Feed the birds fish, tuppence a bag

Mary Poppins might mean well, but unfortunately, feeding the birds does have its ecological consequences.

After writing two posts in a row about people who feed birds, based on this article and this article on STOMP, this song came to mind. And how coincidental that one of my favourite bloggers, Darren Naish of Tetrapod Zoology, should then write a short post telling people why the old habit of feeding bread to ducks at the nearby pond is a very bad idea.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but in Britain there is a very entrenched tradition of 'feeding the ducks'. People go on walks (usually at the weekend), and they take with them bagfuls of bread (sometimes even whole loaves). They then proceed to throw all the bread in the water. After a while the ducks and other birds at the pond get bored or full, and they stop eating it. Then more people come and throw in more bread. More people come, and they throw in more bread. Then more, and so on and on. On any given day, the most popular 'duck ponds' are polluted by, literally, kilos of bread.

Here in Singapore, feeding the ducks is not a common practice, since we don't have many resident populations of ducks inhabiting our urban lakes and ponds. In terms of anseriform diversity, Singapore is quite lacking in this regard; only 2 resident species are native to Singapore, the cotton pygmy goose (Nettapus coromandelianus) and lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica), and only the latter species is known to inhabit wetlands, marshes and ponds close to human activity.


Lesser whistling duck, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Other species more typical of temperate Eurasia, such as the gadwall (Anas strepera), garganey (Anas querquedula), Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope), northern pintail (Anas acuta), common teal (Anas crecca), northern shoveler (Anas clypeata), and tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), are rare vagrants and winter visitors, and on the occasions when they have been spotted, were seen in isolated marshy areas. The most recent record of one of these species was that of a lone female northern shoveler at Sungei Buloh.

Finally, there is a number of species which were introduced to Singapore, most likely as ornamentals. Free-ranging populations exist, especially in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, although the number of individuals is small, and it remains to be seen if these populations are truly self-sustaining. These include familiar species like the domestic goose (Anser anser), mute swan (Cygnus olor) and black swan (Cygnus atratus), as well as more exotic species like the Radjah shelduck (Tadorna rajah) and Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata). So far, the wandering whistling duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) is the only non-native anatid which is known to breed locally.



Upper left: mute swan; Upper right: black swan;
Lower left: wandering whistling duck; Lower right: Radjah shelduck;
(Photos by Marcus)
Four species of non-native anatid which can be spotted at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

And so, unlike many temperate countries, Singapore does not really have large populations of urban waterfowl waiting to be fed.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the best place to spot a variety of waterfowl, both native and non-native. I can't recall whether visitors are allowed to feed the swans and ducks or not. In any case, when I was there in March last year, I did see people tossing chunks of bread to the fish, and my first sighting of a Malayan box turtle (Cuora amboinensis) in the wild was due to the turtle crawling out of the water to munch on some bread.


Malayan box turtle eating bread, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Since there are not many urban waterfowl here in Singapore, most people bringing bread to our parks and gardens are there to feed the fishes and turtles which can be found inhabiting almost every pond and lake. I've seen it occurring on a regular basis in the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Chinese Garden.

I'm not sure if handouts from well-meaning park visitors form a substantial proportion of the fishes' nutritional intake, but then again, many of these ponds do seem quite severely overcrowded, and I doubt the ponds would be able to support that many fish if not for the presence of food deliberately tossed in from above. Most of the fish that benefit from these offerings are non-native fishes, with koi (Cyprinus carpio), tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), and sailfin armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) as the most common species. Another aquatic species very commonly seen feeding on food offered by visitors is the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans). As such, these introduced species almost completely dominate the ecosystem. It is possible that native aquatic life is adversely impacted by the high numbers of non-native fish and turtles. Not only are other fish and turtle species affected due to competition and disease, but amphibians, arthropods, and molluscs might be excluded from certain ponds and lakes due to heavy predation. On the other hand, all these fish are important prey for large piscivorous birds such as raptors and herons, while the young fish support a host of smaller predators.

For some reason, the issue of feeding the fish in Singapore does not appear to be as problematic as feeding of ducks is in Britain and elsewhere. Although many of the aquatic plants and animals now found in and around our urban ponds are not native in the first place, it still goes to show that despite the possible pollution problem posed by overcrowding and overfeeding, even the most overpopulated ponds and lakes still manage to support a variety of other organisms.

