Marine Life of the Kimberley Region

Researchers' Diaries

Andrew Hosie

Curator (Crustacea), Western Australian Museum

Kimberley Coastal Crustaceans– Cassini Island/Long Reef 2010

As with any project it’s hard not to speculate on the results before they are finalised, and our second expedition to the Kimberley was no different. General chatter amongst the team concluded that there would be a greater diversity of marine life around Cassini Island and Long Reef in the north compared to Adele Island and Montgomery Reef in the south. With approximately 250 crustacean species identified from the first expedition (so far), I was certainly looking forward to seeing more.

My first dive, as usual, was more than a little chaotic as I geared myself into collecting mode. More than a few collecting vials and bags mysteriously made their way back to the surface to be recovered by the Kimberley Quest crew – always the same on the first dive as you get your dive/work method sorted. I remember thinking, after the first few dives that the habitats looked very similar to the previous trip – the water was certainly just as murky! However, these appearances were misleading. While identifying the crustacean specimens is far from complete, I’m confident our speculations were correct in that this expedition had netted around 30% more crustacean species than the previous trip. The porcelain crabs and shrimp in particular were more diverse.

Divers
Back into the murk: left to right, Zoe Richards, Andrew Hosie, Skipton Woolley
Photo by Lee Betterridge
Copyright Western Australian Museum.
Harpiliopsis beaupresi
This shrimp, Harpiliopsis beaupresi (Audouin, 1825), was found living among the branches of an Acropora colony. Photo: Andrew Hosie.
Photo by Andrew Hosie
Copyright Western Australian Museum.
Ancylomenes holthuisi
This commensal shrimp Ancylomenes holthuisi (Bruce, 1969) is associated with sea anemones and has not been recorded from Kimberley before
Photo by Andrew Hosie
Copyright Western Australian Museum.
Polyonyx obesulus
This chubby little fellow, Polyonyx obesulus Miers, 1884, commonly known as a porcelain or false crab, was found in the hollows of a tubular red sponge
Photo by Andrew Hosie
Copyright Western Australian Museum.
Heteropilumnus sp.
Scurrying amongst the coral rubble was this red and white ‘fluffy’ crab, Heteropilumnus sp. These crabs are not commonly encountered, and will pose a challenge to identify.
Photo by Andrew Hosie
Copyright Western Australian Museum.

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