Show Navigation

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
{ 957 images found }

Loading ()...

  • A thorny seahorse (Hippocampus hystrix) missing its snout and mouth. It was unclear how this fish lost its mouth, but it may have been attacked by another fish. The seahorse looked healthy, but it's difficult to see how it could have survived much longer without a mouth.
    Hippocampus-hystrix-seahorse-missing..tiff
  • Porcupine pufferfish are really cute up-close. Their oversized eyes and puckered up lips give these fish a signature ET look.
    Cyclichthys-orbicularis-Porcupine-pu..tiff
  • Bright orange juvenile star pufferfish (Arothron stellatus) eating coral
    juvenile-star-pufferfish-Arothron-st..tiff
  • Portrait of a purple paddle-flap scorpionfish (Rhinopias eschmeyeri) in Ambon
    Paddle-flap-scorpionfish-Rhinopias-e..tiff
  • Eye-to-eye with a long, brown pipefish (Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus). Perspective distorted by the wide-angle macro perspective of the Totomega lens
    bend-stick-pipefish-Trachyrhamphus-b..tiff
  • Bright orange juvenile star pufferfish (Arothron stellatus)
    juvenile-star-pufferfish-Arothron-st..tiff
  • Five-lined cardinalfish (Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus) with mouthful of yellow eggs
    cardinalfish-with-yellow-eggs-in-mou..tiff
  • Moray eel (Gymnothorax sp.) with mouth wide open
    moray-eel-mouth-wide-open-ambon-2010..tiff
  • Portrait of a purple paddle-flap scorpionfish (Rhinopias eschmeyeri) in Ambon
    Purple-paddle-flap-scorpionfish-ambo..tiff
  • Flying gurnards (Dactyloptena orientalis) are generally difficult to approach, but this one was docile enough to photograph at close quarters during a night dive in Ambon
    eye-to-eye-with-flying-gurnard-ambon..tiff
  • Eye-to-eye with a long, brown pipefish (Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus). Perspective distorted by the wide-angle macro perspective of the Totomega lens
    double-ended-pipefish-Trachyrhamphus..tiff
  • Bright yellow jawfish (Opistognathus sp.) with green eyes staring directly at the camera lens, comically grouchy expression on its face
    funny-yellow-jawfish-with-green-eyes..tiff
  • Bright orange juvenile star pufferfish (Arothron stellatus) eating coral
    juvenile-star-pufferfish-Arothron-st..tiff
  • Bright orange juvenile star pufferfish (Arothron stellatus) defecating
    juvenile-star-pufferfish-defecating-..tiff
  • Black-saddled toby (Canthigaster valentini) hovering next to an orange sea fan
    Sharpnose-pufferfish-Canthigaster-va..tiff
  • An enormous honeycomb moral eel (Gymnothorax favagineus) with a strong sense of curiosity
    Honeycomb-moray-eel-Gymnothorax fava..tiff
  • Beautiful pink and white juvenile Moyer's dragonet (Synchiropus moyeri) walking along a rubbly bottom
    Synchiropus-moyeri-Moyers-dragonet-A..tiff
  • Bright orange juvenile star pufferfish (Arothron stellatus) eating coral
    juvenile-star-pufferfish-Arothron-st..tiff
  • This is a humpbacked scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis neglecta) sitting on a muddy bottom in shallow water, with a number of Japanese silver-biddy fishes (Gerres equulus) swimming past in the background.
    scorpaenopsis-neglecta-humpbacked-sc...tif
  • This is a Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) with juveniles in its mouth. This is one of only two species of marine fishes whose babies return to the parents at night. This species is native to Banggai Island in Indonesia, but has since been introduced to many other areas, most likely via the pet trade.
    pterapogon-kauderni-with-juveniles-b...tif
  • Two male Zoarchias major eelpouts with mouths wide open facing off in the middle of Sargassum hemiphyllum algae. The fishes blend-in well with both the coloration and texture of these brown algae and other surrounding vegetation and substrate, providing some measure of protection in the form of camouflage from larger fish patrolling the reef.
