Good morning gang, more weird weather today, the ocean is still a mess and we have overcast skies with little chance for rain and of course lets not forget the never ending winds! We do have another submersible run today which should happen at around 11:15 and your truly will be under the sea taking pictures, you might luck out and see us at the link below…. www.seasubmarine.com I have another fun fish face for you all today that I took a few weeks ago on our Substation house reef. This is a beautiful parrotfish shot during the day at F22 creating the non-distracting black background and lots of great details.

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copyright: Hiroshi Izumi

 The oceans are full of interesting shallow water fishes, but all too often the ichthyological diversity collected for aquarists is limited to only those species which appear on tropical coral reefs. It’s a shame that collectors don’t venture into other habitats with more regularity, for outside the reefs there’s a wealth of unique and desirable aquarium species. In the shallow waters off the coasts of Australia and Japan is a flamboyant little fish called the ginpohaze. It can be found in sandy and silty areas, where it resides in small vertical burrows which it digs into the sediment. The use of vertical burrows in these featureless habitats is seen in several unrelated groups, such as the bandfishes (Acanthocepola) and garden eels (Gorgasia&Heteroconger)—an interesting example of ecological and morphological convergence. The burrows serve as a refuge from predators in an otherwise barren and vulnerable landscape, while at the same time providing an anchor point from which to feed on passing zooplankton. The various goby genera thought to be most closely related to ginpohaze also utilize burrows, either dug by themselves or by a pistol shrimp symbiont, but never are these burrows dug vertically as in the ginpohaze. 

Photo by Chikako Kasuga

 The maximum size of the fish is reported to be a diminutive 4cm, and, given its elongate body, this is a particularly slender fish. Behaviorally, the ginpohaze stands apart from most other gobies thanks to its prominent, colorful pectoral fins that are waved in an alluring display to attract mates. Males have the remarkable ability to alter the intensity of their coloration, from the normal pale, speckled appearance (which camouflages against their sandy environs) to a nearly black forebody. The video below (and another here) shows the intensification of the coloration in the buildup to a display, which appears to take a period of time before the final coloration is reached. This is presumably from the contraction and relaxation of melanophores, similar to the color change seen in cephalopods.  P.saltator courtship display. Note the intensification of the coloration prior to its dance. Video by LEGMA. The name ginpohaze, or ginpo haze, refers to its vague resemblance to the “ginpo”, a species of Japanese tidepool gunnel (Pholisnebulosa) used to create fish sauce. [This species has a long eel-like (=anguilliform) body, like the ginpohaze’s.] The word “haze” translates as “goby” in Japan.… More:

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Good morning all, I have a common Curacao reef scene for you today consisting of a wild looking colony of brown tube sponges, Agelas conifera and a little sea bass hiding amongst them.  Sponges are animals of the phylum Porifera (/pɒˈrɪfərə/; meaning “pore bearer”). They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them, consisting of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. Sponges have unspecialized cells that can transform into other types and that often migrate between the main cell layers and the mesohyl in the process. Sponges do not have nervous, digestive or circulatory systems

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Orphek recently presented a new LED pendant, the Atlantik P300. Designed specifically for large aquariums, it can successfully replace HQi 1000 watt lamps!  I recently received a pendant for testing, and I’m happy to have the chance to photograph it and share with you the beauty of this fixture. I plan to first test it with my test equipment and then try it with live coral. It power is similar to the Giesemann Galaxy 500 LED, which I had  the chance to see at  Interzoo in Nuremberg. 
The ATP 300 doesn’t come with a controller, but can be controlled by APEX, GHL, or any other controller capable of PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. It is also compatible with any 0-10V dimmer and I plan to experiment with this. The pendant, as you can see from the photographs, is passively cooled; there are no fans or moving parts, and the whole outer shell acts as a huge aluminum heat radiator. The surface protection of the LEDs is a very good quality acrylic, and is easily replaceable. The pendant measures 13.78 inches in diameter and 16.34 inches in height. 
The LEDs are 90 Dual Chip 5 watt, but are operating at just under 3 watts to reduce heat and prolong the life of the bulbs, a really clever idea of Orphek. The net power consumption is 240-250 watts. An interesting feature of this product is that the number and arrangement of the LEDs can be adjusted to suit your needs, it has a standard version, but it can be customized when ordering. I look forward to testing this beautiful monster and seeing how it will behave in a real aquarium.… More:

