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The blue ringed octopus, small but not defenseless

30/9/2022

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The blue ringed octopus, small but not defenseless

How small is the blue-ringed octopus?

Does size really matter ? ...
Weighting 26g for about 10cm, the blue ring octopus can easily kill a horse with a drop of its venom!
Blue-ringed octopus is small but deadly

Where can you find blue-ringed octopus?

Most often sighted in Australia, Indonesia, and the Indo-pacific Ocean, Solomon Islands, Philippines and Vanuatu the blue ring octopus is also regularly spotted on some well kept secret muck dives in Thailand !
​These colourful octopus prefer to live in sandy/ mucky areas where they blend in perfectly. They are bottom dwellers not found in open water. 
The blue-ringed octopus is said to hold two types of venom in its saliva

Is the blue-ringed octopus dangerous?

This shy little octopus is among the deadliest animals on our planet!
That being said "small dogs tend to bite more than big dogs because they need to impress"...
And because the blue ring octopus doesn't have anything to prove... it is also not the attacking type.

This mighty little octopus is said to hold two types of venom in its saliva, both carry enough punch to kill 26 adults, within a few minutes.

The blue-ringed octopus is not agressive, they will not attack humans willingly and prefer to avoid them. A few bites happen every year globally on humans who stepped on one unknowingly, but surprisingly, there have been very few report ever of a deadly bite.

Only 3 death-by-blue-ring-octopus-bite have ever been reported, the other people who got bit experienced progressive muscular weakness leading to difficulty breathing/ swallowing. There is currently no antidote available for this venom however it is temporary and muscles will usually start working again after about 15 hours.

If you think a wetsuit can protect you, remember that octopus'  beak is hard and sharp and can easily penetrate through a wetsuit... so please let them be!!!

What is the daily diet of a blue ringed octopus?

Blue-ringed octopus eye
Like all other cephalopods, they love Live Seafood!
​Blue ring octopus are carnivorous, their favorite meal consists of small crabs, mollusks, other crustaceans. They usually wait until their venom paralyse their prey completely before eating them alive !

And what predators can eat blue ring octopus?

While its soft tissues are extremely poisonous to humans, Murray eels seem immune to it and are the main predator for blue ring octopus but seals, dolphins and whales can also enjoy this exotic treat!

What is there to say about Blue Ring octopus reproduction?

BRO can give birth to up to 100 tiny blue-ringed pup per litter. Just like other octopi, blue-ringed are semelparous creatures, which implies they give birth only once in their lifetime. After a female octopus lays a litter of eggs, she stops hunting to look over her eggs and dies of starvation before they even hatch. ​😕😭
Something quite funny about their mating behaviour is that blue-ringed-octopus can't tell a male from a female before starting a sexual act. When two males start to "copulate" it lasts about 30 seconds and no "semen" is released, while when the couple is male-female it may last 160 minutes and spermatophores are exchange. Basically it means that before inserting his attribute (hectocotylus), the male cannot determine the sex of its partner...
the blue-ringed octopus only live about 2 years
After a female octopus lays a litter of eggs, she stops hunting to look over her eggs and dies of starvation before they hatch

How long do blue-ringed octopus live ?

Growing up from the size of your fingernail to the size of a chicken egg, the blue-ringed octopus only live about 2 years, this is the time it takes them to be sexually mature, find a mate and give birth to their first and last offsprings.
It is believed that Octopus are extremely intelligent creatures who could achieve so much more if they lived a little longer to learn from experience and if they could learn from their parents instead of starting alone from scratch... 
Blue-ringed octopus close up by Franck Fogarolo
Blue-ringed octopus close up by Franck Fogarolo

Some other names for the blue-ringed...

Divers affectionally call him BRO but there are actually 4 kinds of blue-rigged octopus in the books:
Greater blue-ringed octopus - Hapalochlaena lunulata (who has the largest rings)
Lesser blue-ringed octopus - Hapalochlaena maculosa (aka Southern Blue-Ringed Octopus)
Hapalochochlaena fasciata and Hapalochochlaena nierstraszi.

