Gallery of Life

Life is both obvious and mysterious. It is all around us, yet many are not sure of why and how it got here. Exactly what is is remains an essential mystery as well.

Present day biologists have classified life into ‘folders’ and ‘sub-folders’.

At the top is domain, and right underneath that is kingdom (eg. plant and animal). Phylum is the next division down and for animals includes about 30 , including:

Porifera – sponges
Cnidaria – corals and anemones
Echinodermata – starfish, sand dollars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, etc
Mollusca – snails, clams, mussels, slugs and squid!
Crustacea – crabs, shrimp, barnacles, lobsters, etc.
Chordata – fish, birds, turtles, reptiles and mammals

Many of the Phylum, not well represented on land, are in abundance underwater. Therefore those who love life, and are fascinated by it, are like kids in the candy store, when underwater.

Present friends. Weird fish Invertebrates Past Friends

Photo of a white sponge striving with brain coral and plants, taken by Greg Hartley in Bermuda.

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There is mystery and wonder in the sacred geometry that creates the star-like intake holes on this white sponge.

Color macro-shot of an orange tubeworm with its razor sharp end-of-tube sticking out from a carpet of plants, on a reef in Bermuda.

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Tube worms, being mollusks, have a mantle that lays down calcium. From this macro-shot you can see there is a razor sharp ring that would take a core sample through all layers of the skin if stepped upon in bare feet.

From centemeters away comansal anemonies living in a sponge in the sunlit shallows of Bermuda

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Great macro shot of comensal anemonies living in the tissue of sponge. Dust stuck to sponge between anemonies.

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A spiny lobster in 25 feet of water off Pomano Beach Club.

Awake and feeding gorgonians in Bermuda's sunlite shallows.

Softcorals

This type of gorgonians are called ‘octo-corals’ because each polyp has 8 tentacles. They are ever ready to capture mosquito sized animals called zoo-plankton.

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These nudibranchs may be ‘busy’. They are hermaphrodites.

SeaHare

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Our last E.T. had a permanent scratch on his eye.

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Rare pelagic creature called a blue button.

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Herb Junior

In 2015 we had 4 hinds. The smaller ones must stay out of the way of Herb Sr.

GrahamTheGrasby

GorgonianClose

This type of gorgonians are called ‘octo-corals’ because each polyp has 8 tentacles. They are ever ready to capture mosquito sized animals called zoo-plankton.