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Closely related are the seven “sand darts” species of the genus Kraemeria, which differ most notably in the elongated lower jaw adapted for burrowing and the smaller pectoral fins. [While it isn’t mentioned in the description of the genus, it is presumed that Parkraemeria is derived from Para- (Gr. “near”) and Kraemeria, alluding to the close relationship of these two.]The sand darts live in similar habitats as the ginpohaze, though with a more widespread tropical distribution. Rather than residing in vertical burrows, Kraemeria shallowly buries itself up to its eyes with sand in the same manner as Trichonotus,lunging out to grab passing zooplankton. The general similarities between these two unrelated groups are a striking case of convergent evolution, where similar ecological and behavioral traits have independently brought about similar morphological adaptations in unrelated lineages.Gobitrichonotus is the final related genus to discuss. The two poorly-known species, G. radiocularis and G. arnouldi (nomennudum?), are similar in morphology to Krameria but have fused pelvic fins and fully-separated dorsal fins. Together with the sand darts and the ginpohaze, these three genera have traditionally been treated as the Kraemeriidae, a family related to, but distinct from the Gobiidae. Previous to this family-level recognition, the kraemeriids were allied to the superficially similar sanddivers (Trichontidae) and even the distantly-related blennies (Blenniidae). Recent molecular studies have shown strong support for a new placement for these fish, nestling them deep within the phylogeny of the true gobies of the family Gobiidae. The family, as defined by Thacker, can be divided into two main groups. One is composed of the “kraemeriids”, as well as several genera of familiar aquarium gobies that similarly inhabit silty/sandy tropical waters. The other clade is composed of the remainder of the true gobiids, including such common aquarium genera as Gobiosoma, Valenciennea, Eviota, Amblyeleotris and Pterelotris. It also bears mention that the ginpohaze has never been studied molecularly, and there are some notable differences in morphology and behavior relative to the other “kraemeriids”, so its precise relationship within Gobiidaeis supported rather tenuously. As best I can tell, ginpohaze have never been exported in the aquarium industry, which, given their geographic distribution, is unsurprising. The species likely has a wide tolerance for temperature (from subtropical Sydney, Australia to 86F waters off the Yaeyama Islands) and an equally wide range for salinity, with several reports indicating a preference for brackish waters.… More:

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 This is a very interesting article that raises some very novel questions. Namely, how do you preserve a very rare and already dead basking shark when it washes ashore in Australia? Well it is certainly much easier said than done. I wrote about this shark discovery last month, but this article brings a different focus to the find. Basking sharks are extremely rare. In the past 160 years, this shark has only been spotted a grand total of three times. Last month, fisherman in Australia were awed and shocked when they reeled in this massive and unusual specimen. Sadly, the shark died while on the line, however, scientists and researchers were set on making the most of this catch. The Museum Victoria was called in to try and preserve the shark for the museums exhibits. As I stated previously, this is not exactly a routine catch. So the museum workers had to get thinking fast how the best way to preserve this shark for the purposes of science and learning and the museum’s collection. It was not an easy process. The sharks frozen head was cut with butchers knives based on the short notice and relative novelty of  the event. In retrospect, saws would of been much more efficient, but as stated, this is not exactly a common find. Only the sharks head,fins and stomach contents were able to be salvaged. They were then frozen in order to be 3D scanned for the museum’s collection. After they were frozen, the Basking shark was then placed into a formalin bath in order to preserve the shark for the museum. The Basking shark will now be part of the Victoria Museum’s rare finds, and once can argue that a very sad and accidental death can possibly be seen to have turned into an opportunity for both guests and scientists alike to learn more about this rare and amazing shark. MORE… More:

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Sometimes QTing multiple saltwater fish in the same tank makes sense, other times it doesn’tAs regular Saltwater Smarts visitors are well aware, “Caribbean Chris” and I are strong proponents of quarantining all newly acquired fish for at least four weeks before introducing them to a display tank. But what about keeping two or more fish in the same quarantine tank (QT) simultaneously? Is that an acceptable practice? The answer to this question, as with so many aspects of marine aquarium keeping, depends on a variety of factors. Before proceeding with multiple-specimen quarantine, ask yourself these questions:Am I doing this just to save time in stocking a new tank? When contemplating the necessarily drawn-out process of quarantining all the livestock for a new display system, it might be tempting to think, “Hmm, if I just put all the specimens into quarantine at once, I can have a lively show tank in no time!” But this ignores the fact that whether you put all the specimens into the QT or display tank simultaneously, one sick fish among them will still infect the rest.

