Crustacean Day at K Bay

    Say what you will about Kahalu'u.  Beside the old Keahou Beach Hotel, which our benevolent federal government has shuttered theses past two years and more, the bay that once rivaled Hanuma Bay for

Eye Spot Shrimp, Saron neglectus, December 2014

numbers and varieties of fishes is now a shadow of its former self.  Tourists have trampled the coral and, for what ever reason, the legions of fish have disappeared.  As an indication of this decrease, 2014 will be the first year that I have failed to see a single Milletseed Butterflyfish in this bay.  Or anywhere else for that matter.

    K Bay remains a good place for a swim   The tourists, especially those from the cruise ships, arrive here in numbers that rival the long gone schools of milletseeds.  But there are still occasional discoveries to be made among the rocks and remaining corals. 

   This week I experienced such a lucky day.  Entering the water on a late December afternoon, I was struck by the cooler temperature of the water, but even more so in noting that the last vestiges of that horrid brown algae has completely disappeared.
 

Cone Shell Hermit Crab,  Kahalu'u   Dec. 2014

     Just inside Surfer's Rock, I was lucky to find three cooperative crustaceans.  the first was this cute little shrimp.  He patiently perched on a leaf of cauliflower coral while I took multiple pictures.  By looking at the coral polyps, you get an idea of how small this animal was: his armored forehead was about 3mm across.  I believe that those green striped legs indicate that this is an Eyespot Shrimp, Saron neglectus.  We also get a look at his red body with light brown spots in a reticular pattern.  Obviously, without the camera I would have no idea regardless of how cooperative this tiny animal was.

   A few moments later, I nabbed a cone shell well coated with coraline algae, placed it on a coral a foot below the surface and waited.  As you see, we were rewarded with a gorgeous Cone Shell Hermit Crab.  This is not a rare animal at Kahalu'u.  Among the cone

Hidden Hermit Crab  Ca. latens  Kahalu'u  Dec. 2014

shells I pick up, I would guess that a Stripey, as Sandra and I call this handsome beast, emerges about 15% of the time.  Roughly one in seven attempts.  Combined with good light and mild conditions, this guy was the perfect model and we got this super photograph.

    Finally, on the adjacent coral, this latens was happy to provide a photo op, making this day a hat trick for crustaceans.  The remainder of my swim was devoted to looking for a milletseed.  On this day, we had to be satisfied with a lone Saddleback.  And time is running out.

jeff