The Fire Beneath The East China Sea

Posted on May 28, 2023 by Admin11

What a fantastic surprise! This month we received the paratype of Calliostoma shawni ( Poppe & Tagarao, 2020), A beautiful species found in the waters of Okinawa. This rare species is named after naturalist and underwater photographer Shawn Miller for his continued support of malacological research.

Calliostoma shawni is found at night feeding on fire coral (Millepora sp).

The average size of this beauty is 7mm-13mm.

During the day, it hides in the tiny crevices of the fire coral.

Interested in seeing this species in its natural habitat? Let me know, and I can show you.

If you would like to learn more about this species, check out Visaya Vol 5 Nov 4 -September 2020

Do you like seashells? Learn more about the gastropods of Okinawa @ okinawanaturephotography.com/seashells-of-okinawa/

Have a wonderful day!

Thriving Upside Down by Shawn Miller

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Admin11

Randall’s assessor (Assessor randalli) is a rare fish found living in submarine caves. They are usually seen hovering upside down in small groups. The male guards the eggs by keeping them in his mouth until they hatch (mouthbrooders). A challenging fish to find and photograph. These exotic species are sought after by fish collectors.

* This species is named after Ichthyologist John Ernest Randall.

Scientific name: Assessor randalli
Common name: Randall’s assessor or Randall’s devilfish
Distribution: Japan-Taiwan
Habitat: Submarine caves
Diet: Crabs, shrimp, and fish
Average size: 25-40mm
Color: Dark blue

Can you see the assessor’s hovering upside down?

Why do these fish live upside down?

A way to confuse predators
Evasive stratedy, making it easier to back into crevises
An adaption made for presision swimming among the submarine caves

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

The Paintpot Cuttlefish – Cephalopods in Okinawa

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Admin11

The Paintpot cuttlefish (Metasepia tulbergi) is one of the most beautiful marine animals in Okinawa. The skin of the paintpot cuttlefish is toxic (poisonous) if consumed. The paintpot cuttlefish contains a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin (venom) used to paralyze its prey. Avoid handling or harassing this beautiful animal. If bitten, seek immediate medical treatment.

Scientific name: Metasepia tulbergi
Common name: Paintpot cuttlefish or flamboyant
Distribution: Ryukyu Islands
Habitat: Sandy bottom and coral reefs
Diet: Crabs, shrimp, and fish
Average size: 50-80mm
Color: Golden-yellow with red coloration

Cool facts about the Paintpot Cuttlefish

They have eight arms and two tentacles
They are capable of producing a dark cloud of ink to escape from predators
They have a parrot-like beak used for eating prey
They use jet propulsion to move quickly through the water
They can change their texture, pattern, color, and shape
They use their arms to walk on the sand
They are considered venomous and poisonous

When threatened, the paintpot cuttlefish produces vibrant colors to warn predators that they are toxic. The scientific term for this is aposematism.

They have a two-part parrot-like beak used for feeding.

Cephalopods can produce a cloud of ink to confuse and escape from predators when threatened.

Below is a sequence of images, displaying their ability to change texture, shape, and color. They are masters of camouflage. An example of how well they blend into their environment.

If detected or threatened, they will display colorful warning signs.

Every year, I look forward to finding the gigantic paintpot cuttlefish named Paintpot-Zilla.

My Mission: To Protect and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands for Future Generations

If you would like to help me make a difference Please check out my Patreon Site https://www.patreon.com/MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

The Art of Underwater Wide-Angle Photography – Tokina 10-17mm fisheye

Posted on September 7, 2019 by Admin11

I started shooting with the Tokina AT-X 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 DXA back in 2012. It is the most popular fisheye lens used for wide-angle underwater photography. It is also known for its close focusing capabilities underwater and on land. The lens is a high-quality product built for professionals working in the field. The Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye is my favorite lens in my bag and has been my go-to lens for the project “Crabs with Beach Trash Homes“

If you plan on using the fisheye lens underwater, you will need an underwater housing. I currently use the Nauticam Na-D500 with the 100mm Zen dome port (Dp-100-N120T).

If you want to use the zoom function underwater, you must attach a zoom ring (P#19127) to the lens. The Nauticam zoom ring installation process is relatively easy.

Below are some of my favorite underwater photographs taken with the Tokina AT-X 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 DXA combined with my older Ikelite underwater setup. I mainly focus on macro photography, but I will be pushing myself to shoot more wide-angle this year.

Okinawa is best known for its beautiful beaches and seascapes. All photographs were taken with the Tokina AT-X 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 DXA.

Learn more about my favorite lens @ Tokinalens.com

I want to thank Tokina, Light & Motion, Nightsea, and Black Fin Grouper for all their continuous support over the years.

Have a great day!

Fish Populations Decline At Maeda Point – Not A Good Sign!

