Mediterranean Sea

6

02:02

Beadlet anemone

Beadlet anemone - Actinia equina - is one of the most common species of anemone or actinia in the Mediterranean Sea. It lives in the intertidal zone. The intertidal zone, also known as the shoreline, is the area above the water level at low tide and underwater at high tide. Simply put it is the area within the tidal range. ...

Admin

September 24, 2023

10

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9

03:21

Calyx nicaeensis Goblet Sponge

I met this Calyx nicaeensis, Goblet Sponge, during a dive in the reefs of the Secche di Vada near Livorno. The name owes it to its characteristic goblet shape. According to some experts, this sponge has become extremely rare in the Mediterranean because it requires very stable water temperature and biological conditions: small variations are enough to decree its disappearance. We all know by now that climate change has a heavy impact on biological life, but few seem to realize that it also affects the deep sea.

Fanino Cirivasi

September 17, 2023

12

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10

02:56

Red Squirrelfish

We met the Red Squirrelfish (Sargocentron rubrum) in the sea of ​​Cyprus while snorkelling among the rocks of the island. We did not expect to have this meeting in the Mediterranean because it is a tropical fish present in all tropical seas and in particular in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The reason for this sighting, as indeed for other tropical species now present in the Mediterranean, we owe it to the climatic warming of the sea, which creates favorable conditions, and to the Lessepsian migration: that is, to the entry and stabilization of animal and tropical species from the Channel of Suez.

Stefano

September 15, 2023

13

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10

04:34

Mnemiopsis leidyi invasion

And also this summer we found ourselves faced with the now regular invasion of the Sea walnut, Mnemiopsis leidyi (warty comb jelly or sea walnut). This phenomenon is becoming more and more frequent throughout the summers, and it is now clear that the main cause of these invasions is the increase in sea temperature. ...

Admin

September 13, 2023

11

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14

04:22

European conger

Common conger is a bony sea fish belonging to the Congridae family. Here we see it in its lair at a depth of about 52 metres, on a muddy seabed at the base of a beautiful vertical wall, even a few meters high, of rock and coral. As we see, the wall is colonized by many Mediterranean organisms such as sponges, corals and gorgonians, full of caves and ravines where these fish seek shelter during the day and food during the night. ...

Admin

September 6, 2023

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02:20

Protula tubularia

Protula tubularia is a sedentary Mediterranean polychaete also present on the two sides of the Atlantic and in other seas. The vermiform body is protected by a solid calcareous tube, up to 1 cm broad, which the animal builds around, after having chosen for fixing itself a ridge where the currents rich in plankton pass. From the tube in which it moves, which is the house chosen for life, two elegant gill crowns come out ...

Admin

August 31, 2023

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11

03:06

Bluefish

Bluefish is the "predator" in fact it feeds exclusively on other fish and cephalopods. Its favorite preys are mullets even if in this video we see it hunting in a few meters of depth, trying to capture salemas present in numerous specimens in a herd. As always, the encounter is lightning-fast and lasts only a few seconds, in fact the Serras do not let themselves be distracted when they are hunting and it is extremely difficult to get close. By slowing down and enlarging the video we managed to extrapolate some images of this splendid fish. ...

Admin

August 29, 2023

26

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11

02:28

Blue Mediterranean chromis

Also in this summer, as indeed in all the months of July and August in the Mediterranean Sea, we can witness what we have always considered a spectacle of nature and of the "Mare Nostrum". That is the birth of the Chromis chromis or as we often say of the blue Mediterranean chromis. These little fish are truly to be admired thanks to their intense electric blue. ...

Admin

August 26, 2023

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14

02:14

Luria sea snail

Meeting Luria lurida is becoming more and more difficult, then finding the shell with the mollusc inside alive is practically a very rare event. In the video we obviously see the Cyprean shell without the animal but given the sheen of the shell this mollusk was probably recently eaten by some predator, probably the usual octopus. ...

Admin

August 22, 2023

31

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10

10:35

Paramuricea clavata - Red gorgonian - Reproduction

In this dive of August 15, 2023 we filmed an event that has not yet been documented much in our Mediterranean Sea. This is the reproduction of the red Gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata). Like every year in summer, this beautiful coral reproduces with the synchronized emission of male and female gametes released by the polyps which open by extruding thin semi-transparent filaments exceptionally long up to 5 cm. ...

