6/17/2012 - Hawthorne Reef Dive Report

A lot of boats and jetskis were running around Hawthorne Reef today. Their wakes knocked a few things over in our boat, but they couldn't knock the fun we had under water. Kevin Lee and I spent a couple hours trying to figure out which invertebrate to shoot next while Merry played Jelly Queen in mid-water.
Hawthorne Reef is an invert paradise. It's difficult to get a photo without some small bycatch. I got a couple of Cadlina limbaughorums babysitting tinier nudis.

Cadlina limbaughorum with Cadlina flavomaculata

Cadlina limbaughorum with Triopha catalinae

Nudibranch eggs

Ida's Miter, Mitra idae

Spanish Shawl, Flabellina iodinea

Flabellina trilineata

Hermissenda crassicornis

Cadlina luteomarginata

Tritonia festiva

Triopha catalinae

Diaulula sandiegensis

Ategema alba

Cadlina flavomaculata

Doriopsilla albopuncata

Serpula columbiana

Christmas Tree Worm, Spirobranchus spinosus

Colonial cup coral, Coenocyathus bowersi

Corynactis californica

Red Beard sponge, Microciona prolifera

Octocoral, Alcyonium rudyi

Gopher rockfish, Sebastes carnatus

Painted greenling, Oxylebius pictus

Honeycomb rockfish, Sebastes umbrosus

Northern ronquil, Ronquilus jordani

Chestnut cowrie, Cypraea spadicea

Cyclosalpa bakeri