Creadur or Mor, beth wyt ti ?

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Sgwrs gyda Dei Jones o Gricieth a welodd bysgodyn anghyffredin a beth oedd o’n feddwl oedd yn sliwen yn ei geg- fe anfonodd lun atom, ac erbyn hyn mae Ysgol Eigioneg Prifysgol Bangor ac arbenigwr o Marine Wildlife Uk wedi cael golwg ar y llun, ond nid sliwen sydd yng ngheg y pysgodyn ! A dyma oedd gan Dei Huws o Brifysgol Bangor i’w ddweud: Geoffiseg di’n mhwnc i, mae arnai ofn – felly doeddwn i ddim yn gyfardwydd â’r creadur yn y llun. Ond wedi gofyn i eraill yma yn yr Ysgol Eigioneg, mae’n debyg mai “short-spined sea scorpion” yw e, gyda darn o gelp yn ei geg (neu efallai, yn ol un, Snake pipefish). Mae ganddo enw hyd yn oed mwy od yn ôl pysgotwyr Ynys Manaw, sef father-lasher (!?), a’r tarddiad yn dod oherwydd fod y tad yn amddiffyn ei wyau drwy chwipio ei gwnffon sbeiniog tuag at unrhyw ddieithryn sy’n mentro’n rhu agos!) PAUL KAY - Marine Wildlife UK My best guess is that the most likely scenario here is that the photos show a Long-Spined Sea Scorpion (Taurulus bubalis) which was trying to eat a Snake Pipefish (Entelurus aequoreus) and choked on it, and then the two were washed ashore. These scorpion fish really do try to eat things larger than themselves (I’ve watched them try) and both of these species are relatively common around the Welsh coast and are found in shallow water so could get deposited on the shore after they died. I can’t see the identifying spine on the corner of the scorpion fish’s mouth (there are two - the Long-Spined and the Short-Spined and the photo’d fish looks like the Long-Spined to me) - but it may be either unclear in the photos or damaged when washed ashore. And the pipefish isn’t the normal colour/pattern either, but this could easily change on its death (many fish’s colour and patterns change as they die) and it’s obviously damaged as its tail and dorsal fins are missing/damaged - but this would happen as they washed ashore. Both species of Scorpion fish are common enough in Wales and we seem to get large numbers of Snake Pipefishes in Welsh waters some years although other years they are just common. Snake Pipefish are related to Seahorses which used to be found here but are now rare.