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Learn more about Cephalopods in this blogpost
The Andaman sea is home to many cephalopods such as octopus, squid and cuttlefish... making them pretty much a guaranteed sighting! Divers are often amazed by the Cephalopods super power of invisibility. Here is a little list of the Cephalopds we most often see around the Andaman Sea...
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Napoleon, the emperor of warm seas

30/5/2022

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Napoleon, the emperor of warm seas
If you are passionate about colorful reefs, you probably know the Napoleon fish! Also called giant wrasse or humpback wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) it is an emblematic tropical reef fish and although on average it is 60 cm, it can reach up to 2.30 m long and weigh over 200 kg! 
Napoleon's cocked hat.
Napoleon's cocked hat.
Napoleon, what a funny name ?!
This labrum owes its name to its hump, which recalls Napoleon's cocked hat.
Its scientific name, however, Cheilinus Undulatus, means "wavy lips" in reference to the full lips of this pretty fish.
Long live the Emperor Napoleon!
The wrasse lives mainly in the Indo-Pacific region, where it lives in the waters of 48 countries between 0 and 100 meters deep. This wrasse has an exceptional life expectancy: 25-30 years, and some individuals studied have even lived for fifty years!
During its development, the giant wrasse will change sex.
The Napoleon fish is a Trans!
During its development, the giant wrasse will change sex. We then speak of successive hermaphroditism. All giant wrasses are born female and reach their sexual majority around the age of 7. Some individuals would then become males around their fifteenth year. Their appearance changes: they drop the red-orange of their scales for a more or less bright blue-green color, and their legendary bump develops and becomes more pronounced with age.
Male Napoléon fish
Male Napoléon fish
The humpback wrasse diet: defender of the coral reef...
Napoleon plays an important role in the ecosystem of coral species. Indeed, giant wrasses are one of the few animals that can feed on the purple acanthaster or Christ's crown (Acanthaster planci), an invasive starfish species whose diet consists almost exclusively of coral. It also feeds on mollusks, crustaceans and other poisonous species such as box fish or sea hares.
The humpback wrasse diet: defender of the coral reef...
However, the napoleon is in danger.
Now protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973), its population is estimated to have halved over the past 30 years. Its fishing is prohibited in many countries, but it is not always controllable, and this animal is still abundantly fished in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.
In addition to their pretty colors, giant wrasses have the misfortune of being very tasty and are considered a luxury treat in Hong Kong where some businessmen are willing to pay 2000 USD to wow the gallery by eating a pair of lips!
Now protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973), its population is estimated to have halved over the past 30 years.
Please don't feed napoleons!
No more than other species for that matter ... Tourism poses a certain risk for the Napoleon wrasse population. At some tourist hot-spots, animals are baited by food thrown by boats, in other places, dive guides feed them hard-boiled eggs to amuse tourists.
The fish become dependent on these baits and no longer distrust boats or humans.
Please don't feed Napoléon fish!
If you liked this article, please share it and if you have any other info on this magnificent emperor, leave us a comment below!
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All About the Pinecone Fish

12/5/2022

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Discover this rather rare fish, the Pinecone Fish!

All about Pinecone fish

Where does his name, Monocentris Japonica, come from?

The pine conefish (Monocentris japonica), also known as the knightfish or crownfish, because of the armor-like scales that cover its body, and the port and starboard lighthouse fish, because it has a pair of bioluminescent organs that are reminiscent of the navigation lights on ships.

It should not be confused with the Cleidopus gloriamaris or Pineapple Fish. They are very similar but are not found in the same area. Cleidopus gloriamaris is bigger than the pinecone fish and lives deeper. The difference between these two aren't obvious. Your diving location is probably the best way to make the difference but I have noticed that the pinecone we have seen in Thailand and Myanmar waters is a lot brighter than its foreign counterparts.
Pinecone vs Pineapple fish
From the book 'Reef Fish Identification Tropical pacific' by authors Gerald Allen, Roger Steene, Paul Humann, Ned Deloach , page 403

Where does Pinecone fish live?

It’s found in the tropical Indo-West Pacific Oceans, at depths between 2 and 100 m and can be found on both rocky and coral reefs. The fish is nocturnal and shelters in caves and under ledges during the day.
Map indopacific

How to recognize it?

