Animals
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Fish

Rare creatures left stranded by stormy seas in Queensland, Australia

Jon Coghill and Rob Blackmore
abc.net.au
Wed, 27 Aug 2014 10:16 UTC
Image
© Jo JoyceJo Joyce photographed this sea snake near Pincushion Island on the Sunshine Coast. It was about 50cm long..
The Sunshine Coast played host to a handful of odd and rare animals after last weekend's deluge. Marine biologist Julian Pepperell was called on to investigate.

Sunshine Coast locals have noticed a plethora of strange creatures washed up on beaches and lost from home.

Red stinky blob

Debbie Higgs of Mt Coolum found a "weird red blob-like creature" on Mudjimba Beach.

"It's 25cms long roughly. It's oval-shaped, frilly and it's got a peculiar pattern down its back. [It was] cold, squishy and had that really gluggy type feeling like a jellyfish. It had vibrant dark red around it in a frill," she said.

"When I found it, it was still pulsing. I didn't want to touch it in case it was poisonous. I've never seen anything like it.

Debbie says she put a photo on twitter and linked it to Instagram and "suddenly all these people started contacting me."

Since, the story has been published worldwide.

"We contacted a museum and we've been told it's a Spanish dancer usually found in Indian waters or off Bali," Debbie said.
Image
© Debbie HiggsDebbie Higgs found this suspected Spanish Dancer on Mudjimba Beach.

Comment: See also: Australian students discover rare fish dead on beach

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Question

Rare blue lobster caught on the coast of Portland, Maine

Chris Gee
Daily Mirror, UK
Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:56 UTC
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© James LaPlanteA blue lobster caught in Portland
Meghan LaPlante, 14 was lobster fishing with her father Jay when they discovered "Skyler', who is an extremely unlikely colour for a crustacean

An almost unique sea creature made landfall earlier this week - a blue lobster.

Jay LaPlante and his 14-year-old daughter Meghan, were out at sea hauling traps off the coast, near Portland, Maine, when they unloaded a pot containing the spectacular two-pound azure lobster.

Meghan quickly christened the crustacean Skyler, presumably as she is the same shade as the sky.

Comment: See also this report from last month: Rare blue-colored red king crab caught in Nome, Alaska

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Question

Unusual whale behaviour during migration in Cook Strait, New Zealand


radionz.co.nz
Sat, 23 Aug 2014 16:00 UTC
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A humpback whale breaches while crossing the Cook Strait, New Zealand.
A researcher says warmer than expected sea temperatures could be the explanation behind the unusual behaviour of whales migrating through the Cook Strait this year.

A team of Department of Conservation researchers and former whalers took part in the Cook Strait Whale Survey from 14 June to 12 July, to spot humpback whales migrating from Antarctic waters to breeding grounds in the South Pacific.

Project leader, Nadine Bott, said 92 humpback whales were spotted this year, slightly down from the record number of 106 in 2012.

Ms Bott said the whales behaviour was unusual compared with previous years.

"We had a lot of milling behaviour, a lot of surface activity behaviour, where the whales are jumping out of the water. Basically general mucking around kind of behaviour, which you don't typically see in a migrating population."

"They've normally always been on a very straight route from South to North through the strait, and if they do deviate from it they return quickly to the same bearing. This year they were all over the place" she said.

Comment: See also: Whales turn up in unusually high numbers in the seas around Ireland

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Attention

Mysterious blob washes up on an Australian beach - a sea slug?

Natasha Christian
Sunshine Coast Daily
Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:45 UTC
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What is this? A red blob was found at Mudjimba this morning.
Upate: Marine experts are slightly scratching their heads over a 'mysterious blob' that washed up on Mudjimba Beach earlier today but they think they may have identified it.

A spokeswoman for Queensland Museum said marine experts had taken a look at photos of the blob and said it was difficult to tell without examining it however they said they felt it was a sea slug.

"It's hard to pinpoint without examining it and knowing the size," she said.

"Their nearest guesses, based on colour and the side 'frills' is that it might be a Spanish Dancer sea slug."

Comment: Interestingly, on the very same day and about 15 kilometres away, this occurred: Australian students discover rare fish dead on beach

Also, back in June from the same general area: Rare purple jellyfish found on Ballina beach, Australia

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Fish

Australian students discover rare fish dead on beach


Sunshine Coast Daily
Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:04 UTC
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© Fishes of AustraliaLing's Armour Gurnard, Satyrichthys lingi.
Year 12 biology students from Coolum State High School have stumbled across an exciting find during a field study excursion at Peregian Beach.

The students found a Ling's armour gurnard (Satyrichthys lingi), a very rare fish native to Australian waters.

According to the Atlas of Living Australia, only seven Ling's armour gurnards have been reported found in Australia since 2000, and only two in the past four years.

"We were there to study the coastal dunes of Peregian Beach. Through data collection of different variables, including temperature, light intensity, pH of soils and wind strength, we analysed the adaptations of the coastal plants," teacher and head of department Paul Olsen said.

