A Battle for Survival: Marine Life at Long Reef Aquatic Reserve
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Blue-ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena)
It’s bite contains Neuromuscular-paralysing toxins.
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Fireworms or Bristleworms (Eurythoe complanata)
Have poison-filled bristles that can break off & pierce your skin if you touch them. Length – up to four centimetres.
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Brittlestars (Ophiothrix spongicola)
Escapes predators by disconnecting part of a limb. This wriggles free as it falls. It has five limbs that are centrally controlled but it has no brain. New limbs regenerate quickly.
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Chitons (Sypharochiton delliserpentis)
“Coat-of-Mail” shell. Eight shell valves allow them to bend & coil into a ball for defence. An ancient creature descended from Mollusc. They have light-sensitive cells just under the skin. They can see underwater & in the sun & they feed on algae.
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Cunjevoi or Sea Squirts (Pyura stolonifera)
They start life as larva-like tadpoles with gills, a tail, spinal cord & rudimentary brain. They attach & grow on solid rock near the low water line. After attaching, the larva rotates back away over its body, opens to the sea & starts filtering for food. It expels water or squirts when it’s touched or stepped on.
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Elephant Snails (Scutus antipodes)
Uses a protective shell to shield vital organs.
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Decorator Crabs
Decorator Crabs hook algae onto their carapace (back) for camouflage. Hermit Crabs (Paguroidea) crawl into empty shells for protection so that octopuses & other predators cannot find them.
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Sea Hares (Dolabrifera brazieri)
Exudes purple dye – acid mucus as a defence. The dye affects the sense organs of predators & acts as a smoke screen.
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Sea urchins (Heliocidaris erythroaramma)
Their spikes protect them from predators & their suction feet provide locomotion & hold them onto rocks. This long living creature grows up to 110mm. It has five teeth used for grazing which are self-sharpening – contain Magnetite. They carve out their own “holes” in the rock to shelter in.
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Turban shells
a.Turbanmilitary & b.Turbantorquata.
a. Flat “cat’s eye” called an Operculum. b. Spiral.
Is long living and grows up to 150mm in size. Shells are dull, encrusted & unattractive but when flaked back, display a beautiful under layer.
Education Resources – Marine Life: www.ReefcareLongreef.org.au
All photos taken on Long Reef.