The Pinecone can measure up to 17 cm long. Its plump, round body is almost entirely covered with large, rough scales and sharp spines pointing backwards. The head is large, with mucous pits lined with rough ridges, and is armored with heavy bones. The snout is blunt and overhangs the wide mouth. The teeth are tiny and thin, present on the jaws. 

​
Pinecone fish away
Pinecone portrait
​There are two wells containing bioluminescent bacteria on the lower jaw, near the corners of the mouth, which are hidden when the mouth is closed. This photophore is green in young fish and becomes more red as they age. The first dorsal fin consists of 5 to 7 strong spines; the spines have no membrane and point alternately to the left and right. The second dorsal fin contains 12 soft rays.

What is his behavior?

Because of its small fins and rigid armor, the pineapple fish is a weak swimmer. A nocturnal species, it can be found inside caves and under rocky ledges during the day. At night, this species ventures onto the sandy flats to feed, using its light organs to illuminate small shrimp. The light can also be used to communicate with fellow individuals. The pineapple's light is produced by symbiotic colonies of the bacterium Vibrio fishery inside its photophores. However, their luminescence fades within a few hours of being released.

The pineapple fish is moderately common in deep water, but due to its reticent nature, for some time after its initial discovery it was only known from specimens washed ashore by storms. While quite a rare encounter in the Andaman Sea, pineapple fish are regularly sighted in Thailand and Myanmar for the pleasure of scuba divers and underwater photographers. 

lil pineapple
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All about the magnificent Ribbon Eel

14/3/2022

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The Marine Drag Queen

ribbon eel the drag queen of the seas blog post
Scientific name : Rhinomuranea Quaesita

The ribbon Eel is the only member of its genus. Scientists thought for a long time that there were 3 types of ribbon eel, the black, the blue, and the yellow species. But now we know they form a unique species changing sex and colour during its lifespan!

1) ITS HABITAT

Ribbon eels can live up to 20 years, and can grow up to 1 meter long. The biggest individual observed measured 1,30 m.
You can find the Ribbon eel in sandy areas around reefs and lagoons of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It can be found in very shallow waters down to 60m.
It usually stays in the same cave for months or even years and two individuals (usually adult males) can be seen sharing the same hole.
Adult male Ribbon Eel out of his hole blue yellow ribboneel underwatercreature snake
Ribbon Eels are rarely sighted out of their hole

2) ITS BEHAVIOR

males ribbon eel blue and yellow
​The ribbon eel is a carnivore which preys on small fish and other animals that swim too close to their hole.

​They can be generally observed poking their head out of their hole waiting to catch  prey as it wanders past.

 
3) ITS COLORATION TELL ITS AGE AND GENDER

Black ribbon eel juvenile male
Ribbon eels are first males: black with a yellow dorsal fin
Adult female ribbon eel
Maturing individuals become female : a blue and yellow ribbon eel
 Female Yellow Ribbon Eel
Yellow Ribbon Eels are older female, ready to find a mate
Every individual is born as male.
Juveniles and sub-adults are black with a yellow dorsal fin. When they reach adulthood, they keep the yellow fin but the body turns blue and starts developing female reproductive organs.
​When they reach their full size, they turn into female and change their color to complete yellow.
They will then find a mate, lay their eggs, and die within a month.
blackwater ribbon eel larvae juvenile
Ribbon eel Larvae on a blackwater dive- Thailand 2022
It is due to their short lifespan that the female ribbon eels are rarely observed.

The ribbon is the only protandric 
​hermaphrodite eel, meaning they are capable of changing sex to female if there is a shortage of natural females in the environment
.

Ever seen a Ribbon Eel Larvae? We regularly spot them on our blackwater dives!

Totally transparent, you would easily take them for a jelly of some sort before you see them swimming towards you with bright eyes!!
​
You can even see their tube gut (the stripe down the middle). 
Beautiful female ribbon eels
Can you guess the gender of these beautiful ones?
Beautiful ribbon eels made the show for us!

4) ITS MAJOR THREATS

.Did you know that the major threat of this species is the aquarium trade??

