Interesting story on a real finding nemo.

joshlama · February 23, 2010, 11:54pm

Read this this morning, nice story…not so nice it’s a one way street and that they’ll probably die in a few days.

smh.com.au/environment/exoti … -p0pe.html

Exotic immigrant brings rare colour to the harbour
The two lovers probably hitched a ride on the warm waters of the East Australian Current - the same flow sea creatures rode in the movie Finding Nemo.

It carried them all the way to Sydney Harbour, where scientists have welcomed the rare sighting of a male and female ornate ghost pipefish.

Pipefish, close cousins of the sea horse and sea dragon, typically live in tropical waters, said sea horse scientist David Harasti, of the NSW Marine Parks Authority.

He said it was rare to find a pair of the colourful species, which were spotted in Mosman’s Chowder Bay, this far south.

‘‘You maybe get a couple every year if you’re lucky. They’re more at home in places like Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.’’

Dr Harasti said ornate ghost pipefish usually grow to about 8 centimetres long and can change their colour to match their surroundings. The pair would probably stay in the area for a few months, filling up on microscopic shrimp, until cold water arrived in May.

‘‘Unfortunately it’s only a one-way trip on the East Australia Current, there is nothing to take them back [to warmer waters].’’

Dr Harasti said once the cold water arrived their metabolism would decrease, which would make it easier for other fish to eat them.

Photographer Richard Vevers, of Underwater Australia, said ornate ghost pipefish were highly sought after by underwater photographers. He went searching for the pair as soon as he heard they had arrived in the harbour.

‘‘I’ve never seen one before but they’re stunning animals, really brightly coloured.’’

[/b]

lennonluvr9 · March 3, 2010, 2:28pm

Wow, that’s quite a coincidence! But yeah, its a bummer that they probably wont survive…