Romance in the Moonlight: Corals in Blue

There's a new study on how reef-building corals are inspired to rendevous in response to silvery moonlight--especially when it's blue-tinged. For a few nights after Full Moons, they 'get it on' and little baby corals are the happy result.

Moonlight Spurs Coral to Spawn and make romance!

And I've just discovered a blog on the books and work of Rachel Carson, called Rachel Carson Centennial Blog which reminds me that Carson was fascinated with grunions, a small shimmery fish that makes romance (okay--lays eggs) on California beaches at the highest tides of the warmer months.

Perhaps, like corals, they're inspired by the silvery moonlight!


Image: Pattillo Armadillo walks under the pond drawing by jude cowell 2007

from Pattillo Armadillo and the Dream of Green (c) 2007

Rare Species Netted in the Philipines!

Sea Basin Expedition Nets Rare Species from the Celebes Sea south of the Philippines, a biologically diverse area of ocean.

Some possibly 'new' species include a transparent sea cucumber, a spiny 10-tentacled orange worm, and a black jellyfish. Follow the AP article's link to see a photo of some of these rare denizens formerly hidden so well from our view.

And since I've never drawn a black jellyfish (didn't know there were any!) here's a noble re-post of a white jelly, titled,Jelly's Leavin' by yours truly using Prismacolor oil pencils and Rexel Derwent Watercolour pencils.

Neptune's realm is giving up some of its mysterious species, it seems, and Neptune rules fish and fishing 'nets' too!

Slender weed whiting

Have you ever met a Slender weed whiting up-close? Aka Siphonognathus beddomei (Johnson) this fellow is originally from around Carnac Island (Western Australia) but he's ensnared within a dream just for you--and he certainly is on the slender side!