Found this snorkeling thought I would share.

[rum_pride]

Like the title says, I found this while I was out snorkeling. My daughters wanted me to get sand dollars and I ended up finding this. Thought it was pretty neat.

 

[MiddletoM]

what is it?

 

[rum_pride]

From the web this is what I could come up with
3 common names

Puffer Sea Biscuit Sand Dollar, Sea Gopher Sand Dollar, Thin Puffer Sea Biscuit Sand Dollar

 

[Ron Reefman]

Where were you snorkeling?

It's some kind of sea biscuit. There are several species. They are echinoderms and related to sand dollars (mostly flat), urchins, sea stars and even sea cucumbers. We find them in the grassy flats just off shore in the Florida Keys.

 

[rum_pride]

I live in Okinawa Japan. I drove up to a random beach and started snorkeling.

 

[pagojoe]

nice

 

[Untamed Rose]

That is really cool

 

[Ron Reefman]

Pretty cool. I'd love to snorkel someplace so different than the Keys and the Caribbean. We do a lot of snorkeling off the beaches in the Florida Keys, and a little bit in SW Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, but there is much less 'stuff' that we are interested in, in the Gulf. Maybe next week when we are there I can find a dead sea biscuit and post it up to compare. Or maybe get a couple of pics of live ones while we are out in the water.

 

[rum_pride]

nice

Thanks, it was partially buried at first so I wasn't sure what it was.

That is really cool

Yeah, it's crazy the things you can see/find when you stop looking at all the living marine life and start looking at what's lying around.

Pretty cool. I'd love to snorkel someplace so different than the Keys and the Caribbean. We do a lot of snorkeling off the beaches in the Florida Keys, and a little bit in SW Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, but there is much less 'stuff' that we are interested in, in the Gulf. Maybe next week when we are there I can find a dead sea biscuit and post it up to compare. Or maybe get a couple of pics of live ones while we are out in the water.

Ive never actually been snorkeling before I got to Japan. This place is absolutely amazing though. I can't wait to get dive certified and experience a whole new world. I'm excited to get back to the states and see how different the keys are.

 

[pagojoe]

The Keys have some great stuff, but the diversity is a lot higher in Okinawa. On the bright side, it's almost all different.

 

[Ron Reefman]

IMHO, the entire Caribbean is a lot less colorful or as diverse than the S. Pacific. But the S. Pacific is thousands of dollars away from me and the Caribbean is only a 4 to 5 hour drive! :beer:

 

[Bent]

looks like a piece of bread.

 

[slcgrad2k]

the Caribbean is only a 4 to 5 hour drive! :beer:

Must be nice! [emoji4] would love to be that close to water! Let alone the Caribbean!


Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[reef thief]

I used to find pillow star skeletons in the Pacific. They're just as thick. I'm sure they're related.