Conero Logbook 2018

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Just two dives in January and December. As usual, most of the dives was concentrated from April to September.

Low visibility during the whole year. Always-on macro photography and some attempt to widen the view. A 2018 unlike the past years, without nudibranchs as main protagonists, actually there wasn’t a lack of species diversity, but of quantity.

April: it was the month with the biggest concentration of coloured slugs. The Janolo renamed Antiopella cristata, the Facelina rubrovittata and the Flabellina lineata now called Fjordia lineata. Last but not least the unexpected discovery of a Trinchesia, really different from the T. caerulea we’re used to see here….. may be a new species ?!?

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May – June: these months were usually the best period to observe and photography the nudibranchs, but not last year. There were really a few occasions in compare to the past, so the attention was concentrated on other subjects.

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July: still a few nudibranchs, even the Cratena peregrina which usually covers the entire Trave in this period, was rare to see. Attention was focused on something else and fortunately I had several opportunities to take pictures to the usual subjects, but in unusual ways.

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August: there were pleasant surprises, two rare subjects: the snapping shrimp (Alpheus spp.) and the Shame-faced Crab (Calappa granulata). Then, “the case of the year”, the invasion of a Lessepsian species never seen before in our area: Bursatella leachii.

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September: a bit better visibility, that led me to change the lens. The world of the reef creeks showed its inhabitants!

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A 2018 with some difficulties, but as usual the sea of Conero was able to give me great emotions. These emotions able to stimulate my passion for diving and my great desire to start a new season…. as every year ?

Questo articolo è disponibile anche in: Italiano (Italian)