Photo Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
I know I haven't been posting much in the way of fish photos recently, but I've just been having great luck finding fascinating invertebrates. This past weekend the surf was almost non-existent at Honaunau Bay which allowed me to explore some lava tubes along the northern shoreline. In the last tube I found a pair of these vividly colored Rainbow Swimming Crabs. Swimming crabs are unique in having a flattened pair of hindmost legs. When pumped furiously, these legs propel the crab awkwardly up into the water column although this action only loosely resembles swimming. It is probably an adequate defense against some of the slower predators it may encounter. 
Photo Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
I found two of these crustaceans in separate locales within the same lava tube. Unfortunately, another bad aspect of my new SeaLife DC1200 camera is that it drains batteries very quickly. Battery power died during my session with these creatures, but I did get a couple decent images.
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