South Australian Marine Life
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samarineguide.com.au
South Australian Marine Life
@samarineguide.com.au
This account highlights the coastal marine life found in South Australia, as featured in my pictorial guide at https://www.samarineguide.com.au. It is maintained by Matt Tank (@mtank.com.au).
SA Creature Spotlight - Parvulastra exigua

This small 5-armed grey-green sea star is usually found in large numbers in rockpools, both exposed and on the underside of rocks.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/770/

#greatsouthernreef #seastar #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
December 7, 2025 at 4:27 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Holopneustes Sp.

This undescribed sea urchin is reddish, with short, blunt spines and brown tube feet. It is usually found attached to large-leafed algae.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/271/

#greatsouthernreef #urchin #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
November 27, 2025 at 1:34 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Rhodosoma turcicum

This small solitary ascidian is distictive for the flap of test that it can use to protect its siphons, which are arranged perpendicular to its body.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/640/

#greatsouthernreef #ascidian #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
October 16, 2025 at 5:50 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Ammothella biunguiculata

This long-limbed sea spider has a long spherical proboscis and equally long chelifores. It is plain brownish in color, with a short abdomen.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/908/

#greatsouthernreef #seaspider #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
October 4, 2025 at 9:27 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Paliolla cooki

This nudibranch is small and squarish, and feeds on the bryozoan Beania magallanica. It is usually a pale pink to orange, with darker orange spots.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/589/

#greatsouthernreef #nudibranch #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
September 13, 2025 at 2:51 PM
SA Creature Spotlight - Aptychotrema vincentiana (Western Shovelnose Ray)

A brownish ray, with darker brown blotches, particularly around the eyes, this ray can be recognised by its long pointed snout.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/49/

#greatsouthernreef #underwaterphotography #southaustralia
August 15, 2025 at 3:18 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Myliobatis tenuicaudatus (Southern Eagle Ray)

This species of eagle ray has a pattern of greyish-blue blotches that are often quite subtle, and a long and thin, but rigid tail.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/340/

#greatsouthernreef #underwaterphotography #southaustralia
August 15, 2025 at 3:15 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Callistochiton antiquus

This orange/brown chiton has a furry, lightly-banded girdle. Its valves are heavily ribbed laterally, with fine cross-hatched striations centrally.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/111/

#greatsouthernreef #chiton #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
July 29, 2025 at 7:07 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Goniistius gibbosus (Magpie Morwong)

Not previously known from SA, this Western Australian species was recorded several times at Port Noarlunga Jetty between 2023 and 2024.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/920/

#greatsouthernreef #fish #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
July 17, 2025 at 5:03 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Styliferina translucida

This tiny snail grows to around 5mm. It has a transparent shell with brownish spots in between fine lines, and a large white stripe on its back.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/797/

#greatsouthernreef #seasnail #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
July 10, 2025 at 5:16 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Lipotrapeza vestiens

A small but thick pink to reddish-brown sea cucumber, this species has relatively large light-coloured tube feet. It is usually covered in debris

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/626/

#greatsouthernreef #seacucumber #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
June 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Clavelina lepadiformis

This colonial ascidian is native to Europe, and likely introduced into Australia by shipping. It is mostly transparent, with bright white rings.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/876/

#greatsouthernreef #ascidian #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
June 6, 2025 at 3:20 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Electroma papilionacea

This small bivalve has a thin fragile shell and a skewed fan shape. It can be found on seagrass, kelp, and jetty pylons, often in large numbers.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/219/

#greatsouthernreef #bivalve #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
May 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
SA Creature Spotlight - Halocynthia dumosa

This solitary ascidian is distinctive for its bright orange test, with spines on the end of its dark-striped siphons. Its body is covered in papillae.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/255/

#greatsouthernreef #ascidian #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
May 22, 2025 at 2:16 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Coryphellina poenicia

This slug has a white or purple body with orange/red cerata. It has two large purple patches which look like eyes, but are actually jaw plates.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/176/

#greatsouthernreef #nudibranch #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
May 12, 2025 at 12:59 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Alpheus novaezelandiae

This pistol shrimp is variable in colour, but almost always with pale spots on the carapace and a dark mid-dorsal line.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/808/

#greatsouthernreef #shrimp #crustacean #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
May 6, 2025 at 1:57 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Cryptopolyzoon wilsoni

This well-camouflaged bryozoan (lace animal) colony appears as sandy "beaded" threads. Its feeding tentacles are only visible in extreme close-up

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/187/

#greatsouthernreef #bryozoan #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
April 25, 2025 at 5:37 PM
SA Creature Spotlight - Clarkcoma canaliculata

This brittle star has five whip-like arms with long paddle-shaped spines, and is usually a brown to black colour. It is fast-moving when disturbed.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/158/

#greatsouthernreef #seastar #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
April 22, 2025 at 6:53 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Anthothoe albocincta

This sea anemone has white tentacles with an orange oral disc. The column is also white, with greenish stripes. It can be found in large aggregations.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/39/

#greatsouthernreef #anemone #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
April 15, 2025 at 3:56 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Ischnochiton contractus

This chiton is variable in colour, with triangular streaks on either side of the dorsal ridge and rounded nodules on the outside of the valves.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/286/

#greatsouthernreef #chiton #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
April 6, 2025 at 12:32 PM
SA Creature Spotlight - Elysia coodgeensis

This small sacoglossan (sap-sucking) slug eats green algae. It is greenish, with white blotches and black margins, with purplish to black antennae.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/220/

#greatsouthernreef #nudibranch #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
March 22, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The coasts of South Australia host an incredible diversity of life and its rugged beauty rivals that of the tropics. Featuring almost 700 species, this guide can help you find & recognise these remarkable organisms.

www.samarineguide.com.au

#underwaterphotography #greatsouthernreef #southaustralia
March 18, 2025 at 3:21 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Octopus kaurna (Southern Sand Octopus)

This octopus creates a den to bury itself during the day, only emerging after dark. This octopus cannot change colour and is an orange-red.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/693/

#greatsouthernreef #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
March 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
SA Creature Spotlight - Seila crocea

This distinctive, bright orange snail is found in the shallow subtidal zone. It is a long and narrow cone, usually around 1-3cm in length, with spiral ribs.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/478/

#greatsouthernreef #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
February 15, 2025 at 10:56 AM
SA Creature Spotlight - Enoplosus armatus (Old Wife)

This black-and-white striped fish gets its old school, non-PC common name from the grunting noises it makes when it's caught on hook and line.

www.samarineguide.com.au/taxon/565/

#greatsouthernreef #southaustralia #underwaterphotography
February 14, 2025 at 3:38 AM