Feathwr dusters are needed
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Right now I'm thinking brittle stars, small crabs, and more cowries. Apparently they have anemone hermit crabs, getting one of those would be awesome.Awesome collection! What other animals do you hope to catch/do you plan on collecting any macroalgae?
Great choices! As others have mentioned, some of the native urchins (ex. Red slate pencil urchins) would also be awesome finds!Right now I'm thinking brittle stars, small crabs, and more cowries. Apparently they have anemone hermit crabs, getting one of those would be awesome.
Let me know if you find any Neomeris or Acanthophora spicifera. I am dying to get my hands on that stuff!I haven't seen much macro algae except Gracilaria, which locals call Limu and eat. But I've only been to one spot. I'm only here another 36hrs so we'll see.
I would pass on the anemone hermit. Think of the meanest regular hermit crab you have ever seen, then inject them with steroids and give them the temperament of a rabid dog.Right now I'm thinking brittle stars, small crabs, and more cowries. Apparently they have anemone hermit crabs, getting one of those would be awesome.
I haven't seen much macro algae except Gracilaria, which locals call Limu and eat. But I've only been to one spot. I'm only here another 36hrs so we'll see.
The snails appear to be a species of Drupe snail.
Day two. A brittle star which sadly lost an arm in collection, several of these very interesting snails with black nubs on the shell, unknown red macro algae, a small crab with hairy legs and black tip claws (I've heard bad things about crabs matching this description), a Halloween hermit, and a nassarius-like snail.
I saw some pencil urchins but they were massive, maybe the size of a cantaloupe, not fit for a tank.
All the inhabitants from yesterday seem to be alive. I added another 2 gallons of seawater to the cooler. Unfortunately I have to check out at 10 a.m. but my flight's not till 10 p.m. I'll have to make sure they don't overheat in the meantime.
dang, that's a shame you weren't able to bring them home.Well. I packed everything into a 1 gallon water bottle about 2/3 full at 10AM. I babysat the jug the whole day keeping it in the shade. Went diving and picked up a few more brittle stars and a few new macro algae.
Got to the airport. I got through TSA ok, they all seemed very interested and got a supervisor. They swabbed the outside and held a test strip over the water to test for explosives and let me through. As I was leaving TSA checkpoint one of them asked what airline I was flying (United).
Got through Hawaii agricultural screen fine too. Sitting at the gate a United employee approached me (presumably tipped off by that TSA agent). They told me I couldn't take the animals on the plane because they were "pets".
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/animals/in-cabin.html
United's own policy directly under the question "What are in-cabin pets?" says, "In-cabin pets are domesticated cats and dogs that can fit in a travel carrier underneath the seat in front of you." A hermit crab obviously doesn't meet that definition. United people insisted any living animal was a pet and therefore not allowed from Hawaii, purely a United policy. I said, classify it as seafood, no dice. They said I could keep the algae.
I separated the algae and gave them the brittle stars, the Halloween crab, mystery crab, and the striped hermits in the 8oz plastic cup they gave me. They said they would return them to the ocean, but I expect they may die before that happens.
Mysteriously the cowrie, the small Nassarius, one hermit, and a few the Tegula snails found their way back into the bottle.
Lessons? Don't fly United, also I flew out of Lihue which was tiny, I expect if I flew from a larger airport they wouldn't have bothered. You could maybe ship them to yourself overnight as well. Ugh. At least the cowrie and macro algae made it.
Yikes, Drupella are coral eaters. I think these are Drupella cornus or similar. They have been removed, good call.The snails appear to be a species of Drupe snail.
Sorry to hear. Those guys looked so cool! I hope they made it .I separated the algae and gave them the brittle stars, the Halloween crab, mystery crab, and the striped hermits in the 8oz plastic cup they gave me. They said they would return them to the ocean, but I expect they may die before that happens.
Pictures and any updates on the other livestock?Went diving and picked up a few more brittle stars and a few new macro algae.
Here's some of the algae and the cowrie. The cowrie is happy, I got some Halimeda, two red algaes, and one that kinda looks like bubble algae honestly. As I said the Drupella snails are gone. I swear I saved one hermit crab but I haven't seen him around.Sorry to hear. Those guys looked so cool! I hope they made it .
Pictures and any updates on the other livestock?
Great looking livestock and build! I am not sure what the second macroalgae is, but as for the others…Here's some of the algae and the cowrie. The cowrie is happy, I got some Halimeda, two red algaes, and one that kinda looks like bubble algae honestly. As I said the Drupella snails are gone. I swear I saved one hermit crab but I haven't seen him around.