Eutrophication does not seem to be a serious problem, although most of these ponds are admittedly rather mucky and full of algae. Presumably, all the uneaten food, and the droppings produced by the unnaturally high concentrations of fish and turtles, combined with our tropical climate, contribute to thick algae blooms. Given that koi and tilapia spend a lot of time foraging on the bottom, which stirs up a lot of sediment, this could be another factor as to why the water in these ponds is far from crystal clear.

Maybe it's because the species which manage to survive in these ponds and lakes are highly resilient, adaptable and tolerant of some level of pollution. Many of the fish found in these waters, both natives and non-natives, are capable of breathing atmospheric air, so low dissolved oxygen content does not present much of a problem. In fact, given that many of these species are adapted to living in stagnant pools, swamps and rice paddies, the living conditions found in urban ponds might not be that challenging after all. And as long as there is sufficient aquatic vegetation to provide hiding places, and shallow areas inaccessible to large fish, other aquatic organisms are still able to survive in these ponds.

Of course, one wonders what would happen if the feedings should stop. Will the ponds still be able to support such high fish populations, or would there be mass die-offs of fish? Would the starving fish end up decimating the ecosystem, or even cannibalise each other?

I have to admit, a simple act like feeding the fish or ducks can be a calming, therapeutic experience, and is an excellent way for parents to encourage their children to develop a sense of compassion for animals. And here in Singapore, where we do not possess large populations of tame waterfowl, and where urban ponds are typically entirely artificial constructs, the ecological impacts of feeding might not be so apparent. The ecology of our urban ponds and lakes is extremely complicated, involving a hodgepodge mix of native and non-native species. Feeding of fish might have both positive and negative impacts on the ecosystem as a whole, but this is an area that does not seem very well-studied. It certainly is an area worth looking into, to see if feeding of fish and turtles has any severe long-term consequences for the health and diversity of urban aquatic habitats.

Crazy pigeon is not afraid of people and steals food from their plates

STOMPer Nicholas said that a 'crazy' pigeon was harassing patrons at the Everton coffeeshop for days and sent in a video of a man who had enough and picked it up and placed it several metres away from the eating place.

In an email to STOMP, the STOMPer wrote:

"At Everton coffeeshop, this sickly-looking (and likely to be starving) pigeon has been harassing the patrons of the eatery for days.

"It would fly up unto tables and proceed to peck away at people's food. People were either be pushing it away, or would get up and leave their tables.

"Some ladies would even scream and run off, leaving their food and drinks uneaten.

"Short of injuring the bird, the staff of the coffeeshop have tried shoo-ing the bird away, but to no avail.

"In this video, a man who has had enough of the pigeon's annoying antics picks it up and walks about 30 metres from the coffeeshop before setting it down among the bushes.

"Needless to say, our feathered pest had hopped back to wreck more havoc less than one minute later."

Related post: Neighbour always leaves food for birds! (21st January 2009)
Uncle feeds pigeons despite 'No Feeding' sign at Bencoolen Street (22nd January 2009)
Bird droppings everywhere because of too many pigeons (29th January 2009)

I've seen how bold Javan mynahs (Acridotheres javanicus), common mynahs (Acridotheres tristis), house crows (Corvus splendens) and Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) can get when food is nearby, but this is the first time I've seen such a fearless feral pigeon (Columba livia).

I have no idea why the pigeon behaved in such a manner; without a biopsy, we will never know the answer. But if I had to make an educated guess, there are a few possible scenarios:

i) This pigeon has experienced very close contact with people; either it was someone's pet, or it's become used to being deliberately fed by people.
ii) It was just really hungry and couldn't find any scraps on the ground.

Of course, it could just be plain crazy, like the original poster said.

Do check out the video posted on STOMP.

One thing I find amusing was that "some ladies would even scream and run off, leaving their food and drinks uneaten". Maybe they watched too much Alfred Hitchcock.

Uncle feeds pigeons despite 'No Feeding' sign at Bencoolen Street

Concerned STOMPer, singelringen, saw an uncle feeding pigeons outside the Kwan Yin Temple at Bencoolen Street, and feels there should be stricter adherence to the prohibition on feeding pigeons.