Posted on August 11, 2019 by Admin11

I originally got SCUBA certified at Maeda Misaki in 1992. I have seen this popular snorkeling location drastically change over the years with the increase in tourism. Meada point is now a high traffic area, literally thousands of people enter the water on a given weekend.

Maeda misaki diving

If you have ever been to maeda point you have seen the beautiful schools of Teira batfish (Platax teira). In the late 90’s there were massive schools of hundreds of these beautiful fish. Below is an old photograph I found in my photo album. This was a common site back in the 90’s.

Teira batfish at Maeda misaki

In 2017, I noticed that populations started declining.

Schools of batfish

2018-2019, I started seeing numbers decline to less than twenty individuals. July 2019, I went to the same location on three different days and didn’t see any batfish.

Wide angle macro

These fish are a huge tourist attraction. What could have caused the decline of the batfish populations? Possible reasons for decline:

Feeding the batfish man-made products
Noise pollution from an increase in boat traffic
Moved on to a safer location
Overfishing
Contaminates entering the water – sunblock, shampoo, perfume and urine

Fu (wheat gluten)

In the past, guides would feed the fish sausage and bread. In recent years many local companies switched over to Fu (wheat gluten). It’s much cheeper than fish sausage. Kilos of Fu enter the water for fish consumption on a given week at Maeda point. Could this gluten based product be good for the fish? Why you should not feed wild animals:

Interfere’s with their natural diet and feeding cycle
Makes the fish more vulnarable to predators
Reef algae overgrowth due to the fish being full
Increase’s your chance of getting bitten

Sometimes, I see plastic bags filled will remnants of fish food floating on the surface of the water. With the increase in tourism, I am finding more trash left behind at Maeda Point. This is a photograph I took recently at Maeda point. A collector urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) is covering up with discarded sausage wrapper.

collector urchin

This is one of my favorite photographs taken at Maeda Point.

Beautiful bat-fish

Hopefully the teira batfish populations are not a blur left behind.

Fading away

My Mission: To Protect and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands for Future Generations

If you would like to help me make a difference Please check out my Patreon Site https://www.patreon.com/MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Cryptic fish, Comets and Stars by Shawn Miller

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Admin11

The Comet (Calloplesiops altivelis) is a type of marine betta found in the beautiful waters of Okinawa. They hide in caves during the day. At night they come out to feed on small crustaceans. They are a mysterious fish and can be challenging to photograph. Comets are uncommon, yet very little is know about the behavior of these cryptic animals.

Scientific name: Calloplesiops altivelis
Common Name: Comet (Marine betta)
Distribution: Ryukyu Islands
Habitat: submarine caves
Diet: crustaceans and fish
Average Size: 20cm

Calloplesiops altivelis © Shawn Miller

Calloplesiops altivelis © Shawn Miller

Look close, can see the resemblance between the comet and the spotted moray eel?

Gymnothorax meleagris © Shawn Miller

When threatened the comet will stick its head into a hole and expose its tail end, which mimics the head of the a dangerous moray eel. The caudal fin also has detailed white lines that resemble the razor sharp teeth.

Calloplesiops altivelis © Shawn Miller

Having trouble getting close to marine life during your night dives? I recommend using the Light & Motion Sola 1200 red light feature. This feature enables the user to photograph marine life during the night without disturbing them. Most marine animals do not see the color red or react less to the red light.

Underwater setup with sola 600

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Masters of Evasion – The Bobtail Squid of Okinawa

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Admin11

The spotty bobtail squid ( Eumandya parva ) is a small cephalopod found in the beautiful waters surrounding Okinawa. They are hard to find due to their small size. Persistence, patience, and diving with a buddy with good eyes will increase your chances of finding them.

Scientific name: Eumandya parva
Common Name: Bobtail Squid
Found: Ryukyu Islands
Habitat: Open water @ night
Average Size: 15mm – 25mm

Bobtail squid have eight arms and two tentacles used to capture prey. They have a two part parrot-like beak used for feeding. They primarily feed on small crustaceans free swimming in open water.

What’s really impressive about cephalopods is that they are masters of evasion. They are equipped with advanced mirroring cells. These cells can change shape and color to match their surrounding. These vibrant chromotophores are also used for communication and attracting a mate.

The bobtail squid has the ability to produce a large ink cloud (smoke screen) when in danger. This cloud of ink will confuse predators and give the squid a chance to escape safely.

Squid have wing-like fins used for precision movement through the open water. Their siphon is used for jet propulsion, allowing a clean getaway from predators.
They can also evade predators by covering up with sand to avoid detection.

I found this large Euprymna brenneri covering itself with sand to avoid detection. I have only seen two of these in the waters of Okinawa. A new species decribed in December 2019.

Mating season occurs in the summer months.

Look close and you can see the white bundle of spermatophores produced during the mating process. The eggs will be fertilized and attached to a safe location under a reef ledge. Tiny bobtail squid will hatch from their eggs in three weeks.