While writing this post, I found more websites giving advice about keeping the animal alive in captivity, or selling them, than information about the animal itself... Better to leave them in their natural habitat and observe them while scuba diving, don't you think...?

Come see them in Thailand and Myanmar while they are still around :) 

​Subscribe to our blog to learn more intersting facts about the wonderful Marine Life we have in Thailand.
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All about the Shaded Batfish - Platax Pinnatus

12/3/2022

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Platax Pinnatus, a colorful juvenile fish

Shaded Batfish - Platax Pinnatus
​The shaded Batfish... loved by divers, he is not so easy to observe in its juvenile form, which is drastically different from its adult form.

Why is it called Shaded Batfish?

Platax pinnatus, the red platax or shaded platax, is a species of marine fish of the family Ephippidae.

​The origins of the scientific name:
​

Platax: from Greek [platos] = flat, wide
Pinnatus: from Latin [pinnatus] = which has wings, feathers, in connection with its long fins, especially in the juveniles.
Adult Batfish

Where do shaded batfish live?

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Distribution of shaded batfish.
It is found in the Indo-Pacific and regularly sighted in the Andaman Sea, both in Thailand and Myanmar. Unfortunately, the juvenile stage of this species is the most stunning and only last a few months.
​Its adult counterpart is less striking/ popular with underwater photographers.


​

How to recognize Platax Pinnatus? And at what stage of its life?

Small juveniles are black with a bright orange-red border around the body and fins; fins have a scalloped outline; they swim with exaggerated movements; small juveniles are thought to mimic similar-looking flatworms.
juvenile batfish
post juvenile batfish
With age, a grey spot appears on its side, starting behind the pectoral fin; the dorsal and anal fins lengthen and become more pointed.

It is the beginning of its transformation from a black elongated juvenile to a round shaped grey adult.
school of shaded batfish
adult shaded batfish
Once adult, two black bars appear at the level of the eyes and just before the pectoral fin. The dorsal and anal fins have elongated well and are yellowing a bit. Its body is now silver. It can reach the forty centimeters

​

Batfish reproduction

The sexes are separated and there is no sexual dimorphism. Platax pinnatus is ovuliparous and the fertilization is external, in open water. The larvae are pelagic a few days then undergo their last metamorphosis and the juvenile begins its life near the bottom.

There are several types of Batfish, the most commonly encountered in Thailand and Myanmar is the Platax teira, also known as longfin batfish or longfin spadefish, but surprisingly we do not often encounter their juveniles...

If the Platax Teira is not afraid about you, it is even curious, it's not the case of the Platax Pinnatus, ​which stays away from you.
adult schooling batfish
Beautiful batfish in the blue

READ ALSO...
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The hawksbill turtle: the critically endangered sea turtle

22/9/2021

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The hawksbill turtles, presentation of an endangered species...
While critically endangered, The Hawksbill Turtles are the most frequently encountered turtles on our cruises, today let's learn about hawk-billed turtle or Eretmochelys imbricata...
​
All Sea Turtles, are cold-blooded creatures, belonging to the reptile family, just like snakes, crocodiles or dinosaurs!
1. Where can you see Hawkbill turtles?
2. How to tell Hawkbill turtles from the others?
3. What do Hawksbill turtles eat?
4. Hawksbill turtle reproduction
5. Is the hawksbill turtle threatened?

Where can you see Hawkbill turtles?

Hawk-billed turtle, the only representative of the genus Eretmochelys, lives in the subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is therefore quite possible to cross it in the Andaman Sea, in the midst of coral reefs. In Thailand, they can be seen both in the North Andaman (Surin and Similan islands) and South Andaman. 
Hawksbill turtles are amongst the smallest of the seven species of sea turtles. They measures between 76 and 89 cm and weighs an average of 40 to 69 kg.
​As a migratory species, they have a wide range of habitats, from the open ocean to lagoons and even mangroves in estuaries. In the early stages of their lives, like other young sea turtles, they live a pelagic life, staying at sea until they mature enough to settle down.
Adult hawksbill turtles are mainly found in tropical coral reefs.

How to tell Hawkbill turtles from the others?

