Hideki's Yuruyuru Nagisahoki/ep4 -Ikimono Encyclopedia-

beach combing

Hello everyone!
Thank you for visiting nomlog 's chopstick rest blog "Yuru Yuru Nagisa Poke"!
I love walking, I'm Hideki.

Our baby turtles, which I introduced last time, have gone into hibernation on the veranda until next spring. Even if the turtle hibernates, "Yuruyuru Nagisahouki" will continue to post cheerfully even in the cold season, so please read it!

Now, “Coastal Museum” titled episode1 Then, in addition to how to enjoy beach walking, some “Drift” I have introduced this, but I have come across a wide variety of other drifted objects.

The act of observing and collecting drifting objects is sometimes called beach combing. [Comb] means comb, so it probably means to look for things on the beach like a comb.

From this time, I would like to divide my beach combing into several parts, and watch them together while changing the taste and genre.

Titled "Nagisa's Collection", let's start with [Ikimono].

I would be happy if you could see it in the mood to enjoy beach combing.

*Yes, I came to the coast of Chigasaki, my hometown.

You can see the wreckage scattered radially toward the gently curved sandy beach.
This is what I call the "old layer", a group of washed-up debris that has been checked in the past and has been torn apart by the waves over the years.

*This is the same beach on a different day.

After the sea has been roughed by typhoons and storms, the drifting debris has settled on the beach like this.
Nagisa's heart is excited when she's in such a state of "Large stock!" Let's start looking for treasure!

Nagisa's Collection and Illustrated Encyclopedia

*There was, there was! I found a lot of beautiful shells!

After the seas are rough, this is your chance to find bargain shells.
There are rare cases where the contents are still inside, but they are returned to the sea and searched for empty shells.
When I find a seashell with a beautiful pattern, shape, or color, or something rare, I pick it up and put it in my collection.
Many such shells are displayed above the shoe box at the entrance of our house and on the display shelf in the toilet.

Yatsushirogai (Yatsushirogai)
The large snails are about the size of an apple, and the name comes from the fact that they are often caught in the Yatsushiro Sea of Kyushu. They live in sandy areas and mainly eat sea cucumbers. The shell is thin, so if you find one that's not chipped, you're lucky! A beautiful shell with a shiny shell and spiral grooves.

Kudzu shellfish
Kazura means kudzu. This is because the brown striped pattern resembles the root of Kazura. It is a beautiful snail that is characterized by its striped pattern, but since it eats sea urchins and starfish, it has a strong smell and is not suitable for eating. (I haven't eaten yet)

Namimagashiwa (Namima Kashiwa)
A bivalve that clings to reefs like an oyster. One side of the shell that is not attached to the rock is peeled off and reaches the beach. The shape is not constant, but it is my favorite shell that develops beautiful colors such as yellow, orange, and pink. Sometimes small squirrels are attached to abalone and turban shells. If you have a chance to eat abalone or turban shell, please look for it.

*There's a big snail like a fist over here! This is rock-paper-scissors [goo]. [Scissors] and [Pa] are also on the ground over there! ”

Saw-toothed claw scissors
I think you can see how huge it is compared to my palm. Clams are eaten by splitting them with sharp scissors that can easily crush human finger bones. Its English name is Mud Crab, also known as Mangrove Crab. In Japan, there are three species: Ame, Akate, and Thorn. It looks delicious, I want to try it!

Momijigai (Momijigai)
Although it is named after a shellfish, it is a member of the starfish family. The body color varies depending on the individual, such as blue-gray or orange, and it moves quickly as if it were sliding on sandy ground with finely growing tentacles. The body of this starfish contains a deadly poison called tetrodotoxin, which is the same as pufferfish, so please do not eat it. The mussels in the photo were already dry.

*This time, I found the children who are still alive! But you look weak?

rest assured.
After observing it for a while, I will return it to the sea by airlift, using the strong shoulders that I have trained in baseball and handball when I was a student so that the waves won't push me back!

Aplysia
It is a close relative of sea slugs and cliones, and is a member of shellless shellfish. When attacked or stimulated by a foreign enemy, a viscous liquid is released from an organ called the purple juice line, creating a smoke screen in the water like the ink of an octopus. Noni!) There is a theory that this smokescreen resembles a rain cloud, hence the name Aphurashi (rainfall). Larger ones are over 30 cm in size.

hermit crab
As you all know, it is a general term for crustaceans that rent a room in an empty snail house. About 700 species of hermit crabs have been confirmed in the world, and about 100 species in Japan. The hermit crab in the photo is an aquatic species that lives in the sea and cannot live on land. After the sea was rough, I was washed up on the beach and was exhausted. Hermit crabs sold at fairs and pet shops live on land, but grow in the sea as larvae.

beetle
A beetle that lives in the forest on the beach? ?
It probably came from the forests in the upstream part of the river. It hardly moves while holding on to the driftwood. This child also seems to be weakened, so let's take him home, feed him, heal him, and then return him to the forest.
(*Unfortunately, it did not recover, and the next day it turned into a star and departed for heaven, so I returned it to the earth.)

* "Wow! A lot of small fish are washed up on the beach!"

It's not the reason why I scattered dried sardines.
Young sardines and mackerel are often washed up on the beach. There are many possible reasons why they may have escaped to shallow waters chased by predators, or died due to red tide or fresh water. There are times when tadpoles fall from the sky due to a tornado, so what about the small fish in the photo? ? ?

*I found a fish that looks like a "Thai with a tail"!