If you would like to learn more about the Cephalopods of Okinawa, check out my previous posts on the blue-ringed octopus, pygmy squid, pharaoh cuttlefish and the shell eating octopuses of Okinawa.

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Get Fa-Millerized with the Nature of the Ryukyu Islands – – – SUBSCRIBE BELOW

The Red Coral of Okinawa by Shawn Miller

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Admin11

One of my favorite types of coral is the red knotted sea fan ( Melithaea ochracea ). Mainly because of the color and the branching pattern. The vibrant red coral, white polyps and the blue water compliment one another. There are many small marine animals that thrive on the red tree of life. This beauty was photographed in the blue waters between Izena and Iheya Island.

April 4th 2019, I stumbled upon some colorful micro flatworms that I have never seen before. Leslie Harris informed me that these fast moving slugs were potentially undocumented benthic ctenophores.

Name: Coeloplana sp
Benthic ctenophore
Size: 8mm-10mm
Location: Okinawa, Japan
Depth: 40feet

Can you see how well the benthic ctenophore blends in with its host? This is a great example of mimicry.

Look close at the tiny chamber mounds. These mounds hold the stinging tentacles that are used for catching food and possibly for protection.

I found this strange benthic ctenophore (Coeloplana sp) on a dive near Ikea Island. When I first saw the ctenophore, the long stinging cells were extended out in hunting mode.

Some benthic ctenophores live on starfish (Echinaster luzonicus), look close and you can see the stinging cells.

A blue starfish (Linkia laevigata) infested with benthic ctenophores

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Get Fa-Millerized with the Nature of the Ryukyu Islands – – – – SUBSCRIBE BELOW

The Eyes of the Underwater World by Shawn Miller

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Admin11

Okinawa offers some of the best Scuba-diving in the world. I really enjoy the art of underwater macro photography. Macro subjects can always be found, it just takes some imagination and good framing to create beautiful underwater abstracts. Animal eyes are challenging and exciting areas to focus on. Below are some of my favorite photographs of vision taken on the Island of Okinawa.

Get Fa-Millerized with the Nature of the Ryukyu Islands – – – – SUBSCRIBE BELOW

Ryukyuan Pygmy squids and hydroid-eating nudibranchs

Posted on April 14, 2019 by Admin11

In the summer of 2018, I documented some exciting animal behavior underwater. While searching for the blue-ringed octopus in a shallow reef cut, I stumbled upon the elusive pygmy squid (Idiosepius sp). I first photographed the Ryukyuan pygmy squid back in 2012 and was excited to see another one. This undescribed pygmy squid is only 10mm-14mm in size. It can be difficult to get an acceptable photograph of it free-swimming through the water.

Its amazing how fast squid can change color to blend into the sounding background. Look at that camouflage.

The pygmy squid has defined white nodules on the posterior end of the mantle used for attaching to seaweed and rocks.

I took a few photographs of the tiny squid and it eventually retreated into fireweed (Aglaophenia cupressina).

The fireweed looks like a harmless piece of seaweed but its actually a dangerous stinging hydroid. The fireweed delivers a painful sting causing redness, irritation and infection.

I returned to the exact location a few days later in search of the pygmy squid. I found the fireweed but it was much smaller, as if it was purposely cut down. These fireweed colonies have been in the same reef cut for over six years. What could have caused this devastation? Was it possible that a Scuba Instructor cut down the fireweed colonies for the safety of their students? I mention this because the hydroids are in a high-traffic swim-through area, and some days literally hundreds of divers swim through this reef cut.

My first thought was someone cut down the fireweed but I was wrong. It was actually a brightly colored nudibranch named Tenellia yamasui (Hamatani, 1993). The fireweed was infested with juvenile nudibranchs feeding on it.

You would think that the nudibranchs would be conservative and keep some food for the future. The sea slugs devoured the entire fireweed.

Ever wonder what this stinging hydroid can do to your skin? To learn more about the dangerous animals and treatments, check out my post on The Hazardous Marine Life of Okinawa.

Get Fa-Millerized with the Nature of the Ryukyu Islands – – – – SUBSCRIBE BELOW

Okinawa Nature Photography

沖縄自然写真 By Shawn Miller

Category Archives: Scuba diving

The Fire Beneath The East China Sea

Thriving Upside Down by Shawn Miller

The Paintpot Cuttlefish – Cephalopods in Okinawa

The Art of Underwater Wide-Angle Photography – Tokina 10-17mm fisheye

Fish Populations Decline At Maeda Point – Not A Good Sign!

Cryptic fish, Comets and Stars by Shawn Miller

Masters of Evasion – The Bobtail Squid of Okinawa

The Red Coral of Okinawa by Shawn Miller

The Eyes of the Underwater World by Shawn Miller

Ryukyuan Pygmy squids and hydroid-eating nudibranchs