Hawksbill turtles and green turtles, are both commonly seen in the Andaman Sea and hard to tell them apart at first sight. Here are a few tips to differentiate them:
Hawkbill turtle VS green turtle: Sea turtle identification infographic
How to identify the Hawksbill turtle

Sea Turtle's face identification:​ Hawksbill VS Green turtle

Hawksbill turtles have a beak, while green turtles have a round face. 
The hawksbill turtle has a hooked beak
The hawksbill turtle has a hooked beak
The green turtle's beak is rounded
The green turtle's beak is rounded
sea turtle identification, hawksbill head
Hawksbill turtle have 2 pairs of prefrontal scales
On top of their head, Hawkbills turtles have four little square in between their eye while green turtle have two. These squares are called prefrontale scales.
sea turtle identification, green turtle head
Green turtles have one pair of frontal scales
identify hawsbill turtle from the top of the head
Hawksbill turtles's nostrils are turned up
identify the head of a green turtle
Green turtles's nostrils are a lot more forward
The turtle's nose is also a good differentiation factor: those of Hawksbills looks upward, on top of their beak while green turtle's nose is forward, on the front of their face. When looking at a tutle from the front you would see the green's nostrils a lot more.

Sea Turtle's Shell identification:​ ​Hawksbill VS Green turtle

The carapace of the sea turtles are also a good way to tell them appart. The shape of the green turtle is rounder with squales next to each other and a soft edge, while the hawksbill turtle is more hear-shaped with squales overlapping each other and the edge is serrated, like a saw.
Beautiful green turtle carapace
Green turtle's shell has a soft edge and squales do not overlap
baby hawksbill on the left VS baby green turtle on the right
baby hawksbill on the left VS baby green turtle on the right
Hawkbill turtle shell
Hawksbill turtle shell has a serrated edge and squales overlap
Beautiful Hawkbill turtle by Franck Fogarolo
The carapace colour doesn't help identification but this carapace is serrated, means it is a Hawksbill

Sea Turtle's Flippers identification:​ ​Hawksbill VS Green turtle


​It is not often easy to spot but Hawksbill turtles forelimbs have two claws on each fin, while green turtles only display one.
​
The second claw is fairly small though and hard to notice.
Hawksbill turtles front flippers identification
Hawksbill turtles have two claws on their front flippers

Hawksbill turtle VS Green turtle identification:  belly shot

green turtle belly shot
Green turtle Belly
Hawksbill turtle belly
Hawksbill turtle belly
If you have a photo of a turtle from bellow and you are trying to find out if it is a green or a Hawkbill turtle, the shape will be your best friend.
The Hawksbill turtle has a longer neck, and serrated carapace (looks closely in between the two back flipper) you may also see its beak!

What do Hawksbill turtles eat?

The hawksbill turtle is one of the few animals known to feed on sponges and is the only known spongivorous reptile. This diet make them very important to avoid sponges overtaking the reef.
Turtles do not have teeth, but a powerful jaw and a hooked beak allowing it to “tear” its prey.
Hawksbill turtle eating sponge on the reef
Hawksbill turtles are omnivorous, beside sponges, they can also feed on anemones and jellyfish,  mollusks or sea urchins. Most of these are toxic but do not make them ill, it is however believed that their meat is poisonous to humans.

​​Small reminder: Turtles do not have teeth, but a powerful jaw and a hooked beak allowing it to “tear” its prey.

Hawksbill turtle reproduction

Like most sea turtles, Hawksbill live a solitary life meeting only for reproduction. This turtle mates and returns to the beach where it was born, every two or three years, to lay eggs...
The hawksbill turtle digs a hole in the sand at night where it lays more than a hundred eggs.  
After about two months, these eggs will hatch. The little ones will then have to try to get back to the ocean quickly, at they risk of being eaten by birds or crabs!
Did you know? The temperature of the nest during the 60 days incubation will determine the sex of the litter! Cooler sand leads to more males hatching and vice versa.

Is the hawksbill turtle threatened?