Admin

August 20, 2023

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10

02:30

Purple jellyfish

Given today's many views on an article from a while ago: Purple Luminous Jellyfish - Pelagia noctiluca, we're publishing today's meeting with the infamous Purple Jellyfish. On other occasions we were able to get closer to the jellyfish and film it much closer. As you can see today it wasn't really the case since our jellyfish had completely outward stinging tentacles, and as you can see in the video dangerously almost a meter long. ...

Admin

August 13, 2023

26

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12

02:25

Red starfish

Finding a starfish is one of the first experiences a diver can have, especially the Red starfish - Echinaster sepositus - one of the many species among the most common in the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the first encounters, but even the most experienced divers always find this species of echinoderm fascinating. However, when they meet, some precautions must be taken to avoid causing damage to these splendid starfish. Surely picking them up with some care, handling them and forcibly removing them from the substrate on which they are located can lead to damage ...

netartstudio

August 9, 2023

17

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14

05:10

Squid eggs

In these two different dives at a depth ranging from about 40 to 50 meters, we filmed the eggs of the European squid (Loligo vulgaris) laid in completely different ways. In the first dive we found them in what would appear to be the optimal situation, i.e. in a hole near the red Gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata), therefore certainly in an area where a constant flow of current and therefore oxygenation is guaranteed ...

netartstudio

August 6, 2023

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03:46

Blue crab - Callinectes sapidus

Even we at intotheblue.it could not miss the infamous and by now famous this summer, Blue Crab - Callinectes sapidus - also known as Blue King Crab. We filmed it after several reports, on the stretch of coast between Vada and Rosignano Solvay, luring it with a bait to film it with the camera. This alien species has colonized the Mediterranean for at least fifty years but has spread by invading the coasts in recent years perhaps precisely because of the now inevitable warming of the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. ...

Fanino Cirivasi

August 4, 2023

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1

14

03:20

Cladocora caespitosa - Cushion coral

Cladocora caespitosa, Cushion coral Madrepora, is the typical madrepora of the Mediterranean and is also considered the most important endemic bioconstructor coral of the Mediterranean Sea. It forms colonies often isolated, but sometimes capable of forming aggregations. Low densities are recorded in the Adriatic (populations are slightly declining), while in other areas the species is in great expansion ...

netartstudio

August 1, 2023

21

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12

05:45

Mediterranean barracuda and European barracuda

European barracuda, Sphyraena sphyraena (Linnaeus, 1758), also known as the European barracuda, is the endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean barracuda, Sphyraena viridensis, commonly known as yellow-mouthed barracuda, is instead the alien species, that is, the one that was limited to a restricted basin of the eastern Atlantic (Cape Verde, the Canary Islands and the Azores) ...

netartstudio

July 25, 2023

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10

03:40

Leerfish or Garrick - Lichia amia

We had been trying for a long time to film Leerfish or Garrick - Lichia amia - one of the most beautiful and most elusive Carangidae endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It is a pelagic species but, like all carangids, Leerfish usually approaches the coast at the beginning of June, disappears, returns at the end of August until October. In the video we met her during the final phase of a storm, when the large carangids of the Mediterranean (Learfish and Amberjack) approach the coasts in search of food, this is why their elusive nature allows them to be spotted by divers only for a few moments and then disappears into the blue. ...

netartstudio

July 23, 2023

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06:14

Murex trunculus or Hermit crab?

Often while snorkelling it happens to find some shells and in the Mediterranean it is easy to meet the Murex shell only that we do not always find the mollusk inside, Murex trunculus or Hexaplex trunculus, but the classic Hermit crab which has appropriated a bigger, more beautiful but above all safer house.  We have probably found the Clibanarius erythropus, red-legged hermit crab, devil hermit crab or coast hermit crab, one of the most common hermit crabs in the Mediterranean but rarely of such dimensions as to be able to easily drag a shell like that of the Murex. ...

netartstudio

July 20, 2023

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06:50

Spiny starfish Martasteria

Martasteria or Thorny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most common starfish in the Mediterranean Sea, it is an echinoderm of the Asteriidae family. In this video we see it lying on a cliff that varies from 41 to 49 meters deep, rich in red Gorgonians of the Paramuricea clavata species and the classic yellow sponges of the Verongia species, therefore a guaranteed show of colors at the expense, however, of the visibility of the water about two or three meters. ...

