Calling all aquatic biologists for an ID

[sardog1]

Okay, this one stumped me. Found these in a rivulet, attached to a mass of algae -- what the heck are we looking at? The larger one is about 3.5 inches in length; the shorter one is about 2.5 inches.

The Blobs

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Guess by non-expert

I am not an expert by any means, but I have seen similar blobs on the fetid backwaters of the Powow River where I live. My guess is that this is gas bubbles from rotting vegetation rising to the surface and unable to break the surface tension due to the thick coating of algae/pond scum you see on the surface. Just a guess on my part, but I have seen it before.

KDT

 

[erugs]

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2032387330103287613XCUMBu

This is my latest aquatic "what's it" -- found out it is a dehydrated sea anemone. Where did I spot it? On the hull of the Schooner Summertime in Maine a few weeks ago when we were part of the "beach party" crew helping to ready the vessel for its summer sailing season in Penobscot Bay. Pretty, huh?

I think the other photo is eggs from the Loch Ness Monster.

 

[Shardik]

The larger one is about 3.5 inches in length; the shorter one is about 2.5 inches.

Seem very familiar....

Do bullfrogs have testacles ?

 

[outdoorls]

Blobs

Did you poke at it? Almost looks like some sort of egg sack(s).

 

[sardog1]

No poking -- didn't want to disturb something that I couldn't ID. But if they had started to crawl up my leg, I was ready for 'em.

I don't think they were mere gassy bubbles, but I'm open to contradiction by someone in the know. The water was moving and relatively clear, not fetid. OTOH, they did seem to be located in a small sunny patch that would have aided gas formation.

Guess I'll have to go back with a hand lens and take my chances. Mebbe I'll bring some dry ice, just in case . . .

 

[Grayjay]

Looks like either salamander or frog egg sacs that were exposed when the water went down. Look inside dem things for egges.

 

[gaiagirl]

It doesn't look like an egg mass at all to me. If I had to guess I'd just say algae bloom of some sort. It's definitely not wood frog egg mass, though they sometimes turn green with a symbiotic algae. As the egg masses fall apart they fall into the water column rather than floating and get lighter in color. Definitely not spotted salamander egg mass either and nothing else has really laid eggs yet this season.

 

[sardog1]

Nope, they're not salamander or frog egg masses -- I've been looking at those all spring in another context.

 

[Umsaskis]

I'd vote that they were not egg masses, but to be sure you'd have to poke around in them. For the past 2 weeks I've been watching 3 different spotted salamander egg masses that were stranded on dry ground, and they have turned into similar-looking blobs. They are no longer identifiable as egg masses and look instead like something you don't want to touch; they have shrunk and you can no longer discern individual eggs within the masses; they have just became blobs of jelly. Although, mine did not develop the algae on the surface as yours appear to have done. The only way yours could be spotted salamander egg masses like mine is if they were completely dessicated and then after a rain the rivulet formed again. The algae coating actually looks like this has happened - as the water level decreased the algae settled on the surface of the blobs and then stuck there.

 

[spongebob]

As a master frogman from serving 30 days on the Steve Zissou research ship Belafonte.....I would say it is green and a blob.....and that it could be from the Jaguar shark.

 

[Grayjay]

Attempt B: well, they might be just part of a sheet of intertwined algae. The wet sheet captured some methane underneath, creating a couple bubbles. Stick a stick in dem dere tings and see if dey deeflate.