Thursday 28 July 2011

Oh my God it's a Lobster! Jelly Fish Invasion!

3 Lobsters in a Pot & the Biggest Fish in the North Haven



3 lobsters - weighing 1 to 2 pounds each

No Way!!!!
We had not checked our Lobster trap for a while because of bad weather. I knew the bait would be eaten by crabs the very first night. With a brake from the weather Dad & I were finally able to go fishing again and get our one trap. Three Lobster! Unbelievable! We have only caught 1 other lobster in 5 years! now bring our total to only 4. I was so happy.
 It tastes good I've never eaten Lobster before.
  
everything is just ducky.


Am I Dreaming?
Pollack - I Caught this fish in the North Haven as well.
 A new North Haven record... the biggest ever!
(for us or that we know of?)



Lobster Last Night!
Fish & Chips Tonight!
Cool Jellyfish Invasion!

       Comb Jellyfish                                     Hula Skirt Siphonophore

A note from Nick Riddiford Island Naturalist.

"Henry and Tommy Hyndman brought me an amazing collection of jellyfish and other plankton collected this evening from North Haven. The highlight was definitely the spectacular Physophora hydrostatica, and amazing collection of orange body, transparent tubes above ending in a narrow cylindrical float and with a series of threads trailing below, with yellow blobs attached. It has even been given an English name – hula skirt siphonophore. It is a deep sea species but, being a slow swimmer, it is vulnerable to being brought to the surface by currents. Five were collected, so there must have been many more.



Other jellyfish and allies taken comprised a blue jellyfish Cyanea lamarckii – which occurs from time to time; a mauve stinger Pelagia noctiluca – which normally occurs further out to sea. We had a mauve stinger invasion two years ago.. The previous Anomalocera patersoni record for the isle was in 2009. Henry was involved in that too! (when he brought me all those ghost shrimps). a number of the comb jelly Bolinopsis infundibulum – a very common summer visitor to Fair Isle shores; and Ptychogena crocea - a thecate hydroid usually found on rocky substrates well below the tidal zone.



The collection also included numerous smaller plankton. By far the most numerous was a Calanus copepod – probably Calanus helgolandicus which is a recent late summer invader of our waters (replacing Calanus finmarchicus which has disappeared in response to climate change). The most interesting capture was a blue and green coloured copepod called Anomalocera patersoni. Some of the blue markings appeared luminescent in some lights. This is a surface waters dweller of North Atlantic origin, quite widespread but having suffered a high decline in population since the 1970s.



The cutest planktonic capture involved a 1 mm long transparent replica of a crab. It was indeed a crab, an early instar of the common shore crab Carcinus maenas. A tiny, bright crimson shrimp keyed out to Apherusa jurinei, I have found an earlier Fair Isle record for Apherusa jurinei - from June 1998! 2nd recorded for the isle but probably a regular (overlooked) component of the inshore gammarid community."



The Three species highlighted in bold appear to be first Fair Isle records.


Strangely, North Haven was empty of jellyfish this morning when we released to beasties back into the sea.

Cheerio! Nick

Thanks for that Nick! Henry

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Most Northerly Record of Small Cushion Star!

Little Cushion Star - Asterina phylactica
Starfish or Sea Star


Found by me April 26th 2009
First record for Fair Isle and for Shetland
About 400 miles north of any other known record of this species.

Small Cushion Stars are very small. Adults are only about 1.5cm

Info
Description: A very small cushion star with a spiny dorsal surface. There is a star-like pattern of darker brown or green pigment along the centre of the arms and paler areas between the arms. Up to 1.5cm. across. This species was only recognised recently (1979) little is known about it.

Habitat: A frequent species in some very exposed sites on the west coast of Ireland at 10 - 20m. Also found intertidally in large rock pools and on rocks.

Distribution: Known from the west coast of Ireland, Strangford Lough, and SW Britain. Also found in the Mediterranean.

  • Star-like pattern of darker pigment.
  • Small size, only 1.5cm in diameter.
  • Broods its young.


Second Fair Isle Record in photo
Second, Third and Fourth Records - July 4th 2011

I was catching stuff and rockpooling by myself while Dad was working in his art studio at the lighthouse. I was so excited when I found my second Little Cushion Star! It had been over 2 years ago I found my first and I go tidepooling all the time. I ran back screaming to show my Dad. Dad was frozen when he saw it and then said AWESOME! and took some photos. It was laying eggs! I went back to look for more. Dad said leave them there if you find more... and I did! 2 more! I was so happy.

The next day Nick wanted to see where I found them? So Dad, Nick and I all went back to the tidepool  at low tide and we found a whole breeding colony! 20 or more Little Cushion Stars. I needed Dad to move the big rocks and we all said well done to each other. We wondered if it has anything to do with global warming?

I can't beleave that they live here now, not just one lost in the currents of the Sea an Ocean.


This is the tidepool I found them in.
Southlighthouse - Fair Isle, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK.

Checked all the other tidepools with my Dad,
oddly this is the only tidepool we could find them in?


They can be hard to find! Can you see all 4 on the bottom of this rock?


also recently I found some baby Lumpsuckers (Lumpfish)
and a baby Squat Lobster both new tidepool finds for me!
It's brilliant to have no school! I have more time to explore and find things.


Young Lumpsuckers


Tiny Squat Lobster


Fair Isle's go to Naturalist - Nick Riddiford

When ever I find something Dad and I don't know what it is? I go to Nick.
I like to help Nick. He records nature records and sightings on Fair Isle where we live.
He is trying to turn Fair Isle into a Marine Park.

Fair Isle Marine Environment & Tourism Initiative

Saturday 2 July 2011

Orcas! Killer Whale! Seals Beware!


Cool!
this is the best Orca sighting I have ever seen!

 I have read Killer Whales (Orcas) are not Whales,
 but the largest Dolphin species. 

Killer Whale!  Orca!  Spekkhogger! (Norwegian)


Orca! Killer Whales hunt Seal! Fair Isle, Shetland, Scotland, UK. from Liz Musser on Vimeo.

Watch This Video My Mom Made!



Sunday 26 June 2011

Hello my name is Henry

This is me I love to catch stuff.
I have no brother or sister but I don't mind at all.
My hobbies are to catch stuff and play with my Lego.
I just caught this huge Eel and I had a very hard time.
It was 53cm. or 21 inches.