    zoarchias-major-eelpouts-fighting-sa...tif
  • Blakiston’s Fish Owl (Bubo blackistoni) at night, with a small masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou masou), also known as yamame, in its mouth. Photographed in Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan. This owl is wild, but is habituated to people and is fed daily.
    endangered-blakistons-fish-owl-bubo-...tif
  • An entangled fish that appears to have died in a floating mass of fishing net, line, hooks and other debris. Photographed in the Indian Ocean. Discarded and lost fishing nets, along with associated gear, wreak havoc on marine life throughout the world. Lethal ghost nets and fishing gear like this float for hundreds, even thousands of kilometers, entangling and killing fish, sea birds, turtles, whales and many other ocean residents.
    dead-fish-fishing-net-entanglement-i...tif
  • Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) with hatchlings in its mouth. This is one of only two known fish species whose babies return to the parents at night. The other species is the convict fish (Pholidichthys leucotaenia). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
    endangered-Banggai-cardinalfish-Pter...tif
  • A tangle of fishing nets, lines, hooks and other garbage found floating in the Indian Ocean. There was a small community of fish associated with this trash, but also fish that had been entangled and killed. Discarded and lost fishing nets, along with associated gear, wreak havoc on marine life, floating for hundreds, even thousands of kilometers while entangling fish, sea birds, turtles, whales and many other ocean residents.
    ghost-fishing-net-indian-ocean-sri-l...tif
  • Blakiston’s Fish Owl (Bubo blackistoni) at night, with a small masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou masou), also known as yamame, in its mouth. Photographed in Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan. This owl is accustomed to people and is fed daily.
    endangered-blakistons-fish-owl-bubo-...tif
  • Blakiston’s Fish Owl (Bubo blackistoni) at night. Photographed in Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan. This owl is accustomed to people and is fed daily.
    endangered-blakistons-fish-owl-bubo-...tif
  • Manta rays for sale at the morning fish market in Mirissa, Sri Lanka. Many mantas and mobula rays are landed each day at this small port, primarily to supply the growing gill raker trade, which is targeting rays around the world to supply powders and potions to consumers in Asia who believe that gill rakers have medicinal powers.
    manta-rays-fish-market-mirissa-sri-l...tif
  • Large school of thousands of crescent-tail bigeye fish (Priacanthus hamrur) in deep water, swarming over sand and coral bottom at the entrance to Tiputa Pass in Rangiroa, Tahiti
    crescent-tail-bigeyes-priacanthus-ha...tif
  • Developing eggs of a hairchin goby (Sagamia geneionema). Though still early in development, individual transparent fish embryos are visible attached to the yellow-orange yolk sacs.
    hairchin-goby-eggs-developing-embryo...tif
  • Healthy cabbage coral (Turbinaria reniformis) formation surrounded by basslets, damsels and other tropical reef fish. Photographed at about 15 meters depth on a dive site near Normanby Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea that we named Julian's Cabbage Patch because there was so much cabbage coral.
    cabbage-coral-turbinaria-reniformis-...tif
  • A gigantic, unbroken sea fan with swarming Anthias at Ashmore Reef in Australian waters in the Coral Sea. The first time we dived this site, I fell in love with the area because there were so many large, unspoiled sea fans like this one, and the reef was teeming with millions of small fish. Captain Craig DeWit of MV Golden Dawn was nice enough to name the dive site Wu Wu Wall for me.
    sea-fan-anthias-basslets-wu-wu-wall-...tif
  • Hasegawa-san at the helm of while heading out to the deep waters of Suruga Bay to fish
    suruga-bay-deep-sea-fishing-japan-20...tif
  • A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) entangled by longline fishing gear. This whale was still able to swim, but was very weak. The fishing line had immobilized both pectoral fins, slicing through them as is visible here. The whale was infested with whale lice (Cyamus boopis), and there were a number of large sharks trailing it, including tiger sharks and bronze whalers. Another healthy whale was accompanying this whale, though it was clearly unable to assist. This whale most likely died soon after this sighting.
