Welcome back, readers! In the last part, I wrote about the floras in Beach Area A. Today, I dive into the intertidal species of this beach. According to Wikipedia,

Intertidal means the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide (in other words, the area between tide marks).

Horseshoe Crabs

Family Limulidae

Singapore is home to two species of horseshoe crabs, the Mangrove Horseshoe Crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda) and the Coastal Horseshoe Crab (Tachypleus gigas). Horseshoe crabs are omnivorous scavengers, feeding on aquatic plants and dead marine animals. They have a sharp tail that is used as a lever to flip themselves upright if overturned.

Sand Bubbler Crab

Scopimera sp.

The Sand Bubbler Crab eats the thin coating of edible particles on grains of sand. The sand left over from this process is accumulated into little balls. This crab emerges from its burrow when the tide recedes, so you can almost tell how long the tide has been out by the number of sand balls present.

Snapping shrimp

Family Alpheidae

Snapping shrimp get their common name from the loud snapping sound they produced when using their enlarged claw, which issues a powerful high-pressured jet of water to stun prey. Some form a symbiotic relationship with gobies. Sharing the same hideout, the goby (with its better eyesight) watches for predators while the shrimp digs and maintains their shared home.

Sea pens

Order Pennatulacea

Sea pens usually live on sandy or muddy substrates near seagrasses. These relatives of anemones and jellyfish are largely filter feeders, feeding on food particles during high tide when they are submerged in water.

Carpet Anemone

Stichodactyla haddoni

The Carpet Anemone lives singly on sandy or muddy substrates, often among seagrass. Its name is derived from its resemblance to a carpet. The anemone is covered with short, sticky tentacles that trap food particles or bigger prey such as fish.

Spoon Seagrass

Halophila ovalis

The Spoon Seagrass is one of 12 seagrass species found in Singapore. Also known as Dugong Grass, this species is highly preferred by Dugongs. Studies have suggested that it can recover rapidly after grazing by dugongs as it is fast growing and tolerant of high disturbance.

Tiger Moon Snail

Notocochlis tigrina

The Tiger Moon Snail is named for its round, pale shell and nocturnal habit. It feeds on small clams and snails and is often seen moving just beneath the surface of the sand. As an active hunter, it suffocates its prey with its large fleshy foot, then secretes an acid to enable it to drill into the shell of its victim. Its eggs are deposited onto the sand in masses that are held together by mucus.

Whelks

Family Nassariidae

Whelks are commonly found on our shores. These scavengers are recognised by their long siphon, useful for detecting dead animals from afar. They are often seen congregating around dead fish in large numbers. Tiny sea anemones may attach themselves to the shell of the whelk, benefitting from the tiny fragments of meat that drift around when the whelk feeds.

Sand Sea Star

Astropecten sp.

Common to Singapore, the Sand Sea Star is also known as the Sand-sifting Sea Star due to its habit of sifting in the sand to hide from predators and forage for detritus. Spines along its arms help it to burrow into the sand effectively. It is also able to regenerate lost or broken arms.

Ball Sea Cucumber

Phyllophorus sp.

The Ball Sea Cucumber is often found buried in sandy areas. When threatened, it protects itself by hiding, or sometimes by ejecting its internal organs to confuse its predator. Although its internal organs will regrow, it is unable to eat until its intestines are regenerated.

That's all guys :) Signing off! Sejuk!