Jewel Anenomes on the Alaunia?

[jimbob]

Hello.
Managed to get a dive on the Alaunia off Eastbourne at the weekend and was very surprised to see what I assumed were Jewel Anemones around the bow area.

Was I right?
Was it a Mal de mer halucination?
Was I wrong to be surprised?

I thought they only lived further west and I've never seen them off the Sussex coast before. Not saying much when I've only been diving four years but you know what I mean.
Please could someone let me know before I rush off to claim a new discovery.
Thanks.
Jimbob

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by jimbob

Hello.
Managed to get a dive on the Alaunia off Eastbourne at the weekend and was very surprised to see what I assumed were Jewel Anenomes around the bow area.

Was I right?
Was it a Mal de mer halucination?
Was I wrong to be surprised?

I thought they only lived further west and I've never seen them off the Sussex coast before. Not saying much when I've only been diving four years but you know what I mean.
Please could someone let me know before I rush off to claim a new discovery.
Thanks.
Jimbob

We get an almost identical beastie down here in Tasmania and New Zealand, so Sussex probably wouldn't be a big challenge for them.

Aussie version - Corynactis australis

Jewel Anemones and Zoanthids

European version - Corynactis viridis

Lundy Jewel anemone



Richard M.

[jimbob]

Hello Richard.
Thanks for the reply. I dived the Alaunia again on Sunday and took a couple of pictures, I'm pretty sure they are Jewel Anemones.


Just realised I spelt Anemones wrong in the thread title.
What is the water temperature like around Tasmania?

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by jimbob

Hello Richard.
Thanks for the reply. I dived the Alaunia again on Sunday and took a couple of pictures, I'm pretty sure they are Jewel Anemones.

They certainly look the same. Interesting, I read that they are actually more like corals than anemones. They are so close to thje ones we have here, you'd have to wonder if they are the same creature. Stick em in an aquarium and see if they breed I guess. Makers you wonder how closely "they" have looked when doing the speciation doesn't it, it would be reasonable to name them as different species just on the geographic distribution.

Originally Posted by jimbob

Just realised I spelt Anemones wrong in the thread title.
What is the water temperature like around Tasmania?

Last weekend, about 9 degrees, which is as about low as it gets on the East/SE coast where I dive. West Coast is probably cooler though; although I did a 6 degree dive this week last year, a night dive off the Hobart wharves, with lots of meltwater running out nearby from the Hobart Rivulet which was being fed at the time by meltwater off Mt Wellington. It's been a generally warmer winter this year though, 16 today, 17 forecast tomorrow. Prob snow on high ground at the w/e though.

Richard M

[jimbob]

Brrr, sounds icy it was a toasty 17 degrees on Sunday off Eastbourne.
Just looked up Mt Wellington looks absolutely stunning.
Hobart's Mt Wellington: city sentinel
Hope the underwater landscape looks as good.

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by jimbob

Brrr, sounds icy it was a toasty 17 degrees on Sunday off Eastbourne.
Just looked up Mt Wellington looks absolutely stunning.
Hobart's Mt Wellington: city sentinel
Hope the underwater landscape looks as good.

The areas I dive are fairly speccy, mainly down the Tasman Peninsula, diving under Sandstone or Dolerite cliffs, so lots of huge fallen blocks, caves, very steep slopes and walls. Vis averages at around 20m, 30m+ at this time of year (no phytoplankton). Up on the East Coast at Bicheno, it's all granite, huge boulder falls down to 30-40m, big swim throughs etc. Past 30m, we get a lot of sponges here, very luxuriant, with sponge gardens which represent coral reefs in many respects.

There are a few pics, including video (bit scratchy) on here.

eaglehawk dive sites

http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/p...e_Brochure.pdf

Not many diveable wrecks though and very few in intact condition at normal dive depths. (perhaps a dozen.)

Richard M.