Project

I don't think I've seen a catfish this big before:

Personally I prefer salt-water fish to fresh-water, but I'm sure that this one made a memorable feast for the people in Northern Thailand who caught it.

Haliotis rufescens (red Abalone) and Strongylocentrous franciscanus (red sea urchin) awaiting consumption by a group of ravenous humans.


Apparently the urchin does a lot of damage to kelp forests. I found these lurking on the edge of a kelp forest at Fort Ross this weekend. I estimate you get about an ounce or two of edible roe (AKA Uni)out of each.

Today's subject: Squid

Found weeks ago at No Sword

OK, so 9 inches is not that giant, but the California Abalone - Haliotis Rufescens is substantially bigger than Abalone in other places around the world. A recent article suggests that this is due to sea otters.

"We realized with this study that most abalones are small, averaging 2 inches across, and live on coral reefs in the tropical Indopacific," Lindberg said. "So why does the world's largest abalone live in the same place as this major predator, the sea otter? We think the abundance of kelp, the ability of abalones to stay hidden in crevices, and the predation of otters set up an ideal system to ratchet up the size of abalones."

I'm not sure I completely agree with their speculation, but the history of the interaction between kelp, sea otters, abalone and sharks is interesting reading.

My picture above shows the relative size of abalone with the shell of the abalone from the Northern California coast completely enveloping some abalone (awabi) shells picked up on the beach at Hayama on the East Coast of Japan. The larger shell is about 9 inches across and was harvested near Fort Ross. The little ones are one and a half to two inches. They are much more delicate as well. Of course if you only care about eating I direct you to this recent blog entry by one of the better food bloggers http://epicureandebauchery.blogspot.com/2006/03/awesome-awabi.html

It appears that one of my abalone shell photographs got posted on a Korean site. So I turned to google translations to see what they were saying. To my great surprise they were saying:

"Becomes intoxication and to bedspread ^ ^ marine products series thiss time which it sees the expensive clam (there is not creepy visual)

The bedspread which is not the possibility of stopping an ocean living thing loading. When the international situation which is not countermeasure or the women or the young students encounter to read a news and the feeling picks and also the fortune [toy] sees these pictures and exclamation the feeling carries will be born with more or less but Deyo. Even to various minutes there will be a minute is like that effect and. Of course current problem or the historical problematic Edo it wants intruding and the finger does not get the dreamy frame well! the reel only is not being taken up the place desire which is intention.

Aem the thought is born in indebtedness but also the monster monster man series which to the [su] comes out to the [phu] sees revival will do again. Inquiry possibility it was low but…

It sleeps,… To bedspread time Deyo which is not the creepy thing. In the marine products is expensive the crossroad name difficulty food the ramyon ear shell [keyss] [cyo].

It probably is like that why, if it does not know and the army bedspread which the enormous marine products prescribed form does plentifully in California. ; ; ; The dignity California ear shell the length becomes 23cm B. The winter bud hour Ah San ear shell shell where we are familiar size comparison it puts in inside the hazard California mountain shell, [noh] [ass] the [cyo]. It is once checking trying [keyss] [sup] [ni] where the abalone porridge which it sells from California probably is cheaper." (source: http://djuna.cine21.com)

It probably is like that why if it does not know. Google translations has a loooong way to go. And lucky readers I should have new abalone and sea urchin pictures to add to the monster monster man series at the end of the month!

This jelly fish spends its life in a glass box in the Monterey Aquarium.

I spend my life in a box that has fabric panels that you can stick pins in.

The jelly fish gets more admiration.

But it is basically the same feeling of weightless otherworldliness we must both experience when swimming at night.

Miscellaneous notes on aquarium photography:

• Many museums do not allow tripods or monopods.
• Go mid-week when there are no crowds.
• Hold the camera close against the glass to avoid reflections.
• Don't use flash on Jellies. They look best back-lit.
• Use the fastest lens and camera speed (ISO) that you can.