Under the Sea fan
I am always amazed at seeing the evolution all wrecks go through, starting the moment they are sunk. Here, a school of grunts takes refuge under a large sea fan growing out from the wreck. Seeing how all sorts of growth like sponge, sea fan, coral, algae, etc cover...
United Caribbean
The United Caribbean Shipwreck located off the coast of Boca Raton, Florida is a commonly visited shipwreck site that Pompano Dive Center visits. The wreck sits at about 70 feet to the sand with the deck being at about 50 feet. History: Originally built in 1969 this...
Turtle in the Dark
This portrait of a hawksbill sea turtle in Grand Bahama, Bahamas was taken on a patch reef dive site where coral heads will rise out of the sand and often have a mushroom-like shape to them. Patch reef is some of my favorite type of reef to dive, mainly because I just...
Coral Seascape
Grand Bahama, Bahamas This seascape of sea fans taken on a reef I was diving in Grand Bahama. The back and forth swaying of the sea fans as a result of the ever-present ocean swell. I really like how this photo captures...Facebook Posts
Pelagic nudibranch in free fall
Photographed during a blackwater dive off the coast of West Palm Beach, FL
Rarely seen Juvenile Long Arm Octopus photographed during a blackwater dive off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida in 600 ft of water at a depth of 70 ft with Pura Vida Divers
Photo by Andre Johnson
Pederson’s Anemone Shrimps have a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with its sea anemone in which it hosts.
These shrimps are dependent on the sea anemone and are rarely found far from them because although they have a shell, the anemone provides protection from predators. In return, the shrimp cleans the anemone removing organism caught in the anemone’s mucus. Therefore, they feed on the tiny organisms and detritus that get caught in the anemones mucus.
The cleaner shrimp also wave their antennae to attract fish to their “cleaning stations”. The cleaner shrimp has a mutulistic relationship with the fish. They remove parasites from stationary fish that are passing by. Not only cleaning externally they also clean inside the mouths and gills of fish and other marine life wishing to be cleaned.
Although the Pederson’s cleaner shrimp have an armored exoskeleton, this does not protect them from the sea anemones sting produced by the nematocysts. The cleaning shrimp has to adapt themselves to their host. This is done by slowly making contact with the tentacles of the anemone. After this process is done repeatedly, the shrimp develops immunity and can move about the anemone unaffected. Similarly, the anemone also no longer notices the presence of the shrimp.