Kurodai (black sea bream)
There are two types of black sea bream in Shonan: the black sea bream called "chinu" and the black sea bream called "kibire".
Kibile has yellow fins, but since there are individual differences, the number of scales on the lateral line can be used to accurately distinguish between them.
The fish in the photo doesn't have a clear lateral line, but the number of scales appears to be 3 to 4, so it looks like a "kibire". By the way, "Chinu" is 5-6 pieces.
With teeth that can eat anything, including shellfish and crabs, it would be dangerous if your fingers were bitten!

*The fish here are huge~, there are even fish with bones in their bodies!

Japanese sea bass
Although the name changes depending on the region, it is generally known as a "success fish" that changes its name to "Seigo", "Fukko", and "Suzuki" depending on its size, and lure fishing enthusiasts call it "Sea Bass (SEA BASS)". ” is called. Bones of sea bass and black sea bream have been found in shell mounds from the Jomon period, and it seems that they have been familiar to Japanese people since ancient times. The Suzuki in the picture was a big one over 80 cm.

carp
Carp is a well-known freshwater fish, but since this beach is at the mouth of the Sagami River, it must have flowed there. You can often see the corpses of relatively large freshwater fish such as black bass, thunderfish, and diving beech. It is thought that if there is a certain size, it will reach the beach without being eaten by other fish. Carp are said to be tolerant of salinity concentrations up to about 1/3 of seawater, and I have often seen them swimming leisurely in brackish waters that say, "It's almost the sea!"

It is not uncommon to see kites and crows flocking to these fish washed up on the beach.
The corpses of the fish are never wasted and seem to be an important food source for them.

*I found something bigger! What the hell are these guys?

Stingray
It may be the most popular ray in Tokyo Bay and here in Sagami Bay. The beach at Odaiba, where the head office of NOMURA Co., Ltd., where I go, is also full of cushion-sized stingrays. The spines on their tails are poisonous and can be fatal if stung. The stingray in the photo is pretty dry. It's dry and parched in the sun. But even in this form, be careful of the thorns on the tail!

Japanese shark
At first glance, it looks like a ray, but it is classified as a shark. Rays and sharks are the same cartilaginous fish, but the definition is that sharks have gill holes on the sides of their bodies, and stingrays have gill holes on their backs.
The ``cass'' of the lizard shark has been labeled as an ``unnecessary fish'' because it means leftovers and unnecessary things, but it is actually said to be the most delicious of all sharks. In addition, the epidermis is used for grated wasabi and wrapped around the hilt of a sword to prevent it from slipping. It's not "cass" at all.

Dochizame (naughty shark)
Dochi is a soft-shelled turtle. Because the shape of the head resembles the head of a soft-shelled turtle. Also, there is a theory that it comes from slow movement and "clumsy". As introduced in episode 1, this shark is a shark that you often see on the beach. It looks like a scary shark if you meet it in the sea, but it's actually a rather docile shark.

*These are the creatures that washed ashore that surprised me. *Photos have been blurred.

Loggerhead turtle (Red sea turtle)
Loggerhead turtles sometimes come to lay eggs on the sandy beaches of the Shonan coast. It seems that there are several sightings in Kanagawa Prefecture every year, but it seems that it is decreasing due to changes in the natural environment. The sea turtle in the photo seems to have drifted ashore with its corpse, and it looked like it had been dead for quite some time. The next day, it was gone as if the waves had taken it away.

iguana? (mane lizard)
It seems that it is written as mane (lizard) and read as iguana.
When I found it, I was surprised at the corpse of a CREATURE! It was about 1 meter from head to tail. Because it is a creature that does not live in Japan, did the pet that was kept escape and was swept away by the river, or did the owner throw the corpse into the sea or river? This is really a mystery.
At present, on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa, a large number of alien species, the green iguana, which can grow up to 1.5m in length, are proliferating and becoming a problem.

A raccoon dog? (raccoon dog)
Several kites flocked to this bone and poked it as food. From the photos and size of the animal skeleton specimen, it seems to be a raccoon dog. I have seen a corpse that clearly looks like a raccoon dog before. At that time, I filled it with sand. I have seen live raccoon dogs in town many times. Since it is a raccoon dog in [Kemonohen] and [village], it must have lived close to humans for a long time.

* There are a lot of nuts on the tree.

walnut and crow
Calling walnuts "living things" is a little strange, but if you think of them as baby plants, then what is it?
You can find a lot with fine driftwood. There must be many walnut trees in the upstream part of the river. The interesting thing is that crows gather for this. Walnuts fell from the sky while walking along the seaside promenade. When I was surprised, a crow dropped a walnut from the sky onto the asphalt walkway, cracked it, and ate the fruit inside. I've seen them run over by cars on the road and smashed. I feel they are really smart creatures.

*It's getting dark soon, so let's finish here for today. Thank you for your hard work!

How was it, isn't Nagisa like a small museum of nature?
The exhibition contents change depending on the day you come, but it's like "every day is a once-in-a-lifetime special exhibition", so it's fun to visit without getting bored. In order to meet rare exhibits, you have to leave it to "luck".

In the next "Nagisa's Collection", I would like to explore "things that are related to human life" and let the stories about each of them bloom. To put it simply, it's a story about [garbage on the beach]. I still don't know what kind of development it will be... (laughs)

(Text & photo by Hideki Sato)

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"Hideki's Yuruyuru Nagisahoki"　 Click here for the back number!

ep8 "Look for discomfort!" Quiz 2　​ ​ep7 "What is this?" Quiz　​ ​ep6 "Beach of Corona"
ep5 "Encyclopedia of Garbage Ashore"　​ ​ep4 "Encyclopedia of Living Things"　​ ​ep3 "Natural Perception"　​ ​ep2 "Bottle Message"
ep1 "Coastal Museum"