Pigeons breed fast and may become a pest if people continue to ignore 'No Feeding' signs. He says:

"This uncle was seen to be feeding the pigeons despite there being several signs showing that feeding of pigeons is prohibited along Bencoolen Street outside the Kwan Yin Temple.

"When the pigeons are well fed, they tend to grow faster and produce more offspring.

"They are able to breed from the age of six months.

"One female lays two eggs at a time, and can lay up to eight times a year if well fed.

"This population explosion will eventually lead to the problems of diseases hazardous to human beings."

Related post: Neighbour always leaves food for birds! (21st January 2009)
Crazy pigeon is not afraid of people and steals food from their plates (23rd January 2009)
Bird droppings everywhere because of too many pigeons (29th January 2009)

It does seem that here in Singapore, feral pigeons (Columba livia) have few fans. Throughout human history, few other birds have been so celebrated and also so reviled.

According to the Animals and Birds Act, under the Animals and Birds, (Pigeons) Rules:

Prohibition on feeding
10. No person shall feed stray pigeons in any premises or public place.

And further down...

Offences
17. Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with rule 6 (3), 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 13 (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500.

Pigeons are a common, nearly ubiquitous feature of many cities - Trafalgar Square in London, and Central Park in New York are just two places famous for their resident pigeon populations.

In large numbers, pigeons can create a serious pollution problems with their droppings, and also pose a health hazard. According to a paper by Haag-Wackernagel & Moch (2004),

Although feral pigeons pose sporadic health risks to humans, the risk is very low, even for humans involved in occupations that bring them into close contact with nesting sites. In sharp contrast, the immunocompromised patient may have a nearly 1000-fold greater risk of acquiring mycotic disease from feral pigeons and their excreta than does the general population.

Feeding of pigeons is such a contentious issue; it is a favourite pastime of many people, and there can be few scenes as serene as the stereotypical image of pigeons cooing away while being fed by children and old ladies. Yet feeding can contribute to an increase in the pigeon population, and any uneaten food will definitely attract pests such as cockroaches and rodents. And as I mentioned yesterday, it is likely that there are negative ecological impacts, especially on other bird species. Here, where the rock pigeon is not a native species, the impacts on native birds do not appear to have been well-studied, although I would not be surprised if there is competition for food between feral pigeons and other granivorous birds.

Here's a London-based website that discusses why people should refrain from feeding pigeons. On the flipside, here's a group that has been formed to save the iconic pigeons of Trafalgar Square.

Personally, I am ambivalent where it comes to feral pigeons. I have personally witnessed how one of the neighbourhoods I used to live in soon became quite badly polluted due to the sudden appearance of a large flock of pigeons; their droppings were everywhere, leaving unsightly stains on the ground, walls, and vehicles. The neighbourhood I currently live in has a smaller pigeon population, and although they don't bother me, I have seen rice and bread being scattered around on the ground on several occasions, and I hope that the population does not increase greatly. Similarly, there are quite a few pigeons living around my current workplace, and presently, they are not much of an issue.

Where it comes to controlling pigeon numbers, the most effective solution would be to reduce the amount of food available to them and limit potential nesting sites. Needless to say, there will always be people who flout the laws regarding feeding of birds in urban areas. The use of contraceptives and dummy eggs has also been tried out in some cities. Poisoning does not seem very effective, since it merely removes a few individuals, leaving more food available for the remaining pigeons. Besides, there is always the risk of collateral damage, when other species consume poisoned bait meant for pigeons.

One solution that cities elsewhere have explored has been to encourage various species raptors to establish themselves; urban pigeons are often the main source of food for these populations. In North American and European cities, some of the most common species include Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii), northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), merlin (Falco columbianus) and peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).

Here in Singapore, our more common urban raptors like the white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) and brahminy kite (Haliastur indus) are not significant predators of other birds, although we do have resident forest-dwelling species which would probably readily go for pigeon, such as the changeable hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus) and crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus). Hopefully, in the future, these birds might establish themselves in our built-up areas.

