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The Mini Sea Star, the Sea Creature You’ve Probably Never Encountered

by | Sep 24, 2018 | Nature, Photography, Scuba Diving, Videos

The mini sea star, image by Bonaire's Ellen Muller.
Bonaire’s Ellen Muller is the stuff of legends with her over-the-top underwater photography.  But even more legendary is her uncanny ability to find the most elusive of sea creatures.

Coral spawning season on Bonaire provides the opportunity for rare, chance encounters.

During Bonaire’s 2018 coral spawning season, Ellen has literally spent days underwater–not all at once, of course, but 2.5-hour dives are not uncommon for Ellen–chronicling the spawning cycles of the island’s corals, as well as the reproductive efforts of Bonaire’s other marine invertebrates, many of which have reproductive cycles synchronized to those of corals.

The Mini Sea Star.

One of Ellen’s most notable recent finds is the mini sea star, Poraniella echinulata, and I would hazard a guess that most divers have never seen one. Ellen tells us they are very cryptic, living deep in coral crevices on hard substrates beneath coral rubble or rock in shallow reef habitats and only seeming to venture out from their homes when it is time to spawn. Their coloration also provides good camouflage against the colorful substrate on which they live, and the mini star has never been observed in great abundance.  Its size rarely exceeds 3 cm (1.18 inches).

A female mini sea star releasing egg bundles.
A male mini sea star releasing gametes.
A female mini sea star releasing egg bundles.
A male mini sea star releasing gametes.
A female mini sea star releasing egg bundles.
A male mini sea star releasing gametes.

The spawning behavior of the mini sea star.

It would be exciting enough just to come across a mini sea star on one’s dive, but, in typical “Ellen fashion,” over the past three years, she has managed to photograph a female mini star releasing egg bundles and a male mini star releasing gametes.  However, this year was the crowning glory with a video of a male spawning, “smoking up a storm,” thus chronicling the entire spawning behavior of this shy creature. She tells us,

“While shooting the video, I realized that a female must have been close, and I searched and searched for the male’s mate, but unfortunately, I couldn’t locate her.  Filming a male and female will be my assignment for next year’s spawning season!” – Ellen Muller

 

Two new species for Bonaire.

Ellen’s keen eyes and ability to move slowly over the reef have earned her two accolades, as she has found, documented, and named two new marine species.  Her most recent find is the Candy Striped Hermit CrabPylopaguropsis mollymullerae. 

Prior to that discovery, Ellen encountered a new nudibranch species which was later officially added as a new species.  The nudibranch was named Trapania bonellenae.

 

Candy Striped Hermit Crab

About Ellen Muller.

Ellen Muller moved to Bonaire from the United States in 1980 and has made Bonaire her home since that time. Even though she was an avid diver, Ellen didn’t pick up an underwater camera until 2001.  She then became immediately hooked on underwater photography and she has honed her skills over the years to be one of Bonaire’s finest underwater photographers. Her stellar underwater images are featured on InfoBonaire.

Ellen creates a calendar each year, with her best new underwater images, and these calendars become collectors’ items.  Visitors who wish to bring back a unique souvenir from Bonaire may also purchase prints by Ellen at Pasa Bon Pizza (view the price list).  For those who are not on Bonaire, a larger selection, with varying sizes available, can be viewed online.  For additional information or ordering, email EllensBonaireCalendars@yahoo.com.

(Source:  Ellen Muller)

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