    longline-fishing-gear-entanglement-h...tif
  • This is a juvenile green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) that appears to have died due to a fishing line. The line was wrapped around the marine reptile's neck several times, with a fishing hook lodged in some of the animal's flesh. Most of the flesh on the turtle's head had either been consumed by other animals or had otherwise fallen off, leaving just the skull. The rest of the body was largely intact. I am holding the blue fishing line filament in my left hand.
    green-turtle-killed-by-fishing-line-...tif
  • Sorting through the morning catch in the small fishing port of Futo Harbor
    futo-harbor-japan-fishing-201006-006...tif
  • Hasegawa-san bathed in the warm light of sunrise while preparing bait for deep-sea fishing, the silhouette of his son working on the foredeck of the fishing vessel visible behind him,
    deep-sea-fishing-suruga-bay-japan-20...tif
  • Aerial panorama of Kawana fishing port on the eastern side of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. This layout is typical of small fishing ports throughout Japan.
    kawana-fishing-port-japan-aerial-pan...tif
  • Hasegawa-san preparing his fishing boat early in the morning. Hasegawa-san specializes in deep-sea fishing.
    hasegawa-early-morning-preparation-j...tif
  • Hasegawa-san father and son team working on their fishing vessel. Here the son is organizing the day’s catch of deep-sea king crabs.
    fishing-for-deep-sea-king-crabs-suru...tif
  • Exhausted from a long night and morning of fishing in Suruga Bay, Hasegawa-san dozing off on the way back to port
    hasegawa-san-dozing-off-after-fishin...tif
  • Fishing boats moored in Futo harbor, Izu Peninsula, Japan
    futo-harbor-fishing-boats-izu-penins...tif
  • Hasegawa-san on the deck of his fishing vessel, looking over lines used for working with deep-sea crab traps.
    hasegawa-san-crab-trap-lines-japan-2...tif
  • Hasegawa father and son team preparing bait and lines in the pre-dawn hours for deep sea fishing
    hasegawa-father-son-early-morning-fi...tif
  • This is an adult pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) entangled in a fishing net. The net was wrapped around the base of the whale's fluke, with substantial net and rope trailing behind. As is visible in this image, rope stretched up both sides of the whale and appeared to be caught in the whale's mouth. I came across this whale in shallow, green, murky water, approximately 60 meters depth. The whale was still able to swim, though it appeared exhausted. It did not fluke, and the netting was not visible from the surface. Sadly, this whale most likely died shortly after this encounter.
    blue-whale-entangled-fishing-net-bal...tif
  • This is an adult pygmy blue whale entangled in a fishing net. The net was wrapped around the base of the whale's fluke, with substantial net and rope trailing behind. Rope stretched up both sides of the whale and appeared to be caught in the whale's mouth. I came across this whale in shallow, green, murky water, approximately 60 meters depth. The whale was still able to swim, though it appeared exhausted. It did not fluke, and the netting was not visible from the surface. Sadly, this whale most likely died shortly after this encounter.
    entangled-pygmy-blue-whale-fishing-n...tif
  • This is an adult pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) entangled in a fishing net. The net was wrapped around the base of the whale's fluke, with substantial net and rope trailing behind. Rope stretched up both sides of the whale and appeared to be caught in the whale's mouth. I came across this whale in shallow, green, murky water, approximately 60 meters depth. The whale was still able to swim, though it appeared exhausted. It did not fluke, and the netting was not visible from the surface. Sadly, this whale most likely died shortly after this encounter.