Singapore also has a few other raptor species that are winter visitors; these include the increasingly common Oriental honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus), Japanese sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis), Chinese goshawk (Accipiter soloensis), and peregrine falcon. These birds are capable of taking pigeons, and while in Singapore, they are occasionally found close to or even within urban areas. In fact, a peregrine falcon was spotted in Sengkang in March last year. Singapore's peregrine falcons are mostly migrants from temeprate Asia, although there are resident breeding populations in nearby countries. One wonders if we might one day have our own resident urban peregrine falcons.

I suddenly find myself wondering if Hong Kong has an urban pigeon problem, given that roast pigeon is so popular over there.

So cute! Cat plays with bird

Exotic bird is a Toco Toucan

Jurong Bird Park says the exotic bird which paid a visit to STOMPer Cheryl's house is a Toco Toucan.

Earlier, Cheryl had sent in photos and a video of an exotic bird perched on top of her garden wall, eating a papaya offered by her.

STOMP had sought Jurong Bird Park's help in identifying the species.

In an e-mail sent to STOMP today(21 Jan), Jurong Bird Park says:

"The bird in the picture is a Toco Toucan. Toco Toucan is the largest in the Toucan family and they originate from South America.

"It is easily distinguished by its broad and long beak which appears to be heavy but is actually lightweight because it is hollow and mainly made up of keratin."

Related story:
Exotic bird pays surprise visit to my house

Update: Toucan sighting (5th February 2009)
Related post: Exotic bird pays surprise visit to my house (19th January 2009)

The toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) is so unmistakable that getting the Jurong BirdPark to identify the bird is really quite superfluous in this case.

As mentioned, toucan bills are extremely lightweight, despite their massive size. Here's a website that describes the internal structure of the toucan's bill, and also discusses some possible technological applications.

Toucan beaks are built lightweight and strong thanks to a rigid foamy inside and layers of fibrous keratin tile outside.

The structure of the toucan beak teaches us principles of composite material design for light-weight strength and stiffness. Despite its large size (a third of the length of the bird) and considerable strength, the toucan beak comprises only one twentieth the bird's mass. While the large strong beak is useful in foraging, defense and attracting mates, its low density is essential for the toucan to retain its ability to fly. The beak's solid outer shell sandwiches within it a closed-cell, foam-like structure made of struts which, together with thin protein membranes, enclose variably shaped air spaces. The solid shell layer is built of overlapping, hexagonally-shaped thin plates of keratin protein held together by an organic glue. The internal closed-cell structural support is comprised of keratin fibers with greater mineralization, by calcium and other salts, than in either the membranes or the solid shell layers to increase hardness. The closed cell structure offers a more complex energy absorption capacity and resistance to compression than the bending deformation typical of open celled structures. The rotational deformation of cell walls, stretching of membranes, and the internal gas pressure all contribute to those features. There is a synergistic effect of the shell layer and foam-like interior elements that together gives it greater strength than the sum of the strengths of those individual parts. Material designs inspired by the structure of the toucan beak could offer the properties of low weight with high stiffness and strength, as well as good energy absorption capacity and insulation value, such as could be useful in developing crash resistance in vehicles without compromising fuel economy.

Even though hornbills are not closely related to toucans, they also possess these weight-saving adaptations. Here's a page with excellent photos showing how highly pneumatised the skulls of a toco toucan, rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) and helmeted hornbill (Buceros vigil) are.

Does this mean that we can call hornbills and toucans air-heads?

Neighbour always leaves food for birds!

STOMPer Dexter's inconsiderate neighbours leave food for birds on their window ledge all the time.

According to this STOMPer, the birds defecate on his clothes and in his house.

A frustrated Dexter says:

"I have made multiple complaints to the Town Council about my neighbours feeding birds almost everyday.

"They leave a huge handful of food for the birds, but nothing has been done about this till now.

"Birds would come and leave their waste on my clothes or in my house .

"I hope the Town Council can look into this problem. The address is Block 170 Stirling Road"

Related post: Uncle feeds pigeons despite 'No Feeding' sign at Bencoolen Street (22nd January 2009)
Crazy pigeon is not afraid of people and steals food from their plates (23rd January 2009)
Bird droppings everywhere because of too many pigeons (29th January 2009)

As most of us know, living in densely populated Singapore means that one often has to put up with a lot of undesirable behaviour from neighbours. Although the person feeding birds in such a manner might consider it an act of goodwill, it does certainly create a lot of inconveniences and hazards for others living in the vicinity. This post over at the Bird Ecology Study Group presents a writer's perspective on the feeding of birds.

