But peer more closely, open your eyes and you will realise how truly alive our shores are! In fact, here’s what you can see –
...A red egg crab hiding in the crevices.
...The sargassum seaweed, which have little air-filled balloons to help it stay afloat.
... A sea anemone that has branched tentacles called the Phymanthus, found at the base of the rubble.
...A retracted fan worm.
(A fan worm, when exposed in the water looks like this)
... The mermaid’s fan seaweed.
...The hairy crab peeking out.
And all from the same single piece of rubble!
Not all the marine life play hide and seek. You can see plenty of sponges, sea stars, sea cucumbers, anemones, corals, urchins and so many more around Cyrene Reef – but even they deserve more than a cursory glance, just look what they are hiding!
...Brittle stars in the sponge.
...The anemoneshrimp in the carpet anemone.
...A hairy crab at the top of the hard coral.
Just for kicks, I peered into another rubble while waiting for the boat to come in. And Cyrene once again obliged in showcasing the beauty of its residents, and here’s a pair of mosaic crabs.
With open eyes, all of us can enjoy the richness offered by the shores of Singapore. And with open minds, we can preserve it so it can be enjoyed by our future generations.
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