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Cardiapoda  known only two species from worldwide. Cardiapoda richardi  Vayssiere, 1903 Cardiapoda placenta  (Lesson, 1830) Cardiapoda richardi C. richardi is smaller species than C. placenta .; the tail is long like a filamentous; gill handle is shorter than C. placenta.  ; gill number is eight; shell is not characterized at old literature but, actually they has a very thin shell. Retractable brown, membranous structure on the mid ventral surface of the tail. Lens of eye rests in a surrounded in a U-shaped retina. Japanese name is "Muchio-Zoukurage". "Muchio" mean tail shapes filamentous. "Zou" mean an elephant. "Kurage" mean a jellyfish. About this individual These pictures all took at Kume-Island Okinawa Japan. Size: about 35mm. This individual is female. Because egg strings is releasing from near the gill and Cardiapoda is known that fin sucker present only in males. Body is covered with many reddish pigment. There was a ...

Phylliroe bucephala is eating Rhizophysa eysenhardtii  Peron & Lesueur, 1807 or  R. filiformis  (Forskål, 1775) P. bucephala is not so rare planktonic nudibranch. It's found at tropical and subtropical sea throughout the world. Especially, It's found many at the current-rip. The body is thin and flat. The shape looks like a flounder fish. It has ability to bioluminescence. Rhizophysa  is kind of Siphonophorae jellyfish. They are known stocking strong poison to cnidocyte. Phylliroe bucephala is eating Bathyphysa conifera or R. filiformis Location: Kume-Island Okinawa Japan Time & Date: 20:30, 05, Nov, 2016 Depth: 5m, Sea Temp: 25℃ Specimen Size: 40mm * Phylliroe bucephala Lamarck, 1816 = Phylliroe bucephalum Peron & Lesueur, 1810 Japanese name "konoha-umiushi" ="konoha" mean leaf. ="umiushi" mean nudibranchs. <<References>> WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Phylliroe b...

This larva is Malacanthus brevirostris  Guichenot, 1848. Taken at Black Water Dive® in Kume island Okinawa Japan. Total l ength is about 55mm, relatively large larva.  Snout is short protrusion. Frequently to treading water.  Color: Red horizontal stripes pattern on body. Caudal fin has yellow-green dye, the edge has been framed in white and that outside is transparent. The rim and the base of the dorsal and ventral fins has red and yellow-green spots. Larva of  Malacanthus brevirostris  Guichenot, 1848　   TL:55mm REFERENCES: Nakabo, T. (ed.), 2013.  Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, third edition. Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, Pp, 2428. (3-Volume Set)  (in Japanese). Okiyama M. (ed), 2014.  An Atlas of Early Stage Fishes in Japan Second Edition Tokai University Press, Japan. :Pp,1912. (in Japanese).

This is larva of Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758). Total length about 50mm. I still have never encountered any more small size. They usually appear near the surface of water. The body is semi-transparent, it has appeared faintly black pattern. 3rd spine of dorsal fin is extended. Perceptible bumps of located above adult eye does not exist. Larva of Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) TL:50mm Larva of Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) TL:50mm REFERENCES: Nakabo, T. (ed.), 2013.  Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, third edition. Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, Pp, 2428. (3-Volume Set)  (in Japanese). Okiyama M. (ed), 2014.  An Atlas of Early Stage Fishes in Japan Second Edition Tokai University Press, Japan. :Pp,1912. (in Japanese).

Somehow, larva of the Pseudochromidae has been no report so far at Japan. Pseudochromidae has been missing also at * Okiyama, 2014. This photo was shooting at Iriomote Island of Okinawa to early June 2016. TL; about 25mm. Depth about 3m. Meristic Characters  - D Ⅲ, 22; A Ⅲ 13; P 1 17(this photo) Pigment  - This larva has orange pigment, it's dispersed throughout over the head and each scale, base of dorsal and anus fin, caudal fin base. Study - Maybe, I'm thinking either species of Genus Pseudochromis from the Meristic character. Genus Pseudochromis are known six species of the following in sea of Japan. Above all, it seems to be one of the following two. Pseudochromis tapeinosoma Bleeker, 1853 - (Japanese name : Katsuiro-nise suzume) D Ⅲ, 21-23; A Ⅲ 12-14; P 1  17-19; LLp 20-27+4-11; Pred.S 10-15.  Pseudochromis cyanotaenia Bleeker, 1857 - (Japanese name : Ryukyu-nise suzume) D Ⅲ, 21-23; A Ⅲ 12-14; P 1  16-20; LLp 23-31+6-11; Pre...

This is a Juvenile of  Polydactylus sp.  It's a fish of Family  Polynemidae . Polynemidae species is rare fish at Scuba Diving.  It inhabits the sandy bottom, sand, mud bottom of the bay. Sometimes entering the brackish water. and It's often observed around the beach. But, probably, they are doing "abortive migration" at Japanese sea. Because, Adult is not a lot in Japan. Juvenile of Polydactylus   TL:50mm Juvenile of  Polydactylus   TL:50mm Meristic Characters - D Ⅷ-Ⅰ,13; A Ⅲ, 12; P 1 13 +6; P 2  Ⅰ, 5; (This picture) I could not getting the specimen of this species. In Japan so far, Polynemidae is known only 4 species from 2 genera of Eleutheronema and Polydactylus . I did think that it's Polydactylus sexfilis of these four from”Meristic Characters”, but there was a difference in the number of pectoral fine . Since the measurement of the pectoral fin is such from the image, it might not be accu...

Taken at Kume-island Black Water Dive ®  on from 28 to 31th july 2016. The larvae had many appeared at that week, but next week was very less. Depth of appearance of larvae was mainly from 8m to until surface. Identification of Larvae of Pomacanthidae is very difficult because many species of the Meristic Characters are overlapping. Color of larvae are very similar both across species and genera. Of this time Identification was base on the color of advanced larvae. Apolemichthys trimaculatus (Cuvier, 1831) Larval stage, TL: about20mm Most of the body is silver, dorsal is reddish brown. Nape is slightly blacken. Color of caudal peduncle is orange Advanced larva advanced larva, TL: about 22mm Body yellowish, from nape to eye has dark pigment line and white framed eyespot on dorsal fin. click to enlarge