Yes ! The hawk-billed turtle is now critically endangered. They are believed to be the most endangered of the seven species of sea turtle, with only approximately 8,000 nesting females left globally. Its beautiful carapace has been used by jewellers and for home decoration for thousands of years. Ghost fishing, by catch and sea trash are also a major treat to these gorgeous animals.

It is estimated that millions of hawksbill turtles died in the 20th century due to carapace trade. Additionally, hawk-billed turtle eggs are still eaten across the globe, and turtles themselves are killed for their flesh.
Plastic bag floating in the sea...
Plastic bag floating in the sea...
Not only do we destroy the reefs they feed on, but they cannot find a quiet beach to lay their eggs anymore and many sea turtles dye eating plastic.
​
It is estimated that one in two turtles has already eaten plastic, a plastic bag that floats in water can be easily identified as a jellyfish by the turtle but is a lot harder to digest...

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You want to know more about Sea turtles?
Read this too


​Green turtles have green flesh and other interesting facts about this wonderful sea turtle

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The corals of the Andaman Sea

8/9/2021

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The corals of the Andaman Sea
Colourful fishes have always been a favorite to tropical sea divers but have you taken a closer look at the gorgeous coral species that inhabit the Andaman Sea?  
Do you know what corals are? How coral grows to form the coral reefs (Planet earth largest living structures)  and why they are so important for our planet?
Contrary to common beliefs, corals are animals, not plants and surely neither rocks!
What you see above is actually a group of animal living under the same roof... developing over time like any living thing.

How do coral reefs form?

  1. Coral reefs release eggs and spermatozoa (gametes).
  2. After fertilisation (meeting of a male and female gamete), a ciliated larva called planula is formed.
  3. The larva will attach itself to a place favourable to its development and form a flat disc.
  4. A polyp will form and then bud (each polyp secretes a hard exoskeleton, made up of calcium carbonate, as well as an internal limestone skeleton that remains in place even after the death of the animal), to give what we know today like coral. 
​
The successive budding of the polyps makes it possible to continuously enlarge the coral colony which, over time, forms the reefs.

​The reefs are therefore made up of colonies of polyp corals held together by calcium carbonates. Note that polyps alone could not live and reproduce without their symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae algae. While the algae provides the animal with the necessary nutrients, the polyp releases carbon dioxide which allows the algae to develop and also to carry out photosynthesis which will give colour to corals in particular.
Here are the stages of the coral reef’s life cycle
Coral reef’s life cycle - coralworldvi.com
There are hundreds of species of corals! Most live in tropical seas with optimal conditions for their development: lots of light and a temperature between 25 and 30 ° C.

But then, how to differentiate coral species?

andaman sea coral reef
can you spot the stone fish on this nice coral reef?
The magnificent colours of the corals that we, divers, are lucky enough to admire, their shape or even their size allow them to be distinguished in particular.

Red, brown, yellow, green, blue, purple or even fluorescent ... the colour combinations of corals are infinite! Colours can often help divers distinguish one coral from another, but their shape is a better tell tail.

There are two main types of corals: Hard coral and Soft Coral
​

Hard coral species of the Andaman Sea

Hard coral are made of a rigid calcium carbonate (polyps' exoskeleton made out of limestone) and appear very much like rocks. When a polyp dies, their skeleton remains and new polyps grown on top of the last ones enlarging the coral one life at a time. Hence hard coral grows very slowly.
There are several categories of hard corals encountered in the Andaman Sea, each of these with many sub-categories and species.
Branching corals
Branching corals

Branching corals

  • Branching corals are made up of a multitude of branches often used as nurseries to keep the baby fish out of harmway.

Elkhorn & Staghorn Coral:

  • Elkhorn / Stahorn Corals resemble branched elk horns (Elkhorn corals) or deer (staghorn corals) which tend to protrude vertically with a large number of side branches.
Elkhorn / Stahorn Corals in Thailand andaman sea
Elkhorn / Stahorn Corals
Andaman Sea Encrusting corals identification
Encrusting corals

Encrusting coral

Encrusting corals form a crust on a substrate by spreading over their surface and thus create a thin coloured layer.
This is the perfect place for christmas tree worms and encrusting shells to settle.