In such a scenario, the birds most likely to be attracted to such offerings of food would be our very common urban species, such as house crow (Corvus splendens), feral pigeon (Columba livia), Javan mynah (Acridotheres javanicus), common mynah (Acridotheres tristis) and Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus). There are health risks involved, due to the increased number of bird droppings, the decomposition of any uneaten food, and the insects that would undoubtedly also be drawn to the area. Besides, I have my doubts as to whether feeding scraps and leftovers is good for the birds' health in the long term.

I do wonder about the ecological consequences of such behaviour. These common urban species appear to be extremely successful, to the point where I'm sure that other bird species are negatively impacted. Deliberate feeding might further increase the populations of these birds, and lead to other species of birds being competitively excluded. In my neighbourhood, where there are very healthy populations of these five species, other species of birds are quite uncommonly encountered. Whether it's through direct competition for food and nest sites, predation, or more insidious means such as transmission of diseases and parasites, these commensals have overwhelmingly dominated the urban ecosystem.

It is interesting to note that while many other countries have a culture of installing bird feeders, nest boxes, and bird baths, such practices, if carried out in Singapore, would almost certainly be frowned upon, and in reality would largely benefit only the small handful of already common urban species.

Beware! Snake skin spotted in Ang Mo Kio

UPDATE: The title of the post has been amended to Snake skin found in AMK: Other snakes still around?

Exotic bird pays surprise visit to my house

This exotic bird recently paid STOMPer Cheryl a visit. She says that the bird was not afraid of people and even came back again on a separate occasion.

The bird, which Cheryl suspects is a Hornbill, sat on the wall and seemed to be looking for food.

The STOMPer then offered the bird a slice of papaya which it ate up. It did not, however, eat the apple given to it the second time it came back.

Cheryl sent in some pictures and a video of the bird eating the papaya.

She says:

"I was washing my hands in the kitchen on January 8 in the afternoon and looked up when I heard a flutter of wings from the garden and was stunned, staring at the view in disbelief for a minute or two.

"A huge bird was sitting on top of the garden wall looking around most probably for food.

"I placed a papaya on the left side of the garden wall and it hopped over to eat it.

"It was not afraid of humans and let me and my mother got very close to take photos.

"It was huge, around the size of my dog, which is a Pomeranian.

"After the bird had eaten its fill, it flew off.

"However, my father informed me that it came back again on January 18. It just sat at the garden wall looking around.

"It did not eat the apple my father offered it and flew away shortly."

STOMP is currently contacting Jurong Bird Park for verification of the bird's species. Check back for more details.

UPDATE: Read Jurong Bird Park's response here:
Exotic bird is a Toco Toucan

Do check out the video posted on STOMP.

Update: Toucan sighting (5th February 2009)
Exotic bird is a Toco Toucan (21st January 2009)

The person who submitted this made an error in the identification; it's not a hornbill (F. Bucerotidae), but a toco toucan (Ramphastos toco). It is interesting to note that despite the great similarities in appearance, hornbills and toucans are actually not closely related at all.

Toucans (F. Ramphastidae) are restricted to Central and South America, so this particular individual is definitely an escapee. In any case, the toco toucan is one of the most iconic members of its family, and is commonly seen in captivity. I do have fond childhood memories of watching a toco toucan performing at the Jurong BirdPark, demonstrating its ability to catch a ping pong ball with its huge beak.

The first thing that came to mind when I saw today's post about the visiting toucan was a pair of articles on STOMP from October last year. First, someone submitted an entry about the appearance of a toco toucan in Seletar Hills. That was quickly followed by another person appealing for information that would enable him to trace the whereabouts of his escaped pet.

The person who submitted the most recent post did not give any clues as to where she is living, but it is certainly worth speculating if this is the very same toucan that appears to have been on the loose for more than 3 months.

Monday Morgue: 19th January 2009

Cake sand dollar (Arachnoides placenta)
Cyrene Reef, 23rd May 2008

Wild Fact Sheets
The Echinoid Directory

Big tree falls, damages vehicles in Orchard Rd

An accident occured today (January 17) around 3.00pm when a big tree collapsed and damaged a bus and a car, causing a traffic jam in front of Orchard Towers.

