Whatcha Catch?

This edition of might more accurately be called Whatcha Fetch?

Marc Boots-Ebenfield and his son Jamie recently fetched four five-gallon buckets of seawater from Swampscott Harbor.

The water was to freshen their saltwater aquarium at home.

While he was at it, Marc scoured the shallows for the kind of marine life that populate their family tank.

Its rotating guests include a variety of crabs: green and hermit and spider and leopard, among them.

A green crab taking up residency last year took the liberty to lay some eggs in the tank.

Also in their octopuses garden are pipe and other small fish, shrimp and some creatures for which they do not know the names.

"We have these tiny things that are sort of like sea horses," Marc said.

It's great fun for the family, finding these creatures and observing them before returning them to the sea after a couple weeks.

"Under these rocks are just hundreds ... of creatures," the father said.

His son broke off from shore exploration to show off a find, the red-dotted shell of a leopard crab.

The behavior of some of the marine life is fascinating.

The family watched a crab camouflage itself one day. It used a claw to snip pieces of seaweed then bring the vegetation to its mouth, spit on it and stick the weed to its back. 

The crab did this repeatedly to disguise its location, a habit of defending against predators, no doubt.

Lately the family has enjoyed watching a baby flounder fan around the tank.

The tank is a briny wonderland, a shore microcosm with a window to the sea and discovery.

The family keeps it fresh by regularly adding new water and new creatures.