Snorkel scenes - some of the fauna and flora of the Aeolian Islands (le Isole Eolie) and north-east Sicily.

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Acetabularia acetabulum (Linnaeus) P.C.Silva, 1952. Latin, 'acetabulum', a 'cup-shaped vessel'.

Actinia equina (Linnaeus, 1758), a beadlet anemone.

Actinia equina (Linnaeus, 1758), a beadlet anemone.

Aiptasia mutabilis (Gravenhorst, 1831), trumpet anemone.

Anemonia viridis (Forsskål, 1775), snakelocks anemone.

Anemonia viridis (Forsskål, 1775), snakelocks anemone (brown form).

Anemonia viridis (Forsskål, 1775), snakelocks anemone.

Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758), the black sea urchin.

Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758), black sea urchins.

Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758), black sea urchins.

Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758), the black sea urchin.

Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758), the black sea urchin.

Arca noae Linnaeus, 1758, Noah's Ark shell.

Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766), an orange colonial stony cup coral.

Bothus podas (Delaroche, 1809), the wide-eyed flounder.

Bothus podas (Delaroche, 1809), the wide-eyed flounder.

Bothus podas (Delaroche, 1809), the wide-eyed flounder.

Calliactis parasitica (Couch, 1842), the parasitic anemone.

Capparis spinosa Linnaeus 1753, the common caper.

Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), loggerhead sea turtle!

Caulerpa racemosa (Forsskål) J.Agardh, 1873, sea grapes (non-native), side-by-side with Caulerpa prolifera (Forsskål) J.V.Lamouroux, 1809 (native).

Caulerpa racemosa (Forsskål) J.Agardh, 1873, sea grapes (non-native), side-by-side with Caulerpa prolifera (Forsskål) J.V.Lamouroux, 1809 (native).

Cerithium vulgatum Bruguière, 1792, sea snail with food (Peacocks tail)!

Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767), madrepora pagnotta (Coral loaf).

Coscinasterias tenuispina (Lamarck, 1816), a starfish.

Coscinasterias tenuispina (Lamarck, 1816), a starfish.

Coscinasterias tenuispina (Lamarck, 1816), a starfish.

Faunal burrows on sloping sand with Posidonia oceanica behind.

Parablennius gattorugine (Linnaeus, 1758), the tompot blenny.

Chromis chromis (Linnaeus, 1758), damselfish (foreground).

Fish hole...

Mugilidae Jarocki, 1822 (unidentified species of mullet).

Fumarole!

The trail of a tiny unidentified gastropod.

Haliotis tuberculata Linnaeus, 1758, the European abalone or ormer.

Haliotis tuberculata Linnaeus, 1758, the European abalone or ormer.

Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766), the bearded fireworm.

Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766), the bearded fireworm.

Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766), the bearded fireworm.

Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766), the bearded fireworm.

Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766), the bearded fireworm.

Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766), the bearded fireworm.

Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766), the bearded fireworm.

Tetrapod barriere di scogli - Hidden habitats.

Holothuria Linnaeus, 1767, a sea cucumber (species designation not possible).

Muraena helena Linnaeus, 1758, the Mediterranean moray eel.

Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, the common octopus.

Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, the common octopus.

Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, the common octopus.

Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, the common octopus.

Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, the common octopus.

Ophidiaster ophidianus (Lamarck, 1816), la stella serpente.

Ophidiaster ophidianus (Lamarck, 1816), la stella serpente.

Ophidiaster ophidianus (Lamarck, 1816), la stella serpente.

Padina pavonica (Linnaeus) Thivy, 1960, peacocks tail.

Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816), the rock sea urchin.

Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816), the rock sea urchin.

Patella caerulea Linnaeus, 1758, the rayed Mediterranean limpet.

Patella caerulea Linnaeus, 1758, the rayed Mediterranean limpet.

Patella caerulea Linnaeus, 1758, the rayed Mediterranean limpet.

Patella caerulea Linnaeus, 1758, the rayed Mediterranean limpet.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775), the mauve stinger.

Pescatore.

Phorcus turbinatus (Born, 1778), trottola.

Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, fan mussel.

Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, fan mussel.

Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, fan mussel.

Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, fan mussel.

Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, fan mussel.

Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, fan mussel.

Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, fan mussel.

Pleurobranchus testudinarius Cantraine, 1835, the turtle snail.

Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813, Neptune grass.

Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813, Neptune grass.

Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813, Neptune grass.

Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813, Neptune grass.

Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813, Neptune grass.

Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813, Neptune grass.

Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin, 1791), the European fan worm.

Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin, 1791), the European fan worm.

Seagrass.

Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758, the European common cuttlefish.

Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758, the European common cuttlefish.

Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758, the European common cuttlefish.

Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758, the European common cuttlefish.

Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758, the European common cuttlefish.

Serranus cabrilla (Linnaeus, 1758), the comber.

Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck, 1816), the purple sea urchin.

Unidentified sponge (dark).

Unidentified sponge (light).

Unidentified sponge (red).

Stramonita haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767), a rock shell.

Stramonita haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767), a rock shell.

Stramonita haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767), rock shells reproducing.

Stramonita haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767), rock shells egg capsules.

Stramonita haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767), rock shells reproducing.

Symphodus ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1758), the ocellated wrasse. Nesting male with female below.

Synodus saurus (Linnaeus, 1758), the Atlantic lizardfish.

Thylacodes arenarius (Linnaeus, 1758), the giant worm shell.

Torpedo marmorata Risso, 1810, the marbled electric ray.

Percnon gibbesi (H. Milne Edwards, 1853), the Sally lightfoot crab.

Hexaplex trunculus (Linnaeus, 1758), the banded dye-murex.

Unidentified gastropod species...

A triplefin blenny, Tripterygion spp. (either Tripterygion delaisi Cadenat & Blache, 1970 (the black-faced blenny) or possibly, Tripterygion tripteronotum (Risso, 1810)).

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Dr. Nigel Thomas, Resort Snorkeller, has had a close look at these images and named a number of other species visible in some of the shots. This includes several species of algae and sponges. See his full analysis here:

http://resortsnorkeller.com/mediterranean/santa-marina-salina/

To understand more about the objectives of resortsnorkeller.com check the following page of this interesting website:

http://www.resortsnorkeller.com/introduction-to-the-site-and-objectives/

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