Spiny eels are not eels, but elongated fresh water fishes with eel-like bodies and numerous spines preceding the dorsal fin. Very often they stay under the mud substratum, and are mostly nocturnal.

These are images of a Tire track eel or a Spiny eel, mastacembelus armatus, which we caught for our fishpond*, from the Meenachil River flowing near by our home, Kerala, India.

The name tire track? Probably due to the tire-track-like patterns along their body! The tire track eels are said to reach a size of 50-90cms. So the one in the image is that of a juvenile (~10cms).

Malayalam names of spiny eel: Aaron (ആരോന്‍), Aaral (ആരല്‍).

Date: 03 Jan 2008
Location: Meenachil River, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Camera: Nikon D80 + Tamron SP AF90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens

*We have a large fishpond at our home, where we grow, breed and observe freshwater fishes; both native and ornamental. Aquatic plants (~25 species), rocks, gravel, muddy substratum are all arranged and the pond is in a self sufficient state to cater to the feeding, hiding, and breeding needs of ~50 different species of fishes.

14 Comments »

We have a pregnant seahorse at home! At our last week. So expecting any time!

Do you know that In the real world, seahorses mate for life and that it is the male seahorse which gets pregnant! The female lays its eggss in the brood pouch of the male, which is then internally fertilized and carried until the young ones emerge.

22 Comments »

A crab spider (Thomisus sp. Family: Thomisidae) and a flower beetle @ home, Kerala. The Thomisdae, or Crab spiders are the masters of ambush and disguise. Some of them change their colors in tune to the surroundings, lie in wait, and leap on the unseeing insects. They are called crab spiders because of their crab-like appearance and sideways motion. They occur more commonly on plants, and sometimes under rocks. The family name thomisidae is derived from the Greek “thomis” meaning “a sting”.

The crab spider seems to be eyeballing the flower beetle and checking if it is potential food material

The flower beetles very often open the flower buds and eat the bud centres (see the image below). These bud centres contain the flower clustre in its primordial stage, which is a nutritious meal for the beetle. Probably the crab spider is aware of this and that could be the reason (?) it is staying near the flower bud in the first picture

I guess the plant in this picture is the zoomed in part of the cherry tree (see the cherry picking indian koel), with its budding leaves and flowers.

Another crab spider waiting for its prey, between the “bushes” of a cockscomb (celosia cristata) flower.

Date: 09-11 Sept 2005
Location: @ home, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Camera: Olympus C770UZ + MCON-40 Macro Lens

13 Comments »

The blue mormon butterfly, papilio polymnestor, on an ixora flower. This is the second largest butterfly in India, after the Southern Birdwing. In India, they are mostly endemic to south India.

The blue mormons are frequenters to the Ixora flower species.

Date: 08 June 2007
Location: @ home, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Camera: Nikon D80 + Tamron SP AF90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens

6 Comments »

This is one of the favorites in our collection of the street musicians in italy. The emotion and the feeling of motion, and the lighting in this image “promptly” moves my heart every time I see it.

A boy playing El Choclo on Violin, before the museum Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy, where the statue of Michelangelo’s David is kept. El Choclo is a popular song/tango written by Angel G. Villoldo, an Argentine musician.

Playing guitar at the bridge on River Arno in Florence, Italy.

We had published a different image of “Music on Bottles” earlier. This time, it is the kids that capture the magic @ Bologna, Italy.

8 Comments »