Alan Deidun

Mermaid’s wineglass – Acetabularia acetabulum

Mermaid’s wineglass – Acetabularia acetabulum

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

Mediterranean slipper lobster

Mediterranean slipper lobster

An armoured tank underwater…..the Mediterranean slipper lobster (Scyllarides latus….xkall in Maltese)….this clumsy species makes up for the lack of claws, normally found in lobsters, through its thick body armour…it generally prefers caves and shaded overhangs during the day and it is frequently poached, unfortunately….photo courtesy to colleague Alessio Marrone…. Post by Alan Deidun on Facebook

Box jellyfish season

Box jellyfish season

It’s box jellyfish season….this species luckily is far LESS dangerous than its renowned cousin, the sea wasp (Australian box jellyfish), prefers yacht marina and harbour areas, is mostly visible at night and has relatively good eyesight…best treatment for its stings is vinegar…..thanks to Kersten for the video, taken a few days ago…..Spot the Jellyfish campaign…. Read More

The mollusc which lost its shell…

The mollusc which lost its shell…

Where’s your shell buddy? This is a nudibranch, a mollusc with no shell whose name literally stands for ‘naked gills’……these flamboyant species are favourites for underwater photography….this could potentially be Fjordia lineata, although caution is advised given the difficulty in pinning down the exact species for this group…photo courtesy of colleague Alessio Marrone… Post by Read More

Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish

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

Brittle star

Brittle star

Serpentine arms for walking around….this is a brittle star, a close relative of Starfish and sea urchins which uses its flexible arms to move around….it can lose most of its arms and can re-grow all of them as.long as it still has one left…..nocturnal predators….photo courtesy of colleague Alessio Marrone Post by Alan Deidun on Read More

Dolphins ahoy!

Dolphins ahoy!

Dolphins ahoy! Up and close with these graceful creatures in the south Comino Channel (Maltese Islands, central Mediterranean) during our annual Oceanography Masters bootcamp…thanks to Sarah Abela, Beatrice Greiner and Dr. Adam Gauci for the videos…..stop thinking about it! Join next year’s MSc in Applied Oceanography (one-year, starting from next October)! Post by Alan Deidun Read More

Lesser amberjack

Lesser amberjack

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