    blue-whale-entangled-fishing-net-sri...tif
  • Inaba-san climbing back onto her fishing boat after gathering seafood
    ama-diver-izu-japan-201006-0406.tif
  • Hasegawa-san father and son team preparing bait and lines for deep-sea fishing on a sunny day in Suruga Bay, Japan
    deep-sea-fishing-suruga-bay-japan-20...tif
  • Hasegawa-san setting out fishing lines in the deep waters of Suruga Bay, Japan
    hasegawa-san-pre-dawn-fishing-suruga...tif
  • This is a blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) slicing through shallow water in pursuit of sardines, some of which can be seen jumping into the air to avoid being caught. This occurred in the early morning, usually commencing just before sunrise, when large schools of the baitfish gathered in shallow water. Several species worked together to herd and catch the fish. In the water, trevallies and blacktip reef sharks herded the fish, forcing them into concentrated groups. From the air, brown boobies and terns hovered. The predators coordinated their attacks, usually with trevallies making high-speed runs through the groups of fish. This caused panic, sending the sardines in every direction. Blacktip reef sharks then charged in, chasing sardines into shallow water and sometimes onto shore, while boobies and terns picked off fish at the surface, separated from the other fish. This action was rapid, often resulting in sweeping waves of panicked fish washing down the length of the shoreline. Here, the sun has just come up over the horizon. The action usually slowed down and stopped within 20-30 minutes after sunrise.
    blacktip-reef-shark-hunting-sardines...tif
  • This is a blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) beaching itself to catch sardines. This occurred in the early morning, just before sunrise, when large schools of the baitfish gathered in shallow water. Several species worked together to herd and catch the fish. In the water, trevallies and blacktip reef sharks herded the fish, forcing them into concentrated groups. From the air, brown boobies and terns hovered. The predators coordinated their attacks, usually with trevallies making high-speed runs through the groups of fish. This caused panic, sending the sardines in every direction. Blacktip reef sharks then charged in and beached themselves, chasing baitfish onto shore, while boobies and terns picked off fish at the surface, separated from the other fish. This action was rapid, often resulting in sweeping waves of panicked fish washing down the length of the shoreline. Once the sun came up, the action slowed down and usually stopped within 20-30 minutes after sunrise.
    blacktip-reef-shark-hunting-sardines...tif
  • This small fish, likely a species of sardine, jumped aboard our boat when Eden’s whales were engaged in lunge feeding in the Gulf of Thailand. I believe it likely that the lunge feeding technique is suited to hunting this type of fish, perhaps due to density of aggregations and/ or behavioral characteristics. The whales appear to herd fish into ever greater concentrations before lunging through the aggregated fish. The same whales do not seem to do this with the anchovy species in the Gulf. This suggests that the whales apply different strategies for different prey.
    sardinella-prey-for-balaenoptera-ede...tif
  • Strong currents around Bangka Island bring nutrients to support sea fans like this. Note the small group of juvenile convict fish at the lower left part of the sea fan. Juvenile convict fish mimic venemous striped catfish (Plotosus lineatus). These fish were mistakenly called convict blennies and convict gobies, but are neither blennies nor gobies.
    red-sea-fan-blue-water-juvenile-conv...tif
  • Two male Zoarchias major eelpouts engaged in competitive battle, mouths wide open. The fish on the left is ensconced in a hole in the coral, while the challenging fish on the right is fully exposed in the water column. These fish, called ookazunagi in Japanese, engage in this behavior during the spring and summer, presumably as part of their reproductive process. Despite these confrontations, it does not appear that the fish inflict harm on one another.
    zoarchias-major-males-competitive-fi...tif
  • This is what it looks like inside a massive group of spawning Lutjanus bohar snappers. The water is milky blue from the simultaneous release of eggs and sperm by hundreds of fish in this group, which were part of an enormous gathering of thousands of fish. The visibility quickly dropped to nearly zero, with fish swimming in every direction. There were bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas), grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) and blackfin sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) charging through the groups of spawning fish. Photographed in Palau.
    lutjanus-bohar-snapper-spawning-aggr...tif
  • 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
  • Part of an enormous gathering of two-spot red snapper (Lutjanus bohar) for the purpose of mass spawning in the early morning. Thousands of fish aggregate for this spawning aggregation. Coloration of the fish seems to vary through the spawning activity, with the fish not necessarily displaying the characteristic red hue of this species. Photographed in Palau.