A STOMPer has a store front of where the incident happened and sent STOMP an MMS.

The contributor says:

"This just happened and I witnessed the entire incident.

"The tree just collapsed and hit the top of the bus and damaged it. Another car in front of the bus was hit as well.

"Fortunately, nobody got hurt but the traffic jam just started building up. It is a mess over here at the moment. I think the authorities are also stuck in the traffic to clear this up."

10 ft python found at Pasir Ris HDB void deck

Tree at Bukit Batok West collapses due to strong winds

STOMPer Emmanuel spotted this tree collapsing at Bukit Batok West, and says that thankfully school had already started, if not children might have been hurt.

In an MMS to STOMP today (Jan 14), the STOMPer says:

"I saw this tree collapse at around 11.30am today at Bukit Batok West Ave 6 due to strong winds.

"Thankfully school already started, otherwise children playing there might have been hurt."

Strong winds cause palm trees to fall in Burlington Square

STOMPer LLK spotted these three potted palm trees which collapsed due to strong winds in the Burlington Square area and snapped this picture today (Jan 13).

The 36-year-old STOMPer sent in an MMS just fifteen minutes after the incident occurred at 2:45pm and told STOMP:

"There was a big gust of wind and these three potted palm trees collapsed. The gust of wind was sudden and strong.

"I just happened to be in the area, which is why I managed to snap this picture."

Poor giant lizard trapped by callous hunters

Siloso: Suckers and Stars

One thing I love about visiting this shore is that I simply don't quite know what to expect. Since this beach is so heavily impacted by surrounding human activities, it's easy to dismiss the waters here as being relatively lifeless compared to other more pristine shores. But it increasingly appears that the murky waters have plenty of secrets to reveal.

This time around, I made extra preparations. After my previous visit, I'd listed a couple of things that I would need:

The next time I visit this shore, I'm definitely going to need the following:

i) Containers. I'm not a fan of taking photos of marine animals in plastic containers, since I greatly prefer showing them in their natural environment. But given the murky water, and the fact that it's too easy for various creatures to swim away into deeper water and vanish, the use of containers will be a great aid.

ii) Nets. A few small aquarium nets, which would help me spend more time studying fish closely, instead of just seeing them shoot off into the depths before I can even react to their presence. Used in conjunction with a few small plastic containers, I don't have to worry so much about all the sediment in the water when I'm trying to take photos.

I have to admit, catching animals, even if it's just to take a few photographs, seems like a cop-out. It's a bit like trapping a lion or bird simply because you're not able to creep close enough to get a good photograph. And I really dislike subjecting the animals to such stress. But the fact that I'd brought plastic containers and two handheld nets really made it so much easier for me to take a closer look at the marine life living in these waters.


While the black-lipped conch (Canarium urceus) is found in some numbers, especially close to the bridge, I managed to find only a single pearl conch (Laevistrombus canarium).


I didn't really bother looking at the creeper snails (F. Cerithiidae and Potamididae), because I wanted to spend more time looking for other less common creatures. Another reason was because every creeper snail I picked up turned out to contain a tidal hermit crab (Diogenes sp.) instead. But based on cursory observation, it would seem that the most common species would be the zoned horn snail (Batillaria zonalis), with smaller numbers of banded creeper snails (?Cerithium sp.) and plain creeper snails (?Cerithium sp.).


Here's a tidal hermit crab that's substantially larger than the others, large enough to occupy the shell of a pearl conch.


Besides creeper snails, other very common snails on this shore include the whelks. The tiny prickly whelk (Nassarius crenoliratus) is found in large numbers, often half-buried in the sand at the water's edge.


The common whelk (Nassarius livescens) is also well-represented on this shore.


I've found a large spiral melongena (Pugilina cochlidium) on this shore before, but today, I found only two rather small specimens, crawling on the submerged parts of the bridge.


Although I did not see any live nerites today, I did find a couple of empty nerite shells. The one on the left is the waved nerite (Nerita undata). The one on the right though, is very interesting. The lined nerite (Nerita articulata) is most often found in mangroves and monsoon drains, so the presence of such a fresh-looking shell here on Sentosa is intriguing.