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Good morning friends, many have written and asked what kind of fish is always floating in front of our LIVE underwater online video camera that we have at 50 feet out in front of our Substation lagoon. Well as you can see from the photo I took on friday it’s a little reddish/brown trumpetfish which has decided this camera is perfect for his new home. When I went out to take the photo he was right in front of the camera lens as you see here with his head down and tail straight up to the sky but as I got closer he drifted behind the camera and stayed there until I was gone. From a distance I watched as he then came back to the exact location and continued to hang there upside down, what a cool little fish. Pretty amazing that this fish can get up to three foot long! For your chance of spotting him just go to…… www.seasubmarine.com Waking up tired today from a long 40 mile mountain bike ride yesterday that I did with three other friends and countless other activities during the day…

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Let’s admit it, we all love Orcas aka Killer Whales.  Well then we should commend a group of brave volunteers who did an amazing job working to save a stranded Orca on July 22nd on the rocks near Hartley Bay, BC Canada.  The whale-loving citizens spent over 6 hours working to keep the killer whale cool and wet with the hopes of saving it from an uncertain fate. Early on Wednesday, a boater heard some faint squeaking sounds coming from some rocks. After a closer look, the boater spotted a truly rare sight, an orca that had become stuck one a rocky outcropping! The whale had apparently got stuck between the rocks when the tide went out and was wedged high and dry. The concerned boater quickly summoned volunteers from the community and within an hour people from the World Wildlife Foundation, and The Cetacean Lab approached the troubled animal trying to comfort it  with wet blankets and towels in an attempt to keep it properly hydrated and moist from the warm summer air. “She cried often, which tore at our hearts, so we decided the best thing to do would be to keep her cool, that meant to put water on her body and we used blankets and sheets,” said Hermann Meuter, a co-founder of Cetacean Lab.  Thankfully after over 6 hours on dry land, the tide finally rose enough that the Orca as able to swim free apparently unharmed. More… More:

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Long Island Aquarium reef tank larva at 18DPH

 As a follow up to my spawn party article, I wanted to update y’all on the larvae I am currently drowning in. I plan to share some awesome videos and pictures with you.The last time I talked about the spawn party, I mentioned that I collected some 14,000 eggs. If you want to see what they looked like after I collected them, see the spawn party post here. Now at 29 days post hatch (DPH) they are still going strong. Here is the most recent picture I have of them at 18DPH. Along with rearing different larvae, I’m currently running an experiment on the reef tank to see if spawn density is effected by the moon cycle. To do this I am collecting eggs from the tank every night. A few weeks ago, I took the plankton tow off in the morning and found to my surprise loads of larvae.  

Possible damselfish larva at 5DPH

 The photo to the left of this paragraph is very interesting. It’s a picture of one of the larvae under a microscope. If you pay special attention to the color of its eyes, you’ll notice that it has common traits familiar with damselfish larvae. Seeing as Joe has many different species of damselfish in his reef tank I can’t say for sure which species it is. However, due to the size and development the larvae had when I collected them, it can be determined that they are from a demersal spawning species. I took this larvae-palooza and split it between 3 different rearing vats. So far, I have had fair luck and the larvae are still alive in all 3 vats. Since I don’t know which species they are, I can only assume that they shall be settling out in the next 5-10 days. 

Possible damselfish larva at 17DPH

 At 7DPH, I noticed a smaller larva swimming around in the vats with the damselfish larvae. This other pelagic larva was about the same size the damselfish larvae were when I first collected them. They don’t have any stand-out features as of now so there is no way to determine their species as of yet. Although, I enjoy the surprise as well as the fact that I get to work with such a variety of larvae. 

