Mass Marine Mortality at Pasir Ris
By Sean Yap, 28th February 2015;

For the past few years around this time of the year there have been occurrences of mass fish deaths on our northern shores. This year is no exception. Ria was here earlier as well, and has done a comprehensive blog post about the situation. I’m just posting photos of cool dead things. I know I don’t sound sad but I am, kay 😦

So Chinse New Year is over, and the food guilt finally set in so I decided to try and run to work some of the sin off. As soon as I hit the path however, my nose was immediately assaulted by a foul stench. I had seen some of my friends posting about fish deaths on Facebook, so I decided to go see for myself what the situation was like (totally not an excuse).

The first stop was a breakwater, and LO AND BEHOLD, I was greeted with a friggin mass grave.

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Source: Nature in a Concrete Jungle

Daily Decay (28th February 2015): Snubnose Pompano (Trachinotus blochii) @ Pasir Ris

This was one of the many casualties of an ongoing fish mass death event that started last week.

Fish A: Glass Perchlets, wild.

Fish B: Glass perchlets, wild.

Fish C: Sea Catfish, wild.

Fish D: Moray Eel, wild.

Fish E: Halfbeak, wild.

Fish F: Tongue Sole, wild.

Thousands of dead fishes at Pasir Ris
By Ria Tan, 28th February 2015;

Thousand of dead fishes washed up at Pasir Ris beach today. Sean Yap also shared photos of dead fishes found on the same stretch of western Pasir Ris that I surveyed.

What is causing this mass fish death? Is it harmful to humans?

There was a line of dead fishes along the area I surveyed. Some had a thinner line.

In the part of the shore outside Pasir Ris Park proper, there was a bigger build up of dead fishes. But even here, the cleaners were trying hard to clear up the fishes. I also met Dixon who was cycling in the area and went down to the shore. I asked for his help to go down the entire length of Pasir Ris Park to see how widespread the dead fishes are. Thank you Dixon!

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Source: Wild Shores of Singapore

Casualties include eels, pufferfish and frogfish (which I’m seeing for the first time – sad it has to be this way). Cephalopods were not spared either.

Source: Sean Yap Instagram

Some tentative identifications:
Left: Estuarine Moray Eel (Gymnothorax tile), with Striped Eeltail Catfishes (Plotosus lineatus), Kops’ Glass Perchlets (Ambassis kopsii) and Telkara Glass Perchlets (Ambassis vachellii), and possibly a Threespot Damselfish (Pomacentrus tripunctatus).
Right (Top): Cuttlefish (Sepia sp.) with Telkara Glass Perchlets.
Right (Centre): Spotted-tail Frogfish (Lophiocharon trisignatus).
Right (Bottom): Spotted Green Puffer (Tetraodon nigroviridis).

Closer look at the mass. Apparently dissolved oxygen levels are high, so it might be the result of a toxic bloom.

Source: Sean Yap Instagram

Guess what this is!

If you guessed dead fish, you’re right! Tried going for a run today, and got sidetracked as usual, this time by the stench coming from the beach. Some friends have been posting about the recent mass fish deaths at Pasir Ris, but I hadn’t seen it myself so decided to take a look. It really is pretty bad.

Source: Sean Yap Instagram

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152850968513019

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152850963218019

So we were on our way to Kemaman on Feb 13 when She Yong suddenly spots something black and white by the East Coast Highway. No, it wasn’t a Panda, but instead it was Malaysia’s very own Tapir. This unfortunate Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) was involved in a roadkill. According to the Terengganu Wildlife Department, fencing along the highway is vandalised in many places, hence enabling the Tapir to access the road.

If you ever encounter something similar, do you know you can contact the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) hotline? -1800 88 5151- OR, contact the MYCAT Wildlife Crime Hotline. – 019 356 4194- They will inform the relevant authorities. You can also call them to voice your concerns should you suspect something is amiss (e.g. ppl selling rare animals). But please note down important details such as location, time etc and take pictures, if possible.