It's nice to see that the small handful of hard corals growing amongst the rocks are still surviving.


I managed to find two different kinds of zoanthids growing on the rocks, the button zoanthid (Zoanthus sp.) and the broad zoanthid (Palythoa mutuki).


There are numerous tiny swimming crabs (F. Portunidae), and it can be very challenging to spot and capture them. These are possibly very young flower crabs (Portunus pelagicus).


However, there are much larger swimming crabs out there. I did not manage to find any larger flower crabs, but I did find quite a few blue swimming crabs (Thalamita sp.) and blue-spined swimming crabs (Thalamita prymna).


But the most surprising crab find of the day was this red swimming crab (Thalamita spinimana)!


This is the first time I've ever seen this species on Sentosa. This extremely aggressive crab is more often found on reefs in the Southern Islands. Luckily I had the nets with me.

There are numerous shoals of fish, among them Kops' glass perchlet (Ambassis kopsii) and young crescent perch (Terapon jarbua).


Gobies are also very common here; not only are there small groups of various species resting on the sandy seabed, there are quite a few small mudskippers among the rocks. I think the goby I caught today was a young ornate lagoon goby (Istigobius ornatus), while the mudskipper in my photographs is a gold-spotted mudskipper (Periophthalmus chrysospilos).

A dark wriggling mass in the deeper water catches my eye. To my great surprise, it's a large shoal of baby striped eeltail catfish (Plotosus lineatus)!

They're very skittish, and the water is too murky to take a decent photo of the entire school. I try to slowly herd them towards the shallows, but they simply scatter and merge back into a shoal behind me.


So I sneak up on them, net in hand. More out of sheer luck and the vast numbers of catfish in the shoal, rather than any real skill, I actually manage to net quite a few catfish.


They're so tiny.


I've seen even larger shoals over at Tanjung Rimau, but this is the first time I've ever seen these catfish in these lagoons.

After releasing the catfish, which promptly vanish into the murky depths, presumably to rejoin the shoal further out in the lagoon, I soon come upon another exciting find: a polyclad flatworm (Pseudobiceros sp.), swimming away.



I took a couple of videos. The background music you can hear in the first clip is coming from the nearby Café del Mar.




Is this the same flatworm I'd seen swimming on one of my previous trips?


When not swimming, these flatworms crawl about on the seabed in search of food.


EDIT: Initially, I thought that this flatworm might be the orange-edged black flatworm (Pseudobiceros uniarborensis), but there are some subtle differences in this particular worm that lead me to believe that it might belong to another species instead. In fact, it appears to be a species that Ria herself has never seen before!

But this find is quickly overshadowed by another even more unexpected encounter.

I was just walking along the shore, peering into the water, on the lookout for any signs of movement. A piece of seabed stirred, changed colour for a moment, then all but vanished against the sand. It took me a second for my mind to process what I was seeing.


It was an octopus!

Capturing it wasn't easy; the first time I caught it in the net, it released a squirt of ink, and then wriggled its soft body over the edge and fell back into the water. It then held onto a rock and refused to let go. But I finally managed to get it into the net, and got it to remain inside the container for a few minutes while I took as many photos as I could.





Octopus are supreme masters of camouflage; you can see how this octopus effortlessly changes its colour in an attempt to match the sand. It's likely to be the two-spot reef octopus, which is the species we frequently find at Tanjung Rimau.


Octopus are expert escape artists, as you can see in this video.


I was staring at the sargassum (Sargassum sp.) growing on the bridge when a piece of seaweed moved; it turned out to be an extremely well-camouflaged arrow-head spider crab (Menatheius sp.)


On the other side of the bridge, amongst the spoon seagrass (Halophila ovalis), I find a small elbow crab (F. Parthenopidae).


There was a small shoal of fish swimming above the patch of spoon seagrass. Thanks to the tide, taking a closer look at them was simple; all I had to do was place my net in such a way that all of them were swept into it by the waves.


Here's a closer look. I realised that it was a mixed shoal consisting largely of baby mullet (F. Mugilidae), as well as a few Kops' glass perchlet (Ambassis kopsii).


Other fish species in these shallows include tropical silverside (Atherinomorus duodecimalis) and broad-nose halfbeak (F. Hermirhamphidae).