netartstudio

July 17, 2023

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02:25

Red sponge Spirastrella cunctatrix

The Red sponge or spirastrella (Spirastrella cunctatrix) is a sponge of the Spirastrellidae family belonging to the demospongiae class. It is an encrusting red-orange sponge (which can sometimes turn green, blue and grey), characterized by very evident channels that culminate in the osculum, rough to the touch due to the presence of spicules. It can also cover large expanses of seabed. It can be confused with the encrusting forms of Crambe crambe. It is common in the Mediterranean Sea up to 30 meters, sometimes present even at greater depths, in dimly lit, rocky environments, often in caves. Often associated with coralligenous and Astroides calycularis.

Stefano

July 16, 2023

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18:35

Pompano - Trachinotus ovatus

The Pompano, Trachinotus ovatus, is a bony sea fish belonging to the Carangidae family. In the video we see a specimen trying to capture anchovies, Engraulis encrasicolus, with rapid and lightning attacks. Distribution and habitat It is widespread throughout the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean between the English Channel and tropical Africa. It has very rarely been found as far north as Sweden and Norway. In Italian waters it is very common. It is pelagic but typically coastal, ...

netartstudio

July 12, 2023

31

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10

04:11

Garfish

Garfish, Belone belone is a bony sea fish belonging to the Belonidae family. It commonly lives in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic, in coastal areas around the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde, as well as in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Garfish is a pelagic species, i.e. it lives mostly in the open sea and usually in the Mediterranean it approaches the coast from the end of August until October. ...

netartstudio

July 10, 2023

23

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04:52

Cylinder anemone

Cylindrical or Cylinder anemone, Cerianthus membranaceus, (anemone cilindrico), is one of the species of deep sea anemones typical of the Mediterranean Sea. Autochthonous to the Mediterranean Sea, it can also be found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, on sandy or muddy bottoms from a few meters up to 40 meters deep, even if in this dive we are on a rock and sand bottom that varies from 45 to 48 meters deep. ...

netartstudio

July 2, 2023

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21

05:50

Red scorpionfish

In this beautiful dive we met many specimens of Red scorpionfish, Scorpaena scrofa, and these that we see in the video are particularly large, almost a meter long. This species is typical of the Mediterranean Sea and we have met them at a depth of 52/53 meters in what would be their ideal habitat, i.e. the typical coralline seabed full of holes and ravines where Gorgonians and sponges thrive on which they settle perch waiting to launch some ambush to fish like the red damselfish.

netartstudio

June 26, 2023

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01:15

Phalium glaucum seashell

Phalium glaucum, common name the grey bonnet or glaucus bonnet, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cassidae, the helmet snails and bonnet snails. This species lives on sandy bottoms with seagrass meadows, in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas to a depth of about 10 m. Shell of Phalium glaucum can reach a length of 60-147 millimetres.

Stefano

June 21, 2023

23

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14

11:49

Curiosity of the octopus

Common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, is an extremely curious animal towards everything that happens in its territory and this makes it one of the most intelligent species in the underwater world. In this video we see him emerge from his den intent on studying the camera specially placed on the seabed to test his curiosity.We identified it thanks to the presence of some fish such as the Sciarrano (Serranus scriba) and Donzella pavonina (Thalassoma pavo), intent on scrutinizing its den probably waiting for some food waste. ...

Andrea Cirivasi

June 11, 2023

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15

05:09

Wanderers of the sea - Glass Ctenophore

Also this summer we met one of the many "wanderers of the sea" that is one of those species such as tunicate jellyfish and ctenophores that let themselves be carried away by the currents, reducing their movements to a minimum. We are talking about the Glass Ctenophore - Bolinopsis vitrea - which we have already filmed some time ago, this specimen seems quite old but as soon as touched it showed us the splendid reflections of bioluminescence that the ctenophores activate when they are stimulated. ...

netartstudio

June 6, 2023

53

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14

03:31

Sea pen Pennatula phosphorea

Sea pens are colonial marine cnidarians belonging to the order Pennatulacea. There are 14 families within the order and 35 extant genera; it is estimated that of 450 described species, around 200 are valid. Sea pens have a cosmopolitan distribution, being found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide, as well as from the intertidal to depths of more than 6100 m.Sea pens are grouped with the octocorals, together with sea whips (gorgonians).