    two-spot-red-snapper-lutjanus-bohar-...tif
  • This is a large male hairy frogfish (Antennarius striatus) with his esca, or lure, extended to entice prey. The esca is situated at the end of a long rod called the illicium, which is the fish’s front-most dorsal fin. The white hair-like protrusions of the fish’s body are small skeleton shrimp (Caprellidae), clearly visible at 100% magnification. This photograph was taken five days prior to this fish spawning with a smaller female.
    antennarius-striatus-striated-frogfi...tif
  • This is a pair of hairy frogfish (Antennarius striatus) that have just spawned. The orange fish in the foreground is the male, the lighter fish in the background the female. The fertilized egg raft is visible between the two fish.
    antennarius-striatus-striated-frogfi...tif
  • These are developing eggs of fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) fish, each egg measuring around 3mm. The juvenile fish are developed enough that their spinal cords and eyes are clearly visible. At this stage, the unhatched fish are mobile, twisting and turning inside their eggs from time to time. Photographed at a magnification of four times life-size.
    hexagrammos-otakii-developing-embryo...tif
  • This is a female Zoarchias major eelpout approaching another one that has occupied a hole in the reef. The aggressor has clamped her mouth on the occupying fish in an attempt to intimidate and force her out of the hole. Individuals of this species engage in such battles over holes while they are in shallow waters. Females and males alike intimidate both females and males in a continual process of claiming and losing holes. The holes themselves are often those used by blennies, which have been displaced by these fish, but return to the holes once these fish disappear. The purpose of these battles is not clear.
    zoarchias-major-eelpout-females-figh...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
  • Bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) gathering in shallow water just after sunrise, in preparation for group spawning involving thousands of fish. The fish pictured here are in the transitional time between coming together and the commencement of spawning. Some of the fish have pale faces, which signals their readiness to spawn, while others have yet to take on the pale hue. An outgoing current carrying a lot of suspended particles resulted in low visibility on this day. Photographed in Palau.
    bumphead-parrotfish-spawning-aggrega...tif
  • This is a male fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) opening his mouth, which is a behavior that many fish exhibit. This individual was watching over several clutches of developing eggs, which were situated behind the fish and thus obscured from view in this image. The brilliant yellow-orange hue is indicative of breeding season. These fish are normally drab in color.
    hexagrammos-otakii-fat-greenling-pro...tif
  • This is a large male hairy frogfish (Antennarius striatus) opening his mouth. Frogfishes exhibit this type of yawning behavior relatively frequently. In this image, the frogfish's illicium (rod) and esca (lure) are folded back and tucked away on top of the fish's head, comprising the front-most of three dorsal fins. The white hair-like protrusions on the fish's body are small amphipods known as skeleton shrimp (Caprellidae). This photograph was taken three days prior to this fish spawning with a smaller female.
    antennarius-striatus-striated-frogfi...tif
  • This is a pair of hairy frogfish (Antennarius striatus) just starting to spawn. The orange fish in on the left is the male, the lighter fish on the right the female. The egg raft is visible between the two fish, just starting to be released by the female. Also, at 100% magnification, there is what appears to be the beginning of white fluid being emitted by the male. This might be the sperm.
    antennarius-striatus-striated-frogfi...tif
  • Bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) gathering at dawn in preparation for a spawning aggregation. The heads of some individuals have turned white, indicating that they are ready for spawning activity. The majority of fish, however, are not quite ready. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of fish gather and mill around until there is consensus reached. Then all the fish rush out to deeper water for group spawning.
    bumphead-parrotfish-gathering-before...tif
  • This is a pair of tomato hinds (Cephalopholis sonnerati). The fish looking toward the camera is male. The fish viewed side-on is female, with a belly full of eggs. When I took this photograph, the time for these fish to spawn was approaching.
    cephalopholis-sonnerati-male-female-...tif
  • The chaotic action of a bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) spawning aggregation, comprising thousands of fish releasing clouds of sperm and eggs into the water. As depicted here, groups of spawning fish, led by one or possibly more females, rise up from the primary mass of fish to release their gametes, and then rejoin the swarm below. Photographed in the early morning in the Republic of Palau.
