There’s no time you can’t dive at Pulau Hantu. Some divers even say you’re likely to see more stuff during a night dive at Pulau Hantu than during the day! One thing’s for sure though, is that you’re likely to see a whole bunch of different animals during the night, and even if you do see the same animals as the daytime, then they are likely to be doing something different. We were desperate to find out, especially after not having done a night dive for several months. To kick off our evening of discovery, was a Tambja amukusana nudibranch (above). Read the rest of this entry »
Slipper lobster photographed during a night dive at Pulau Hantu. PHOTO: Debby Ng/Hantu Bloggers
Slipper lobsters are a family of decapod crustaceans found in all warm oceans and seas. Despite their name, they are not true lobsters, but are more closely related to spiny lobsters and furry lobsters. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae, which project forward from the head as wide plates. Read the rest of this entry »
Filefish, wrasses, and damselfish, gather over the carcass of a huge prawn that was recently discarded by fishermen. The carcass, which has fallen into a tight crevice, does not make for easy pickings and the fish at this point, seem hesitant to enter the dark crevice despite the prospect of an easy meal. They do continue to hover over the carcass however, and stare down at the potential meal.
*The Latin name of the fish should be “Monacanthus chinensis“. It is misspelled in the video. Thanks to Jeffrey Low for the headsup!
As part of National Junior College High’s Science & Discovery Day, the Hantu Blog gave a talk to some 200 Junior High students, over two sessions. Read the rest of this entry »
Neopomacentrus filamentosus is an egg-laying species. The male fish in this video appears to be establishing a territory. It does so by cleaning a rocky ledge or coral surface. The male fish will court the female and encourage her to swim to the cleaned spot. During the actual spawning, the female will deposit her eggs and they will be promptly fertilized by the male. Courtship and spawning will typically take less than 20 minutes. Each female can deposit up to 20,000 tiny eggs per spawning. Some species of damselfish may breed with several females, while others form distinct pairs during breeding. Read the rest of this entry »
A Tigertail seahorse Hippocampus comes, feeds as it remains well hidden within the reefs of Singapore’s Pulau Hantu.
At 0:20, the seahorse turns to look at the camera, then at 1:17 it spots something below it and begins to sway, slowly extending its body with each sway, eventually extending itself all the way to grasp whatever it is down there that its trying to catch. So cool!
Seahorses are extensively harvested for the aquarium trade. It is the slowest moving fish in the sea, as such, its ability to remain concealed is its primary form of defense. Hippocampus comes is one of two seahorses that can be found along Singapore’s shores.
Leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) PHOTO: Debby Ng/The Hantu Blog
Divers were treated to a grand presentation of underwater Pulau Hantu this weekend, possibly the best presentation this whole year! With an extraordinary seven meter visibility, we took the opportunity to explore new and deeper parts of the reef. We literally got to see the reef “in a new light”! One of our volunteers, Edwin Kung, exclaimed that this was a wonderful opportunity to make photos and videos to showcase just now much Pulau Hantu, and Singapore waters have to offer! Read the rest of this entry »
Blessed with good visibility and practically zero current, we took the opportunity to slow down and appreciate the little things in life. Read the rest of this entry »
A community project based on the contributions of Singapore’s naturalist community, this documentary explores a simple question that Singaporeans often ask – “Singapore got wildlife, meh?” and sheds some light on the amazing animals found in Singapore, from the elusive common palm civet to the elegant blue-spotted fantail ray. Read the rest of this entry »
November 21, 2012 
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