"Then, to find the Ling's armour gurnard was a real thrill, even though we were a little disappointed we found it deceased, washed up on shore. The Ling's Armour Gurnard lives on the sea floor, similar to a flathead fish. Most of the rare sightings are by divers and marine specialists, so we were very lucky to find it," he said.
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Attention

Casualties of seafloor methane gas release? Hundreds of thousands more fish found dead in Plymouth tidal pool, UK

Patrick Daly
The Plymouth Herald (UK)
Sun, 24 Aug 2014 05:15 UTC
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Walkers found 'hundreds of thousands' of dead whitebait in the tidal pool at Devil's Point
Bebused walkers found "hundreds of thousands" of whitebait fish trapped in a tidal pool near Devil's Point yesterday.

It is the second time a shoal has been trapped in the same pool in less than two weeks.

Peter Wilkes and his fiance Carla Hosking were out enjoying a Sunday morning stroll with their 20-month-old son James when they thought they saw the pool at Firestone Bay looking as if it had "iced over".

On closer inspection, they found that it was the reflection of thousands of dead small dead fish which had become trapped in the shallow water.

"We saw the pond and it looked almost iced-over," said train-station worker Mr Wilkes.

Comment: Just a short distance away and around the same time as the above incident there came this report: Rare sei whale seen off Cornwall's coast in Penzance, UK

While across the Atlantic this happened: Rare 45-foot sei whale dies in Virginia river

In addition, another recent mass fish kill occurred back in the UK: Millions of dead herring wash up on Isle of Man coast, UK

One can't help but wonder if all these recent events are related and connected to this? Hundreds of methane plumes erupting along U.S. Atlantic coast

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Eye 2

Snake sightings on the rise in New Mexico this year, including more venomous Mojave rattler

Zack Ponce
Current-Argus News
Fri, 22 Aug 2014 00:29 UTC
Image
© Erik EndersonMojave rattlesnake
The Mojave rattler, one of the most lethal rattlesnakes in the Southwest, has been gradually moving into new territory in Southeastern New Mexico.

The snake is a type of pit viper that has recently migrated from California and Arizona and appears physically similar to the area's native Western diamondback rattlesnake and black-tail rattlesnake. Mistaking the Mojave rattler for the other rattlesnakes could mean the difference between life and death according to some experts.

The Mojave rattler's fangs are infused with a neurotoxin that is much more potent than its diamondback counterpart, leading the New Mexico Game and Fish Department to dub it the "most dangerous of the state's rattlers." The snake has a reputation for being quick to strike and has venom nearly as toxic as a cobra according to a Game and Fish Department fact sheet on New Mexico rattlesnakes.

Rick Johnson, a Carlsbad resident, was surprised to have seen two dead baby Mojave rattlers since last week.
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Question

Rare sei whale seen off Cornwall's coast in Penzance, UK

C M Jason
cornishman.co.uk
Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:35 UTC
Image
Sei whale photo courtesy of Hannah at Marine Discovery.
A rare whale has been spotted off the coast of Penzance.

Experts believe these photographs show a sei whale - the creatures rarely visit water around the UK.

Sei whales are the third largest rorqual after the blue whale and fin whale.

These photographs were taken by Penzance-based marine wildlife tour company Marine Discovery.

Comment: See also: Rare 45-foot sei whale dies in Virginia river

Is there any connection to this?
Hundreds of methane plumes erupting along U.S. Atlantic coast

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Attention

Rare 45-foot sei whale dies in Virginia river


wjla.com
Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:19 UTC
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A 40-foot whale that had been swimming around in a river died Thursday afternoon. A necropsy will be performed on the animal to find out just what caused its death
A rare whale that entered the Elizabeth River in Virginia earlier this week has died.

Joan Barns of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center says the whale died on Thursday. A necropsy is planned, including tissue and blood samples for further study.

The 35- to 45-foot sei whale was first spotted Monday in the river's Southern Branch near the Jordan Bridge and Paradise Creek.

Marine experts said the whale been acting strangely and may have been ill or disoriented. Boaters had reported that the whale appeared to be swimming without a clear direction.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says sei whales are usually seen in deeper waters of oceanic areas far from the coastline.


Source: The Associated Press

Comment: See also: Rare sei whale seen off Cornwall's coast in Penzance, UK

Is there any connection to this?
Hundreds of methane plumes erupting along U.S. Atlantic coast

Read More...
Attention

Dead whale washes up Ghana coast

Emmanuel Opoku
spyghana.com
Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:42 UTC
Image
The whale being taken for burial
The dead whale which was washed ashore at Atuabo, in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, has been buried after some rituals were performed by the traditional leaders of the area.

The mammal was left there for about three days before the community, led by some traditional rulers and the area's chief fishermen, went and buried it.

The Daily Guide gathered that before the dead whale was carried by a bulldozer from the shore for burial, some rituals, including the pouring of libation, were performed.

The dead whale was washed ashore at Atuabo in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region last Sunday morning.

Measuring about 10 metres, the sea mammal was found in-between the pre-fabrication area of the Ghana Gas Company and the Atuabo ceme­tery.

The Assembly member for Atu­abo, John Quashie, who confirmed the story, indicated that as at 3:00pm yesterday, the mam­mal was still lying at the shore.
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