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  • This is a 40cm mature male smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) watching over a brood of eggs. This species resides in deep water, down to about 1700m. During the winter to spring breeding season, mature fish come up to shallow water. After fertilizing a brood of eggs laid by a female fish, the male watches over and protects the developing young. Adult fish die during the breeding season, the female after laying eggs, the male once the juveniles have hatched. Following extended observation, I realized that the eggs in this photo were not viable. They had not been fertilized and were therefore never going to produce juveniles. The male, unaware of this fact, was destined continue to protect the infertile eggs, weakening day by day, eventually succumbing to death.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-smooth-lumpsu...tif
  • Close-up view of developing smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) embryos in translucent eggs, with eyes clearly visible. The eggs are about 3mm to 4mm in size. Also in this image are some eggs that appear to be non-viable. Photographed at a magnification of four times life-size.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-eggs-smooth-l...tif
  • This is a juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) sitting on a blade of seagrass. Photographed in Hokkaido, Japan.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-smooth-lumpsu...tif
  • This image depicts a juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) hiding inside Colpomenia sinuosa algae. From this angle, the fish is upside-down, with its ventral surface clinging to the inside of the algae, providing a clear view of the fish’s characteristic adhesive disk, which has evolved from modified pectoral fins. The fish is about seven millimeters long.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-smoo...tif
  • This is a juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) with its mouth open. Body size is about seven millimeters. The fish is sitting on Colpomenia sinuosa algae. The white crystals are grains of sand, which provide a sense of scale. This fish grows to a size of around 40cm and is known from Northern Pacific waters down to 1700m depth. It is the only known member of its genus.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-smoo...tif
  • This is a one-year old juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus), measuring about 5cm in length. At this age, juveniles of this species live in deep water and are normally not directly observable. This individual was raised for a year at a research facility. I photographed it upon release, as the fish made its way down to deep water.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-one-year-juve...tif
  • This is a 7mm-long juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) sitting on Colpomenia sinuosa algae. The white crystals are grains of sand, which provide a sense of scale. This fish grows to a size of around 40cm and is known from Northern Pacific waters down to 1700m depth. It is the only known member of its genus.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-smoo...tif
  • This is a head-on view of a 7mm-long juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) sitting on Colpomenia sinuosa algae. The white crystals are grains of sand, which provide a sense of scale. This fish grows to a size of around 40cm and is known from Northern Pacific waters down to 1700m depth. It is the only known member of its genus.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-smoo...tif
  • This is a frontal view of juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus). Photographed in Hokkaido, Japan.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-smooth-lumpsu...tif
  • On the left is a juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus), about 5mm in length. To the right is a shrimp, species indeterminate. The pair came together momentarily on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-smoo...tif
  • This is a juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) concentrating very hard on catching something to eat. Body size is about seven millimeters. This fish grows to a size of around 40cm and is known from Northern Pacific waters down to 1700m depth. It is the only known member of its genus.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-smoo...tif
  • Pictured here is a pair of juvenile smooth lumpsuckers (Aptocyclus ventricosus), sheltered among folds at the base of wakame seaweed (Undaria pinnatifida). Pattern and color variation among juveniles is normal. Juveniles of this species spend the early part of their lives in shallow water, then descend to the deep. These fish are around 6mm in size, photographed at magnification of two times life-size.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-lumpsucker-ju...tif
  • This is a 7mm-long juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) with its mouth open, sitting on Colpomenia sinuosa algae. The white crystals are grains of sand, which provide a sense of scale. This fish grows to a size of around 40cm and is known from Northern Pacific waters down to 1700m depth. It is the only known member of its genus. Photographed at four times life-size magnification.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-smoo...tif
  • This is a juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) nestled among folds of wakame seaweed (Undaria pinnatifida). Juveniles of this species spend the early part of their lives in shallow water, then descend to the deep. This individual was about 6mm in size.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-waka...tif
  • This is a one-year old juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus), measuring about 5cm in length. At this age, juveniles of this species live in deep water and are normally not directly observable. This individual was raised for a year at a research facility. I photographed it upon release, as the fish made its way down to deep water.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-one-year-juve...tif
  • This is a one-year old juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus), measuring about 5cm in length. At this age, juveniles of this species live in deep water and are normally not directly observable. This individual was raised for a year at a research facility. I photographed it upon release, as the fish made its way down to deep water.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-one-year-juve...tif
  • Juvenile smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus) sitting on marine algae. This fish was about 6mm long. Visible on the right side are two small crustaceans, perhaps amphipods, for scale. Juveniles spend their first few weeks in shallow water, then descend to the deep. They return to the shallows only for reproduction. Adult females die after laying eggs. Adult males protect the eggs until the juveniles are born, and then die.
    aptocyclus-ventricosus-juvenile-smoo...tif
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