409 Dive Log Australasia December 24

dredged out and the sand slopes away from the jetty down to 8m. The dredged area then extends to the end of the jetty and is very silty when disturbed. Off the end of the jetty from East through to South East is more corkweed. Under the jetty the bottom is sand until you arrive at the pile of Besser blocks about a quarter of the way along. This was originally a pyramid built by a dive club many years ago as an artificial reef. After the Besser blocks, it is a broken bottom all the way to the end. Also, under the jetty the bottom is littered with fallen beams and other debris for its full length. The best conditions to dive Edithburgh is when the wind is from the South through to North North West. Anything with east in it above a light breeze will blow out the site and cause the visibility to be very poor and entry and exit to be very difficult. Bucket List Species #1 - Rodless Anglerfish The little rodless anglerfish, Histiophryne narungga , that can be found under the jetty has been named after the local First Nations Narungga people. The Narungga anglerfishes hide in dark areas under the jetty and, being so well camouflaged in the debris they inhabit, are rarely recognised, even when divers are looking straight at them. It was first described as a new species as recently as 2018. It is usually white to beige, pale pink or pale grey in colour however I have seen and photographed an orange one. Despite the common name indicating they are rodless, they do have a very short illicium tipped with a tiny tuft of filaments. The eggs of these anglerfishes are closely guarded by the females, which protect them by creating a pocket formed against their curled body and fins with the juveniles hatching as a miniature version of the adults. In conjunction with a good friend, I have been monitoring two rodless anglers, one since September 2021 that has included 2 breeding cycles.

Rodless Anglerfish

Whilst individuals are very sensitive to light, in the shadows under the jetty they are relatively compliant for limited flash photography. However, they become quite agitated when subjected to video lights, snoot lights or even direct sunlight. Bucket List Species #2 - Striped Pyjama Squid The sandy areas under and around the jetty are home to the striped pyjama squid, Sepioloidea lineolata . They are often found during the daytime, and almost guaranteed to be seen at night where they emerge to hunt small fish, shrimp, and crustaceans. They reach about 6 to 8 cm in length are both poisonous and venomous, having a venomous bite and producing a poisonous slime coating to ward off predators. And when it’s time to hide they rapidly bury themselves in the sand with just their eyes looking out. Now, they aren’t really a squid, they are part of the cuttlefish family but have no cuttlebone to use for buoyancy control. They have short lives of around 2 years and like many other cephalopods, the males die soon after mating, while the females guard their eggs, dying shortly after they hatch. They make fantastic photographic subjects and are generally placid when respectfully observed by divers.

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DIVE LOG Australasia # 409 - December ‘24