Unidentified reef tank larva at 7DPH

 Hopefully soon, I will be able to identify all the types of larvae I currently am working on.… More:

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 Only in Florida. Or so it seems. And I preface this article by saying don’t try this yourself. But one thing is clear, you certaintly don’t see video like this every day. In the quiet town of Destin, Florida, these two brothers rescued a Hammerhead shark which was injured and swimming around close to shore. You can watch the brothers bravely pull the shark to shore and fearlessly remove the two hooks and a lure from the sharks mouth. What’s even more shocking, iperhaps, is watching the brothers pull the shark into deeper water so it could swim away. I think these two brothers would get applause from some of the most talented of marine biologists. Anyone who has worked with sharks knows what these two brothers did was a challenging task. While preceeding in the course is not advisable, it is heartwarming to see two brothers coming to the aid of this shark, instead of running away from it as would be more commonly expected. It’s not easy to know what to do in a situation like this. However, it brings up a good time to raise awareness of how to act in a situation similar to this one if you see injured marine life while at the beach or on a boat. PAWS has some very good information available regarding marine mammals. Additionally, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some helpful information on who to call to report injured wildlife to that will hopefully ensure a safe outcome for all involved. MORE… More:

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Pocillopora corals are productive reef builders in the wildYou may not be aware, but Pocillopora, despite being among the less popular stony corals in the reef aquarium hobby, are second only to Acropora in reef-building productivity in the wild. Their skeletons make up a huge portion of the reef’s structure in the ocean. Pocillopora are also among the most adaptable SPS corals in that they tolerate a wide range of both light and flow. At Tidal Gardens, we grow them under medium light and medium flow, but they do develop better coloration under stronger light. If you want to experiment with stronger light, be sure to acclimate the coral slowly to the light because it is possible to burn them if done too hastily.The other aspect that makes Pocillopora highly effective reef-building corals is their growth rate. They are among the fastest-growing stony corals and have a trick up their sleeve if things go downhill—they can reproduce asexually by means of “polyp bailout,” where each polyp can detach from its skeleton and drift to a new location to colonize. While this technique is not unique to Pocillopora, these corals do it far more effectively than others. A closeup of Pocillopora coral polyps Usually polyp bailout is employed as a last-ditch effort in response to something going wrong.

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Step Ahead Innovations, Inc. has just announced the much-anticipated public unveiling of its MindStream monitor. They revealed that the product will be available commercially by the end of the year, and will cost $700-$900.  They also announced the beginning of their Kickstarter campaign, which will allow them to finalize testing, purchase materials, and set up manufacturing  – for a donation of $495, backers will receive their own monitor. The system will monitor alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, pH, carbon dioxide, salinity/tds, temperature, ammonia, oxygen, and potassium, which it will wirelessly upload every 15 minutes via Wi-Fi to the MindStream cloud. Users will be able to monitor the health of their tanks with any web-enabled device, and with apps for iPhone, Android, and Windows; they will have the ability to view historical parameter data graphs and trends and will be able to annotate parameter charts and graphs with custom messages. And, while there is no calibration required, aquarists will be able to set acceptable individual water parameter ranges and receive automated alerts when customized optimum ranges are exceeded. The device’s disposable disc, which contains ten chemical/fluorescent foils, is accurate for at least 30 days, and will cost $30-$50. Step Ahead plans to offer a convenient monthly subscription service for easy disc payment and delivery. The company calculates that this system is one-tenth the cost of comparable test strip, liquid reagent, and ISE electrode based testing approaches, and knows that it will radically reduce the time devoted to water testing. To contact the company, visit their website: www.mindstreamh2o.com… More:

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Yorkshire-based fish foods company New Era Aquaculture Ltd has been sold out of administration and a new company, World Feeds Ltd has been set up backed by sizeable financial investment which will facilitate a major expansion plan for the re-born operation. All existing staff have been retained by World Feeds and the products have been re-branded as Vitalis Aquatic Nutrition in the UK and in the rest of the world, and will be known as Balance Aquatic Nutrition in the USA. New Era had been burdened with the cost of trademark litigation in the US, which led to the appointment of administrators.  It was sold to World Feeds, the new company supported by investment from Finance Yorkshire.