It soon turned out that the octopus was not the only cephalopod inhabiting this lagoon; close to the rocks on one end of the islet, I came upon a pygmy squid (Idiosepius sp.).


As well as a small group of much larger pencil squid (F. Loliginidae). After a few frustrating attempts, I finally managed to get one of them to enter my net. I think these might be bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana).

The colours of both types of squid look a little washed-out in the photographs, but I think it's partly because of the stress of being caught. In real life, they were both constantly changing colours, thanks to the chromatophores in their skin.


This is a large cirolanid isopod. Like the sea slaters (Ligia sp.) found in rocky shores and mangroves, these critters are scavengers. Burrowing in the sand, they lie in wait at the water's edge, emerging to feast on carrion. This one was much larger than the ones that bit me on a previous trip.

The true highlight of the night came as I was about to head back, contemplating another night without finding the common sea stars (Archaster typicus) that first drew me to this islet 2 years ago. Although I had found a solitary specimen in October, the sea stars were not seen on my most recent visit. So I was a little concerned about their continued presence on this lagoon.

But as I was walking back towards the bridge, something caught my eye. It was the arm of a sea star, poking up from beneath the sand at the water's edge.


Finally, I'd found my common sea star!


Almost immediately, I spotted a second sea star nearby. Alas, this one was completely unresponsive; it did not try to right itself when flipped over, and the tube feet were not moving at all. I think it was only very recently deceased. The body of a sea star rapidly disintegrate once the animal dies, so those dried sea stars you find as tacky souvenirs and ornaments are actually made by collecting and killing live sea stars.


After some very careful and meticulous inspection of the sand, I manage to dig up two more live sea stars.

It's great to see that there's still a small population of common sea stars surviving here after all!

There was so much to see on this trip, and all on a stretch of reclaimed beach only a couple of hundred metres in length. It's a really great example of how marine life can survive in areas of coastal development; it might not be optimal habitat, but as the past few trips have clearly illustrated, it is far from the sterile, lifeless environment that many of us assume it to be.

Striking an odd figure with my aquarium nets and headlamp, crouched over the water, I did attract the attention of quite a few other beachgoers, from little children to couples out to enjoy a romantic evening. Whenever I could, I did share a little about the various creatures I'd found on this shore; at one point, the container full of tiny fish definitely helped to drive home the point that despite all the ongoing development, Siloso Beach is definitely inhabited by a wide variety of marine creatures.

I have to admit that even though the nets and containers were a great help in ensuring that I managed to get decent photographs of the many creatures I spotted, I still prefer to have photographs of the animals taken in situ. And although I did try to release all of the animals as quickly as possible, I do feel a little bad for stressing them out a little, especially with the more high-strung and sensitive organisms such as fish and cephalopods. The octopus and squid were definitely not too pleased about their plight.

Even so, given the extremely murky water and the fine sediment, it would appear that there are few alternatives, short of getting a more powerful camera with underwater capabilities, or actually bringing a small fish tank with me to hold the animals temporarily.

I've also just received a very interesting comment on a post about my previous visit. A reader who goes by the nickname of ahkhee said:

I went to Siloso Beach to free dive a couple of weeks ago during low tide.

I spotted a batfish, some butterflyfish, anemone, pufferfish, purple and orangy sea slugs.

What's interesting is that you can still find some lobster and crab cages at the bottom of the sea bed.

However, it disgusts me to swim in water filled with rubbish. Yet, many fish try to thrive in it.

I am planning on a free diving trip soon. And this time, I am bringing an Underwater camera along.

Perhaps, this time, you can bring ur masks and snorkels and join me in this excavation and discovery.

It's very exciting to hear that! I'm certainly very interested in seeing if ahkhee actually makes the trip, and is subsequently able to tell us what he manages to find. If there are any divers out there willing to join him in exploring such a challenging environment, ahkhee left his email address in his comment. I can't dive, and I have no experience in snorkelling, but I eagerly await future updates if ahkhee goes ahead with his idea.

Siloso Beach has been overlooked by most of us, but as far as I'm concerned, this is one shore that I'll be visiting a lot more often in future.

This is part 2 of a 2-part series on a trip to Siloso Beach on 12th January, 2009.

Part 1: Return to Siloso
Part 2: Siloso: Suckers and Stars (this post)