Pictures
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Temp: Surf 30°C Bottom 28°C
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Dive type : Recreational, Dolfin
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Visibility: Good
Water: Salt
Recent Pictures in Curacao
Data provided by EOL.org
Species Identified
Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852 (Sea horse)
Perhaps the most unique and unusual feature of seahorse biology is the fact that it is the male and not the female who becomes pregnant. When mature, males develop a pouch on the belly, known as the brood pouch. Breeding t...
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Perhaps the most unique and unusual feature of seahorse biology is the fact that it is the male and not the female who becomes pregnant. When mature, males develop a pouch on the belly, known as the brood pouch. Breeding takes place in spring and summer; the female inserts her ovipositor into the male's pouch and lays her eggs. The male then fertilises them and they become embedded into the wall of the pouch. The pouch is very similar to the womb found in female mammals; a placental fluid removes waste products and supplies the eggs with oxygen and nutrients. As pregnancy progresses, this fluid gradually becomes similar to the surrounding seawater, so that when the young seahorses are 'born' the change in salinity is not too great a shock . After 20 to 28 days of pregnancy the male goes into labour, typically at night when there is a full moon . After hours of thrusting, the miniature seahorses, which look exactly like the adults, are released from the pouch. . The offspring are fully independent after birth and must fend for themselves . They are pelagic in the first stage of life, or hold onto floating debris at the surface with their tail . Seahorses are ambush predators, and lie in wait for small crustaceans to swim by; they then suck the prey into the tube-like mouth and swallow it whole, as they do not have any teeth . They do not have many natural predators, as they rely on their excellent camouflage for protection, and they are unpalatable due to their bony-plated bodies .
Stenella longirostris (Gray, 1828) (spinner dolphin)
Spinner dolphins move about the oceans in schools; groups that vary in size from just a few dolphins to over a thousand. They commonly school with other species such as pantropical spotted dolphins, or small toothed whale...
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Spinner dolphins move about the oceans in schools; groups that vary in size from just a few dolphins to over a thousand. They commonly school with other species such as pantropical spotted dolphins, or small toothed whales . In such schools, spinner dolphins are known to undertake migrations, following prey or warm water currents . In Hawaii, spinner dolphins usually spend their days resting in shallow bays near deep water, and then move offshore at dusk and feed as they move substantial distances along the shore . Pelagic spinner dolphins feed primarily on small mesopelagic fish, squids and shrimps, and dive down to depths of 300 meters to catch their prey . The dwarf spinner dolphin feeds on reef fishes and other benthic organisms Mating in spinner dolphins appears to be promiscuous, and like many small dolphins, true courtship behaviour can be observed, such as mutual caressing between the male and female . The breeding system may vary geographically, with some populations showing a greater degree of polygyny than others . Calves are born every three years, after a gestation period of about ten months . The mother nurses the calf for up to two years , and they form a bond that lasts a lifetime . Females reach sexual maturity between four and seven years, whereas males do not reach maturity until between seven and ten years . The purpose of the energetic spinning behaviour of the spinner dolphin is not known. It has been suggested that the large cloud of bubbles created by the powerful spin and splash landing may act as an echolocation target, to allow a widely dispersed school of dolphins to communicate . Another theory is that the spinning may dislodge hitch-hiking remoras, or the spinning may, at times, simply be play .
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Sascha
Netherlands Antilles
Date: 2009-07-27 - 13:00
Max Depth: 14m Duration: 47mins
Dive with Ocean Encounters Curacao