Fanino Cirivasi

June 6, 2023

47

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12

09:49

Moray

Moray Eel is often identified as an aggressive and dangerous fish but as we can see from this video it is anything but an "evil titan of the seas". We are on a rocky and coral seabed typical of the Mediterranean Sea at about 46/48 meters deep, where we often meet the Mediterranean moray Moray eel, Muraena helena, and in this case it is seen in the typical diurnal pose, i.e. with the head and a small part of the body outside its den while it rests from the nocturnal raids in search of food but always vigilant in controlling its own territory. ...

netartstudio

May 27, 2023

48

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21:12

Submerged marine life

Under the surface of the sea an exuberant life is "hidden" that develops in three dimensions, full of countless beings so different from each other where the competition for life sometimes becomes dramatic but always finds a delicate balance of coexistence. The interest in observation leads us to appreciate a wonderful aquatic life, both animal and plant, present at all depths.

Fanino Cirivasi

May 25, 2023

28

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11

02:02

Haliotis tuberculata lamellosa - Haliotis Abalone

Abalones or Haliotis are gastropod molluscs of the genus Haliotidae. In Italy the name that is used is Ear of Venus, a name that derives from the beauty of the pearlaceus side inside the shell. The external side as seen is completely different and looks like a concretion or a rock, and it is precisely for this reason that they are difficult to identify on the seabed or attached to rocks. Our Ear of Venus was in a hole a few meters deep and obviously we only found the shell, probably the residue of the usual octopus meal. ...

Admin

May 21, 2023

44

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10:43

Blue Sponge

Phorbas tenacior, Blue sponge is one of the first organisms to colonize new wrecks or any submerged vertical surface not yet colonized by marine organisms. In this video we see it on a wreck about 30 meters deep. Probably this wreck is quite recent, perhaps sunk between the first and second world wars, has several colonies of sponges including the blue encrusting sponge, which seems to prefer vertical walls away from direct sunlight. Obviously we also see it next to other species of sponges of the genus Tedania and Verongia but if we look at the part of the prow the presence of Phorbas tenacior ...

netartstudio

May 12, 2023

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04:07

Barrel Jellyfish

Rhizostoma pulmo, Barrel Jellyfish is one of the most common jellyfish in the Mediterranean Sea. In the video we see it swimming under the surface of the water letting itself be carried away by the current and the waves, this jellyfish is completely harmless and we can easily touch it on the umbrella, the tentacles are however slightly stinging so it is advisable to stay away from it even if the irritations however, they resolve within a few minutes. ...

netartstudio

May 9, 2023

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04:43

Starfish Astropecten jonstoni

Astropecten jonstoni is a sea star of the family Astropectinidae. Starfishes of genus Astropecten live on mobile seabed (sandy, muddy or gravel seabed) and they remain largely buried under sediment during the day. During the late afternoon and the night starfishes go out to hunt mainly bivalve molluscs, which are their favourite preys. Unlike other Astropecten, this species is active and easy to find during day, especially in early morning and late afternoon. However, if they perceive a danger or if they are disturbed, in this case by a diver who is snorkelling as you can see in the video we are showing you, they tend to get covered up quickly. This species lives only in the Mediterranean Sea and it prefers sandy seabed at low depths as between 1 and 12 m.

Stefano

May 6, 2023

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02:52

Red sea squirt - Halocynthia papillosa

Sea squirts are not sponges as it would appear at first glance but are marine filtering animals belonging to the class of tunicates. Sea squirts are present in all the world's oceans and are particularly common in coastal areas. This Red sea squirt Halocynthia papillosa (Ascidia rossa) lives in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, in the southern Pacific Ocean and is very common in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

netartstudio

April 30, 2023

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14:40

Flathead grey mullet - Mugil cephalus

In this video collage we have included various encounters with the Flathead grey, mullet Mugil cephalus (Cefalo o Muggine dorato, Dorino) , one of the most common mullet species in the Mediterranean Sea. We have met golden mullets on the surface and in open water where they mainly live with numerous individuals. ...

netartstudio

April 25, 2023

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