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Pterogorgia cf citrina from the Saba Bank. Credit: Wirshing & Baker, 2015

 Caribbean coral reefs are frequently dominated by tall, branching octocorals known colloquially as “gorgonians”. Identifying these to genus is often simple enough, as most taxa are unique in shape and structure, but correctly diagnosing to species is often wrought with uncertainty. Proper identification requires verification by microscopic examination of the miniscule calcium carbonate sclerites embedded within the coral’s tissue, but, in the case of the common aquarium coral Pterogorgia, the sclerites all look the same. So, in a recently published study, researchers relied on genetic sequencing to identify an unusual variant discovered at a large undersea atoll located at the Saba Bank (in the Lesser Antilles). To briefly summarizes the four known phenotypes in this genus. P. guadalupensis has wide flat branches, which have given it its common names of “Sea Blade” or “Ribbon Gorgonian”. An important feature to note is how the polyps arise from a pair of grooves running along the edges of each branch. Color varies from yellow to purple. P. anceps is nearly identical to guadalupensis, but the diameter of its branches are Y-shaped or X-shaped, giving it the common name of “Angular Sea Whip”. Specimens from the Bahamas are reported to be somewhat intermediate in shape to guadalupensis (i.e. more flattened, less angular). P. citrina differs in being a much shorter and bushier species (up to 30cm in height). It’s branches aren’t nearly as wide as the previous two taxa, and those branches are more ovular than flattened. Also, its polyps are arranged into individual slits, rather than a single groove. Despite its common name of Yellow Sea Whip, this species can occur in purple as well. P. cf citrina “Saba Bank” also has its polyps arranged into individual apertures, but its branches are wide and flat, as in guadalupensis. Known specimens were all yellow. Since this mysterious gorgonian from Saba Bank showed a blend of characteristics, scientists resorted to sequencing multiples genes (both nuclear and mitochondrial) to determine an identification. Unfortunately, corals often prove to be difficult organisms to study in this way, as the genes used don’t always show the type of clear differences between species as we find in other taxonomic groups. Illustrating this, of the five different genes used in this research, only two showed the type of meaningful differences which could allow for comparisons between species.… More:

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S. nematodes & yasha, alongside Amblyeleotris yanoi. Best friends forever! Credit: Takashi Nagamatsu

 The shrimpgobies of the genus Stonogobiops are a common sight in any aquarium store, with species oftentimes selling for not much more than the cost of a cheap damselfish. Because of this, it might come as a surprise to learn that the half-dozen species that comprise the genus were completely unknown to science as recently as the late 1970’s! The Filamented Shrimpgoby (S. nematodes), a particularly ubiquitous and affordable species in our hobby, was originally known from just a single specimen. So how do we explain this apparent contradiction between the rarity and monetary value of these fish? Clearly, our knowledge of how to locate these fishes in the wild has improved drastically. Unlike some of their close relatives, Stonogobiops is primarily found at moderate depth (15-45m) and in sheltered sandy or rubbley habitats, generally some distance away from coral reefs. Many of the undescribed species which we’ll discuss in this review are known exclusively from deep, silty environments, where few divers venture. These fishes are in fact quite common in their preferred habitat—it just took a while to discover what that was. Identifying Stonogobiops is simple enough for aquarists; they are small (by shrimpgoby standards) and typically have four black diagonal bars along the side of the body. The only exception common to aquarists is the Yasha Goby (S. yasha), which has longitudinal red stripes. But the issue becomes murkier when discussing the obscure species S. larsonae, which has a seemingly divergent color pattern—a single reflective-blue longitudinal stripe and similar markings across the cheeks. 

Credit: Larson & Murdy 2001

 What this phenotypically heterogeneous mix of species shares in common is the possession of a toothed bone (the vomer) in the roof of the mouth. Amongst the enormous family Gobiidae, only a handful of disparate groups share this feature, none of which bear close relations to Stonogobiops. Based on genetic and morphological study, the closest relatives include the commonly seen Cryptocentrus, and the rarer Tomiyamichthys. This toothy mouth provides a strong character to define the genus, but the recent discovery of numerous undescribed species is forcing us to question that assumption, as these new forms illustrate a continuum of color patterns linking them to another poorly known genus of shrimpgobies—Myersina. To understand this properly, we’ll need to individually examine the coloration, ecology and biogeography of the many species in some detail.… More:

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Growing corals and selling them for a living seems like an ideal job to other reef aquarists; actually my time is filled with a lot of online work, fragging, aquarium cleaning, box making, and other tedious chores. The one thing that has kept me engaged for over a decade is the corals. Being able to experience the beauty of corals, their never-ending combinations of colors, shapes, and behaviors fuels my addiction. While watching a beautiful fireworks display during 4th of July I found myself thinking of corals. 

