Hibiscus and crabs

Dread · Post by **Dread** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 1:40 pm

In honour of my hibiscus blooming last week, here's a shot from when I had more time to admire the process. I wish the flowers would last a little longer, or at least bloom on a Saturday!

And to get back underwater, some crab faces:

In this last shot you can see how much particulate matter can be floating around between lens and subject but still get a reasonable result.

Ryan

JoanYoung · Post by **JoanYoung** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:15 pm

These are terrific shots Ryan!!

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:16 pm

(And this guy is asking us how to do underwater macro? Sheesh!!)

Beautiful images, Ryan.

Any clue what is that white-dot thing stuck on the crab's antenna, pic #2?

--Rik

Dread · Post by **Dread** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:16 pm

Thanks

You know I'm always open to learn, and you folks are a talented bunch!

And true to your superb taxanomic skills Rik, the white-dot thing is probably just that... looks to be a complex of shell (possibly Mytilus sp. fragment) and organic debris. I took a look at the original, not anymore telling.

Glad you like 'em!

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:41 pm

The crab shots are great! Good show.

LordV · Post by **LordV** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:40 pm

Love #2- excellent
Brian V.

Dread · Post by **Dread** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:52 am

Thanks again... I'll be 'focussing' a bit more on crustaceans once I have a new underwater system. Most often they stand their ground and are 'easy' to work with. Then there was the 10lb lobster who had no fear... that was a close one!

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:49 pm

Ten pound lobster?

It will fear my bowl of melted butter and fresh garlic, plus a garden salad on the side with oil and vinegar of course.

In all actuallity though, the thing would probably be tough as leather. Now for the crabs, where is my shell cracker? Excellent shots of those by the way. I like crabs.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:03 am

Excellent photos Dread. I have an observation on the third picture. I am looking at the fan like (straining) looking appendage in the center of the crabs mouth coming from the right hand side of the mouth. I wonder if that could be some kind of hitchhiking worm living in the mouth or shell of the crab that extends its` food filtering appendage into the mouth area. I know I have seen something like that on the TV or in a magazine. I do not see a pair so I do not think it is part of the crabs mouthparts. What do you think?

Dread · Post by **Dread** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:21 am

You're right that you're not seeing a pair in that picture, I never thought that it might be a parasite (though that certainly wouldn't be uncommon).

However, due to its shape and location, I believe that to be part of the maxilliped, with both the proximal and lateral(out of focus) setae showing.

Here's an anatomical sketch of those parts from a Blue Crab:
http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/rsfoximage ... x_383x.gif

Thanks for pointing that out though, I just added some words to my vocabulary!

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:09 am

Dread wrote:I just added some words to my vocabulary!

Well, anatomy is certainly the right place to do that! I was poking around that url you gave, and found this description of a critter that I thought I was pretty familiar with. Ha! Ha-ha! Hahahahahahaha!!! (...trailing off maniacally...)

--Rik

Dread · Post by **Dread** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:52 am

Don't feel bad Rik, I'm sure you're not the only one who can't tell the pronotum from the surenal plate!