Source: Vicki Chew Facebook

Beached Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) found at Barangay Chanarian Beach, Basco, Batanes today. The PMMSN-Batanes Chapter (BFAR MCS,DENR, PAO & PVO Batanes) led by Dr. Alber Tabile and Dr. Gillmour Cruz of the PVO conducted the necropsy and disposal of the animal.

Source: Friends of PMMSN – Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network Facebook

Fish A: Sea Catfish, wild.

Fish B: Sea Catfish, wild.

Fish C: Eeltail Catfish, wild.

Fish D: Banded Archerfish, wild.

Fishes E: 1 to 4 top to bottom. 1 and 2. Cardinalfish; 2. Haneda’s Pugnose Ponyfish; 4. White Tamban; 5. Telkara Glass Perchlet; all wild.

Fishes F: Left, Glass Perchlet; Right: Toadfish, all wild.

Fishes G: left to right 1. Cuttlefish; 2. Candystripe Cardinalfish; 3 and 4. Striped Eeltail Catfishes; all wild.

Fish H. Sea Catfish, wild.

Fish I: Sweeper, wild.

Fishes J: 1 to 4 top left clockwise. 1. Sweeper; 2. White Tamban; 3. Filefish; 4. Telkara Glass Perchlet; all wild.

Dead fish update: Pasir Ris, Seletar Dam, Sembawang
By Ria Tan, 27th February 2015;

Today I had a quick look at the western shores of Pasir Ris. There were a few large dead fishes and many smaller ones. All appeared to be wild fishes. Also, dead cuttlefishes and horseshoe crabs. I didn’t see any dead farm fishes. Sightings of dead fishes at Seletar Dam (Benjamin Li) and Sembawang (Tan Sijie) were also shared recently.

Timothy Hromatka, a fish farmer off Ubin also shared more about the recent fish deaths on the farms.

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Source: Wild Shores of Singapore

Doctors Jeneveve Suliva and Diane Licuan of the Provincial Veterinary Office inspect the dead calf humpback whale at Sitio Aprot, Barangay Caparispisan in Pagudpud on February 16, 2015. (Photo by Arthur Valente)

Philippines: Humpback Whale found dead in Pagudpud
By Leilane G. Adriano;

A stranded male calf Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) was found floating on surf above the sea grass area at Sitio Aprot, Barangay Caparispisan here, a report from the Provincial Agriculture Office said on Feb. 16.

In a letter addressed to Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos on February 16, provincial agriculturist Norma Lagmay said the dead calf, measuring 5.87 meters long was believed to be the same
whale seen by foreign tourists surfing off Terra Rica resort in Saud Beach on February 9, 2015.

This is the first marine mammal stranding in the year 2015 in the province, according to Arthur Valente, provincial fishery regulatory officer in Ilocos Norte.

Upon inspection of the dead whale on Monday, Mr. Valente said that it was already on advanced stage of decomposition.

“It was bloated, peeling skin, with four big circular wounds situated at the ventral and side regions above, and about 30 cm on the right and left side and back of genitalia. The wounds and cuts were suspected to be shark bites and/or caused by sharp object,” Mr. Valente said based on post mortem analysis.

He added there was no trace of human interaction such as netting or direct fishery observed in the body.

The said calf was earlier spotted near Burayoc point,
a distinct navigational reference for seafarers.

According to Pepito Morata, Pagudpud municipal environment officer the humpback whale was spotted by foreign tourists in front of the Terra Rika and Apo Idon beach resort at about 3:40 pm on February 9.

Several snapshots of the marine animal taken by the tourists themselves were already posted on Facebook while the same photos were also sent to Mr. Morata for confirmation.

According to Mr. Valente, humpback whales travel as one family. They usually migrate from the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean to a warmer place like Pagudpud.

Source: Ilocos Times