Stunning Pink Morph Wellsophyllia

 Wellsophyllia are one of those corals that most reef aquarists purchase during their first few months of owning a new aquarium; they are easy to keep and do well in medium light. As they grow in a reef aquarium they can inflate to epic proportions and fill in the area around them. Commonly found in mixes of red and green, those are just a small portion of the color spectrum that they occupy. Wellsophyllia are the abstract art of the reef world; fluffy pillows of coral that display every hue possible and probably quite a few that our eyes can’t even pick up. We should not think of them as open brains, more as amazing living paintings. Truly we are blessed to live on a planet with such interesting creatures. 

Common red morph

Aquamarine Swirl

Neon Splatter

Rainbow Convict

Ultra Rainbow

Sofas for my Rhinopias

… More:

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An interior spread of The Salt Smart Guide to Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Diseases of Marine FishesSince we released The Salt Smart Guide to Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Diseases of Marine Fishes eBook earlier this year, the support from readers has been unequivocally positive. But, what’s the one thing that’s been requested many times since then? A print version – so folks could add it into their aquarium library! It’s totally understandable, Jeff and I had both toyed with the idea of adding a tangible version onto our respective aquarium collection shelves, too. In this extremely digital age, there’s still something very fulfilling about flipping open a great aquarium book while doing research or passing the time on a rainy afternoon.Today we’re happy to announce the print version of The Salt Smart Guide to Preventing, Diagnosing, Treating Diseases of Marine Fishes is now available! The beautifully printed, full color, 194 page book is jam-packed with the same great content as the eBook and is delivered right to your door from our printer. You can learn more about the book and purchase it here: http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/marine-fish-disease-guide/ As a thank you to our readers who are among the first to purchase the print version, use discount code U6GNSK2K to save $5 at checkout

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I went back and forth on whether I was going to write about this post. I am sure many of you have heard about it by now. However, it is a very difficult post to write and shockingly tragic. On Saturday, a 20 year old woman was diving for scallops with her father, off the coast of Tasmania, an island state off the coast of Australia. The father and daughter were diving in the Maria and Lachlan Islands, areas which are reported to be very popular with amateur divers for scallop diving and very ‘unusual’ location to spot sharks, especially large sharks. Scallop season is very popular in the area, and the season recently opened on July 2, 2015. Reports indicate that the daughter swam to the boat with scallops, and then the daughter stated she became worried when her father did not come to the surface after her. She went back down to look for him and that’s when she saw him being attacked by a large shark. She went to the boat and set off a large flare and also called officials. Fisherman on a nearby boat came to help her, but by the time they pulled the father up using his air hose, he was fatally injured. Maria Island local ranger Peter Lingard confirmed a man in his 40’s died from a shark attack, but that they had not confirmed what type of shark. There will be an investigation by the coroner. There has also been confirmation that there was a report made of a 15 foot Great White Shark which was seen in the area on Friday. However, officals have stressed how unusual this occurance was. The last reported fatal shark attack in Tasmania was in 1993, when a woman was swimming near a seal colony. My thoughts go out for this woman and her family. MORE… More:

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This is, without a doubt, one of the most adorable sea creatures I have ever seen – and it’s a slug! The tiny creature looks like a cartoon or maybe a Wallace and Gromit character, but it is most certainly real. Costasiella kuroshimae (or ‘Leaf Sheep’ for short) is found in saltwater environments near Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines, and can grow up to 5mm in length. And, like the mammal it gets its name from, it likes its greens. The Leaf Sheep eats algae, and is one of the only animals in the world that is able to photosynthesize. And while it is not very efficient at it, some species can live for months on photosynthesis alone. As it eats, it partially digests the algae, but leaves the chloroplasts intact, incorporating them into its own body, and storing them in its multiple spiky appendages. The cute little slug then uses the chloroplasts to manufacture energy. The process is called kleptoplasty,a term derived from the Greek word Kleptes (κλέπτης), which means “thief”. and can only be found in certain sacoglossan sea slugs…like this little guy. Enjoy this short clip of the Leaf Sheep in its native habitat, running free on what appears to be a great plain, but is actually a very small leaf:
… More:

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