    bumphead-parrotfish-spawning-aggrega...tif
  • A group of bigeye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus) swimming around a grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrynchos), with one of the fish rubbing its body against the shark's skin. Bigeye trevallies and other species of fish engage in this activity from time to time, perhaps to remove parasites or other irritations from their skin. For the most part, the sharks do not seem to mind, though they sometimes take off at high speed. Note also that one of the bigeye trevallies is dark. The change in coloration is associated with reproduction. Photographed at Blue Corner in Palau.
    bigeye-trevally-rubbing-against-grey...tif
  • Juvenile pajama cardinalfish hiding among coral in the calm and safe shallow-water environment of Mandarin Fish Lake in Palau
    juvenile-pajama-cardinalfish-Sphaera...tif
  • A minipizza batfish (Halieutaea stellata) settling on the seafloor before descending back to depth after being released from a fishing net. When stationary like this, these fish perch on their fins almost as if they were using legs. These fish are usually found between 50m and 400m depth.
    minipizza-batfish-halieutaea-stellat...tif
  • This is a Stichaeus grigorjewi, sometimes called a long shanny or northern blenny. It is a deepwater species that resides down to depths of around 300 meters in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk. Females come up to shallower water to lay eggs. This fish is edible, but the eggs contain a toxin called dinogunellin, which can cause vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea and other unpleasant symptoms if ingested. There are no recorded cases of deaths from consumption of eggs. As pictured here, the fish repeatedly extended and retracted a long, twisted, multi-pronged tongue-like appendage reminiscent of the lure used by stargazers (Uranoscopidae) to attract prey.
    stichaeus-grigorjewi-long-shanny-nor...tif
  • This is a Stichaeus grigorjewi, sometimes called a long shanny or northern blenny. It is a deepwater species that resides down to depths of around 300 meters in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk. Females come up to shallower water to lay eggs. This fish is edible, but the eggs contain a toxin called dinogunellin, which can cause vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea and other unpleasant symptoms if ingested. There are no recorded cases of deaths from consumption of eggs. As pictured here, the fish repeatedly extended and retracted a long, twisted, multi-pronged tongue-like appendage reminiscent of the lure used by stargazers (Uranoscopidae) to attract prey.
    stichaeus-grigorjewi-long-shanny-nor...tif
  • Pictured here are four newly hatched lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus awae) juveniles, around 2mm to 3mm in size, about the size of a sesame seed. These baby fish stayed together for a brief time, hidden among intricate folds of red algae (Pugetia japonica), before dispersing around the reef. Known as dango-uo in Japanese, these fish are found along the Pacific coast of the main island of Honshu.
    eumicrotremus-awae-juvenile-lumpsuck...tif
  • This is two male Zoarchias major eelpouts engaging in mouth-to-mouth battle in mid-water. When these fish fight, they usually do not leave the substrate. There are bigger fish around that will happily eat them. These two individuals were evenly matched, which made for a protracted, intense battle.
    zoarchias-major-eelpout-males-fighti...tif
  • Solitary longfin bannerfish swimming along a coral reef. This fish appeared to be patrolling a limited area, with a tendency to return to this one spot. After a while, the fish grew accustomed to my presence and approached closely.
    longfin-bannerfish-pennant-coralfish...tif
  • This composite sequence of six images depicts the spawning sequence of a pair of hairy frogfish (Antennarius striatus). When the female is ready to spawn, the male nudges her swollen abdomen and the pushes her up into the water column. The height to which the fish ascend varies from case to case. In this instance, the fish only rose about a meter from the sea floor prior to spawning. This sequence spans between three and four seconds.
    antennarius-striatus-hairy-frogfish-...tif
  • Pictured here are freshly spawned eggs of a fish called spotty-bellied greenling (Hexagrammos agrammus), known as kujime in Japanese. The fish live in coastal waters of the northwest Pacific, East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan. Each egg is about 3mm in size. A developing embryo is visible at the bottom center of the image, with the eye and jaw structures just becoming discernable. Photographed at a magnification of four times life-size.
