Grumpy old Sam…..this is a fine specimen of red scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa), fully decked in its camouflage suite….known as cippullazza in Maltese and, despite its venomous spines, is a highly-prized fish in local restaurants….photo courtesy of colleague Alessio Marrone
Post by Alan Deidun on Facebook
Over several weekends this summer, Sharklab-Malta ran the “Bombs to Batoids” project with the assistance of volunteer citizen science divers, the research team of Sharklab-Malta, Galaxy Charters and the Environment, and Resources Authority of Malta. Divers carried out circa 160 scientifically planned dives at the Filfla Marine Protected area keeping sharp eyes for different species Read More
Keep your eyes peeled this summer, for the LIONFISH! The Spot the Alien Fish competition is still on, as is our reward! We are insisting on the need of this early warning system since the lionfish is a highly INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES (IAS) and hence it’s numbers need to be managed so as to mitigate Read More
Divers last Sunday on a boat dive at Dawra tas-Sanap, south east of Gozo came across the images we are showing you here. A small piece of trammel net (roughly less than the size of a garage door) seems to have been torn off by a rock, probably due to fishing very close to the Read More
A turtle nest was discovered this morning at Ramla l-Ħamra in Gozo, the largest sandy beach in Gozo and a site where practically on a yearly basis, nests are discovered. Keep an eye out dear divers whilst out and around, report any sighting to Nature Trust (and if you have a nice pic, we’re happy Read More
The lesser amberjack (Cervjola tal-faxxi; Seriola fasciata), a close relative of the amberjack (accjola) and native of the west Atlantic (Caribbean sea, etc)……the species was first recorded in Maltese waters almost 20 years ago and it frequents lampuki floats…thanks to Gabriel Bugelli for the video! Spot the Alien Fish campaign….. Post by Alan Deidun on Read More
The mermaid’s wineglass….one of the largest single-celled organisms around! The scientific name of this miniature umbrella, encountered in 1 or 2m of water, is Acetabularia acetabulum, with ‘acetabulum’ representing the Greek word for a shallow plate used for the dipping of bread…. A post by Alan Deidun on Facebook on the 19/07/2023