The M. V. Chertan departed from Alotau and concentrated on diving Milne Bay and the D'Entrecasteaux Islands. At the time the small (60') Chertan was family-owned and operated and had six cabins.
Milne Bay is a large bay in the Milne Bay Province in Southeastern Papua New Guinea. It has a sheltered deep-water harbor. Milne Bay has some of the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world. Milne Bay Province occupies the eastern end of New Guinea, with its capital at Alotau.
The D'Entrecasteaux Islands lie off the eastern tip of New Guinea in the Solomon Sea in Milne Bay Province. The islands span 160 km (96 miles) with a total land area of 3100 square km (1197 square miles), separated from New Guinea by the 30 km (19 mile) wide Ward Hunt Strait in the north and the 18 km (11 mile) wide Goschen Strait in the south. There are three main islands, several smaller islands, and reefs. The islands are volcanically active.
Wide-angle scenes:
Milne Bay is known for muck diving, and that is what we spent most of this part of the trip doing.
Sea pens:
Virgularia sp.
Virgularia sp.
Worms:
Bispira sp.
Christmas tree worms, Spirobranchus sp.
Sabellastarte indica
Bispira sp.
Flatworms:
Pseudobicreos bedfordi
Acanthozoon alderi
Head-shield slugs:
Brilliant headshield slug, Chelidonura electra
Nudibranches:
Roboastra gracilis
magnificent chromodoris, Chromodoris magnificata
Chromodoris quadricolor
Anna's chromodoris, Chromodoris annae
white mantle glossodoris, Glossodoris pallida
Bullock's hypselodoris, Hypselodoris bulllockii
Goniobranchus kuniei
Humpy Mexichromis, Mexichromis multituberculata
Flabellina sp.
blue dragon, Pteraeolidia ianthina
orange-spotted Janolus, Janolus sp.
Papuan Plakobranchus, Plakobranchus ocellatus
freckled sea hare, Aplysia nigrocincta
ornate sapsucking slug, Elysia ornata
yellow-tipped phyllodesmium, Phyllodesmium briareus
<species TBS>
Miamira sinuata
unadorned gymnodoris, Gymnodoris inornata
<species TBS>
Goniobranchus reticulatus
Glossodoris hikuerensis
Tula phyllidia, Phyllidia tula
Sky blue phyllidia, Phyllidia coelestis
Fissured phyllidiopsis, Phyllidiopsis fissurata
pimpled phyllidiella, Phyllidiella pustulosa
banana nudibranch, Aegires minor
Molluscs:
Bivalves:
fluted giant clam, Tridacna squamosa
giant clam, Tridacna gigas
variable thorny oyster, Spondylus varians
scaly thorny oyster, Spondylus squamosus
cock's comb oyster, Lopha cristagalli
Snails:
Nassarius sp.
orange-spotted mitre, Mitra mitra
clear sundial, Architectonica perspectiva
spindle cowries, Phenacovola sp.
Conus marmoreus
tiger cowrie, Cypraea tigris
red-lined bubble shell, Bullina lineata
<species TBS>
Terebra affinis
orange moon snail, Polinices aurantius
Venus comb murex, Murex pecten
Crustaceans:
Shrimps:
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
white-banded cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis
banded coral shrimp, Stenopus hispidus
blue boxer shrimp, Stenopus tenuirostris
Metapenaeopis sp.
Metapenaeopsis sp.
marbled shrimp, Saron sp.
harlequin shrimp, Hymenocera elegans
peacock-tail anemone shimp, Periclimenes brevicarpalis
magnificent anemone shrimp, Ancylomenes magnificus
<species TBS>
Periclimenes tenuipes
squat shrimp, Thor amboinensis
commensal crinoid shrimp, Periclemenes oommensalis
sea star shrimp, Periclimenes soror
emperor shrimp, Periclimenes imperator
Lobsters:
painted spiny lobster, Panulinus versicolor
Squat lobsters:
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
Galathea sp.