Foliose corals:

Growing outward and only attached to the reef from their center "trunk", Foliose corals are often compared to heads of lettuce.
Picture

Massive corals

With a very slow growth (from 0.5 to 4.5 cm / year), these round-shaped corals bummies constitute "the pillars" of most reefs, in the Andaman Sea and beyond! They can reach massive sizes like the multi million years bummies depicted bellow from the Burma Banks.
Massive corals
Massive corals
agariciidae
platygyr brain coral mussidae

Mushroom Corals

Mushroom corals are fairly solitary corals. They can be found on the sand and do not attach to other corals. Made up of a single polyp, mushroom coral can reach 25 cm in diameter.
Picture
Mushroom corals
table corals of the andaman sea
Table corals

Table corals:

Table corals are easily recognisable thanks to their horizontal structure which gives them great stability and perfect hiding places for other animals of the Andaman Sea and a particularily appreciated nursery for butterfly fishes.

Bubble corals

Often mistaken for eggs, pollyps ressembles bubbles during the days which deflates at night to let the polyps feed. Despite their soft appearance, bubble corals have a "stony" structure and are hence classified as hard corals.
Bubble Coral, or Plerogyra sinuosa
Bubble Coral, or Plerogyra sinuosa

Orange Cup coral

Another nocturnal coral with fleshy appearance, the orange cup coral is indeed a hard coral. It is classified as ahermatypic, because it doesn't contribute to building the reef.
In fact it is a pretty invasive specie which spread quickly favouring on rocky walls and chasing away sponges and 
hydroids.
The polyps retract during the day and "blooms" at night covering the wall with beautiful yellow
"flowers". 
Next time you see them, make sure to look closely for the pretty yellow snails that feed from them. 
orange cup coral in thailand
Sun corals or orange cup coral
Cup corals are one of the most colourful hard coral specie on the Andaman Sea.

Soft Corals species in the Andaman Sea

Soft corals are easiest identified from hard coral because they do not have a hard skeleton. They also have 8 arms per polyp. 

Carnation corals

Carnation corals are soft corals that love curants, their amazing vibrant colours make them some of the favorites for underwater photographers.

Richelieu Rock is famous for the purple coloured carnation coral that covers the best dive site in Thailand.
Digitate corals
red whip coral in the front, bushy Carnation soft Coral behind and giant seafan in orange

Seafans

The Andaman Sea was gifted with several types of seafans, tall web-like fan structures in various colours. The most impressive is probably the Giant seafans (Anella mollis) which can reach 2 meters in diameter!
Andaman Sea Giant seafan
Giant seafan in the Andaman Sea

Why are corals important?

Not only are coral stunningly beautiful and giving the Andaman Sea its colours but they are so much more important than for background imagery! 
1- coral feed small critters and fish that feed the bigger ones, no coral= no more fish!
2- 500 million people make a living from coral reefs: from fisheries to tourism
3- coral reefs can reduce waves by 95% and could save the coastline from the damaging effects of tsunamis and storms
4- Coral reefs are also the lung of our planet! Generating half of our planet's oxygen and absorbing about a third of the carbon dioxide generated from fossil fuels usage.
Wonderful corals of the Andaman Sea
Wonderful corals of the Andaman Sea

Coral reefs are in danger! Help us make them last longer!

Coral reefs have already been reduced by more than 50% and our generation might be the last one to witness one of our planet's greatest treasure before it disappear.

OUR ACTIONS now will determine if our children will see it too.
​
The Smiling Seahorse is commited to ocean preservation, when you go diving, make sure to chose and eco friendly operator to reduce your ecological footprint.
due to accelerating global warming, more and more corals no longer regenerate and see the entire reef die small little by little!
coral bleaching due to ocean warming is one of the many treats to coral reefs
The Smiling Seahorse's promises
  • to abides by Green fins  principles
  • to encourage environmentally responsible diving practices
  • to reduce/ reuse/ recycle as much as we can, especially plastics
  • to offer reef friendly amenities: such as our refillable organic, reef-safe Soap, Shampoo and hair conditioner.
  • to ask all our employees to help in ocean conservation efforts
  • ​To support marine science research and clean up projects
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