltodoris nobilis)
Painted Greenling
(Oxylebius pictus)

Below Yellow Ribbon Drop-Off, Santa Cruz Island

Sheep Crab
(Loxorhynchus grandis)
Sheep Crab
(Loxorhynchus grandis)

Brittle Star
(Ophiopsilla californica)

California Phoronid
(Phoronopsis californica)

an unusual spotted
Tube-Dwelling Anemone
(Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)
an unusual spotted
Tube-Dwelling Anemone
(Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)
an unusual spotted
Tube-Dwelling Anemone
(Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)
an unusual spotted
Tube-Dwelling Anemone
(Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)

South-East Kelp, Santa Cruz Island

Fragile Tube Worm
(Salmacina tribranchiata)
Fragile Tube Worm
(Salmacina tribranchiata)
Cobalt Sponge
(Hymenamphiastra cyanocrypta)
Cobalt Sponge
(Hymenamphiastra cyanocrypta)

Purple Bryozoan
(Disporella sp.)
Norris's Top Snail
(Norrisia norrisi)
Sheep Crab
(Loxorhynchus grandis)
San Diego Dorid
(Diaulula sandiegensis)

Cobalt Finger Sponge
Cobalt Finger Sponge
a Dock shrimp
(Pandalus danae)
under a Rock Scallop
(Crassedoma giganteum)
a Dock shrimp
(Pandalus danae)
under a Rock Scallop
(Crassedoma giganteum)

Giant Spinned Star
(Pisaster giganteus)
Kelp Rockfish
(Sebastes atrovirens)
Kelp Rockfish
(Sebastes atrovirens)
Bryozoan
(Thalamoporella californica)

Follow Ups:

Re: Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands aboard the Peace Chuck Tribolet 19:55:40 07/15/06 (1)
- Re: Re: Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands aboard the Peace Chris 22:05:09 07/15/06 (0)

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