    hexagrammos-agrammus-eggs-japan-2019...tif
  • Zoarchias major eelpouts engaged in competitive fighting within a mass of Sargassum hemiphyllum algae. These fish, known as ookazunagi in Japanese, blend-in well with the coloration of this and other algaes and seaweeds, providing them with some protection from predation by larger fish.
    zoarchias-major-male-eelpouts-compet...tif
  • This is a top-down view of a juvenile Eumicrotremus uenoi lumpsucker, estimated length three to four millimeters from head to tip of caudal fin. As these tiny fish mature, they lose the white rings that characterize the juveniles. This fish is sitting on Colpomenia sinuosa algae. The white crystals are grains of sand, which provide a sense of scale. This species is found in the North Pacific, on the western coast of Japan and southern coast of the Korean peninsula. Photographed at magnification of four times life-size.
    eumicrotremus-uenoi-juvenile-japan-2...tif
  • Close encounter with a friendly sunfish (Mola mola) that was floating on the ocean surface, relaxed and calm. The fish approached the boat numerous times, allowing me on one occasion to remove one of the many copepod parasites visible in this photograph. Mola mola are known to host multiple species of parasites, including copepods and nematodes. The fish is floating on one side, with its mouth open, facing the camera.
    sunfish-mola-mouth-open-with-parasit...tif
  • Close-up of a sunfish (Mola mola). This individual was floating on the ocean surface, relaxed and calm. The fish approached the boat numerous times, allowing me on one occasion to remove one of the copepod parasites visible in this photograph. When I entered the water and floated nearby, the fish bumped directly into me, resulting in this close encounter.
    mola-mola-sunfish-close-encounter-so...tif
  • Male long-spine porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus) pursuing a female fish. This was the culmination of several hours of activity involving a number of males pursuing this female, until finally only one male was left. During the pursuit, the female swam at rapid speed in seemingly random directions, as if she were trying to lose the males. She hid in crevices at times, forcing the males to search for her. The males nipped and bit her constantly. The actual mating event took place well after sundown, with the fish swimming out to a deep part of the channel at about 23 meters, then rushing toward the surface, releasing eggs and sperm at about 12 meters depth.
    diodon-holocanthus-mating-long-spine...tif
  • Humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) congregating before spawning in large numbers. These fish gather by the thousands, milling around until the tidal conditions are just right. In this photograph, the heads of the fish have not yet turned white, a color change which is a precursor to mass spawning. Photographed in Palau.
    humphead-parrotfish-bolbometopon-mur...tif
  • This is a part of a spawning aggregation comprising thousands of Bohar snapper (Lutjanus bohar) gathered in deep water in the early morning. Prior to spawning, the fish take on a range of coloration, as pictured here. Of note, the fish do not all seem to take on the same color hues or patterns. Photographed in Palau.
    lutjanus-bohar-snapper-spawning-aggr...tif
  • A pair of bigeye jacks (Caranx sexfasciatus), with the male temporarily turned black in preparation for spawning. Another pair of fish also getting ready to spawn is visible in the background. These fish were among a large school of several hundred jacks swimming above the Blue Corner dive site in Palau.
    bigeye-trevally-mating-spawning-blue...tif
  • A lone great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) opening its mouth and displaying its sharp teeth. This fish stalked many small fish for over an hour at dusk, but it missed every time it made a lightning-quick strike.
    great-barracuda-Sphyraena-barracuda-...tif
  • There are still virgin reefs like this that few people have seen, where unspoiled corals carpet the reef system and countless fish gather to feed in the currents. This photograph is from a dive site called Tokyo Express in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea.