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
Crabs:
<species TBS>
sea cucumber swimming crab, Lissocarcinus orbicularis
scissor swimming crab, Lupocyclus sp.
red swimming crab, Charybdis paucidentata
turtle weed swimming crab, Caphyra rotundifrons
Porcelain crabs:
spotted porcelain crab, Neopetrolisthes maculatus
Decorator crabs:
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
Hermit crabs:
<species TBS>
beautiul hermit crab, Calcinus pulcher
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
white-spotted hermit crab, Dardanus megistos
<species TBS>
hairy hermit crab, Pagurus hirtimanus
anemone hermit crab, Dardanus pedunculatus
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
Mantis shrimps:
Lisa's mantis, Lysiosquillina lisa
peacock mantis, Odontodactylus scyllarus
golden mantis, Lysiosquilloides mapia
Tunichates:
Rhopalaea sp.
Rhopaleae sp.
Atriolum robustum
<species TBS>
Clavelina cf. flava
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
gold-mouth sea squirt, Polycarpa aurata
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
Ctenophores:
Cassiopea andromeda
Echinoderms:
Sea cucumbers:
Euapta sp.
Lampert's sea cucumber, Synaptula lamperti
blackspotted sea cucumber, Bohadschia graeffei
<species TBS>
Sea stars:
Heffernan's sea star, Celerina heffermani
Luzon sea star, Echinaster luzonicus
blue sea star, Linckia laevigata
warty sea star, Echinaster callosus
multipore sea star, Linckia multifora
Brittle stars:
brown-banded brittle star, Ophiarachnella swptemspinosa
speckled brittle star, Ophiochasma stellata
variable brittle star, Ophiomastix variablilis
deceptive brittle star, Ophiothrix deceptor
Crinoids:
<species TBS>
Sea Urchins:
Astropyga radiata
Banded sea urchin (juvenile left, adult right), Echinothrix calamaris
Diadema sp.
Savigny's Sea Urchin, Diadema savignyi
Magnificent fire urchin, Asthenosoma ijimai
Cephalopods:
Squid:
Berry's bobtail squid, Euprymna berryi
pygmy squid, Idiosepius sp.
Cuttlefish:
broadclub cuttlefish, Sepia latimanus
Octopus:
day octopus, Octopus cyanea
Tube anemones (cerianthids):
Fish:
Frogfish:
painted frogfish, Antennarius pictus
Gobies, blennies, and shrimp gobies:
striped triplefin, Helcogramma striatum
skinspot dwarfgoby, Trimma halonevum
Steinetz' shrimpgoby, Amblyeleotris steinmitzi
eyebrow shrimpgoby, Amblyeleotris sp.
spotted shrimpgoby, Amblyeleotris guttata
signal goby, Signigobius biocellatus
neophyte goby, Coryphopterus neophytus
large whip goby, Bryaninops amplus
orange-dashed goby, Valenciennea puellaris
fire dartfish, Nemateleotris magnifica
bluestriped fnagblenny, Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos
blue-spotted sand-diver, Trichonotus setigerus
<species TBS>
white-lined blenny, Ecsenius taeniatus
false cleanerfish, Aspidontus taeniatus
triplespot blenny, Crossosalarias macrospilus
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
<species TBS>
stonycoral ghostgoby, Pleurosicya micheli
Puffers:
black-saddled toby, Canthigaster valentini
whitebelly toby, Canthigaster bennetti
striped puffer, Arothron manilensis
map puffer, Arothron mappa
blackspotted puffer, Arothron nigropunctatus
star ouffer (juvenile), Arothron stellatus
Pipefish:
ringed pipefish, Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus
Schultz's pipefish, Corythoichthys schultzi
yellowspotted pipefish, Corythoichthys polynotatus
ornate ghost pipefish, Solenostomus paradoxus
Seahorses:
common seahorse (yellow: female variant), Hippocampus taeniopterus
estuary seahorse (yellow: female variant), Hippocampus kuda
Eels:
ribbon eel, Rhinomuraena quaesita
fimbriated moray, Gymnothorax fimbriatus
white-eyed moray, Siderea thysoidea
yellow-headed moray, Gymnothorax rueppelliae