    unspoiled-coral-reef-millions-of-fis...tif
  • This is a Eumicrotremus awae lumpsucker, known as dango-uo in Japanese. About 1cm in size, this fish uses modified pectoral fins to adhere to surfaces. Here, the fish is leaning to its right because it is being pushed by ocean swell, with the suction-cup function of its modified pectoral fins clearly visible. Photographed in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
    eumicrotremus-awae-lumpsucker-japan-...tif
  • This is a striated frogfish (Antennarius striatus) with its mouth open, providing a clear view of the inside of the fish's mouth. The fish's mottled body pattern and its dermal spinules (which resemble hairs), provide the frogfish excellent camouflage.
    antennarius-striatus-frogfish-mouth-...tif
  • This is a newly hatched lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus awae), 2mm to 3mm in size, about the size of a sesame seed. The fish is perched on a species of red algae, possibly Polypes sp. Known as dango-uo in Japanese, these fish are found along the Pacific coast of the main island of Honshu.
    eumicrotremus-awae-juvenile-lumpsuck...tif
  • Close-up view of 3mm eggs of a hemiclonal hybrid sub-species. The female that spawned the eggs passed on her Hexagrammos octogrammus DNA while making use of a Hexagrammos otakii male to produce viable young. All the fish hatched from these eggs will be females that continue this process, in effect perpetuating a line of all-female fish that carry the same maternal DNA through each generation.
    hexagrammos-octogrammus-otakii-hemic...tif
  • This is a lizardfish (Synodus sp.) that has just caught a butterflyfish (Chaetodon sp.). Lizardfish are ambush predators. They lie in wait on the bottom, often perched at a slight angle, such that the fish looks up into the water column. When potential prey passes overhead, the lizardfish darts up in the blink of an eye to grab its meal. While some fish do get away, the many sharp, backward-pointing teeth in a lizardfish’s mouth make escape difficult.
    lizardfish-eating-butterflyfish-2010...tif
  • Profile of a crab-eye goby (Signigobius biocellatus), a small fish that swims in a stuttered back-and-forth motion. This unique pattern of motion is said to be reminiscent of the side-to-side movement pattern that is characteristic of crabs. with the large signature spots on the fish’s dorsal fins resembling eyes.
    crab-eye goby-signigobius-biocellatu...tif
  • Pictured here are freshly spawned eggs of a fish called spotty-bellied greenling (Hexagrammos agrammus), known as kujime in Japanese. The fish live in coastal waters of the northwest Pacific, East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan. Each egg is about 3mm in size. Photographed at a magnification of four times life-size.
    hexagrammos-agrammus-eggs-japan-2019...tif
  • This is a mature male Pteragogus aurigarius wrasse, found in the Northwest Pacific around Japan and Taiwan. <br />
Males compete with one another to establish territorial boundaries. This individual has just engaged in a brief battle with another male. He is departing the area, suggesting that he was no match for the rival male. These fish are normally darker in coloration.  This light hue might possibly be a sign of submission. There is no common name in English for this fish. It is known as uhaguro-bera in Japanese.
    pteragogus-aurigarius-wrasse-male-ja...tif
  • Pictured here is a developing embryo inside of one of the unusually shaped eggs of a seven-lined prickleback (Ernogrammus zhirmunskii), which is a small fish found in the Northwest Pacific and Sea of Japan. The egg is around 2mm to 3mm in size, photographed here at a magnification of four times life-size. The eggs are in a cluster, with each egg interlocked with others around it. Other eggs and fish embyros are visible in the background.
    ernogrammus-zhirmunskii-eggs-seven-l...tif
  • This is a female Chirolophis japonicus fringed blenny, which is a prickleback, guarding its eggs. This fish tends to find deep crevices and holes and lay its eggs in the back of its chosen hideaway. The eggs are the white mass visible in the background. On average, the eggs require around 40 days to mature and hatch. This individual is infested with parasites (Elaphognathia discolor). There are at least 36 visible from this angle, the most prominent of which is visible below and forward from the fish’s right eye.
    chirolophis-japonicus-fringed-blenny...tif
Next
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Tony Wu Underwater Photography

  • Search Image Archive
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • View Portfolio
  • Read About Me
  • Send Me a Note
  • Portfolio