Napolean snake eel, Ophichthus bonaparti
Butterflyfish and angelfish:
vagabond butterflyfish, Chaetodon vagabundus
redfin butterflyfish, Chaetodon lunulatus
spot-banded butterflyfish, Chaetodon punctatofasciatus
latticed butterflyfish, Chaetodon rafflesi
humphead bannerfish, Heniochus varius
blue-girdled angelfish, Pomacanthus navarchus
Moorish idol:
Zanclus comutus
Goatfish:
doublebar goatfish, Parupeneus bifasciatus
<species TBS>
freckled goatfish, Upeneus tragula
red goatfish, Mulloidichthys pflugeri
Triggerfish and tangs:
Pacific sailfin tang, Zebrasoma veliferum
strapweed filefish, Pseudomonacanthus macrurus
clown triggerfsih, Balistoides conspicillum
redtooth triggerfish, Odonus niger
Anemonefish and clownfish:
Tomato anemonefish, Amphiprion frenatus
spinecheek anemonefish, Premnas biaculeatus
orange-finned anemonefish, Amphiprion chrysopterus
clown anemonefish, Amphiprion percula
false clown anemonefish, Amphiprion ocellaris
pink anemonefish, Amphiprion penderaion
saddleback anemonefish, Amphiprion polymnus
Clark's anemonefish, Amphiprion clarkii
Damselfish and anthias:
golden damsel, Amblyglyphidodon aureus
green damsel, Amblyglyphidodon indicus
staghorn damsel, Amblyglyphidodon curacao
three-spot dascyllus, Dascyllus trimaculatus
humbug dascyllus, Dascyllus aruanus
squares[ot anthias, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia
sunset anthias, Pseudanthias parvirostris
magenta slender anthias, Luzonichthys waitei
threadfin anthias, Pseudoanthias huchti
Lionfish:
common lionfish, Pterois volitans
spotfin lionfish, Pterois antennata
shortfin lionfish, Dendrochirus brachypterus
Scorpionfish and stonefish:
flasher scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis macrochir
devil scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis diabolus
spiny devilfish, Inimicus didactylus
raggy scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis venosa
Boxfish:
roundbelly cowfish, Lactoria diaphana
longhorn cowfish, Lactoria comuta
Spadefish:
longfin spadefish (juveniles), Platax teira
Barracudas and jacks:
blackfin barracuda, Sphyraena qenie
pickhandle barracuda, Sphyraena jello
silver trevally, Pseudocaranx dentex
great trevally, Caranx ignobilis
Groupers and coneys:
coral grouper, Cephalopholis miniata
bluespotted grouper, Cephalopholis cyanostigma
slender grouper, Anyperodon leucogrammicus
whitespotted grouper, Epinephelus caeruleopunctatus
Wrasses:
<species TBS>
bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus
oriental wrasse, Oxcheilinus rhodochrous
<species TBS>
rockmover wrasse (juvenile), Novaculichthys taeniourus
<species TBS>
yellowtail coris (Gaimard's wrasse) (juvenile), Coris gaimard
Parrotfish:
bullethead parrotfish (initial phase), Chlorurus sordidus
Sweetlips:
harlequin sweetlips (juvenile), Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides
oriental sweetlips, Plectorhinchus vittatus
dotted sweetlips, Plectorhinchus picus
Flounder:
Peacock flounder, Bothus mancus
Cardinalfish:
<species TBS>
yellowlined cardinalfish, Apogon chrysotaenia
<species TBS>
spurcheek cardinalfish, Apogon fraenatus
<species TBS>
Catfish:
striped catfish, Plotosus lineatus
Lizardfish:
reef lizardfish, Synodus variegatus
twospot lizardfish, Synodus binotatus
Sandperch:
red-spotted sandperch, Parapercis schauinslandi
Flatheads:
spotted flathead, Cociella punctata
Razorfish:
Razorfish, Aeolicus strigatus
Hawkfish:
longnose hawkfish, Oxycirrhites typus
pixy hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus
dwarf hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco
Soldierfish:
splendid soldierfish, Myripristis botche
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Last modified 27 February 2024