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  • 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
  • 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) 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
    double-ended-pipefish-Trachyrhamphus..tiff
  • Bright orange juvenile star pufferfish (Arothron stellatus) eating coral
    juvenile-star-pufferfish-Arothron-st..tiff
  • Five-lined cardinalfish (Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus) with mouthful of yellow eggs
    cardinalfish-with-yellow-eggs-in-mou..tiff
  • Bright orange juvenile star pufferfish (Arothron stellatus)
    juvenile-star-pufferfish-Arothron-st..tiff
  • Bright orange juvenile star pufferfish (Arothron stellatus) defecating
    juvenile-star-pufferfish-defecating-..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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Black-saddled toby (Canthigaster valentini) hovering next to an orange sea fan
    Sharpnose-pufferfish-Canthigaster-va..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
  • 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
  • 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
  • The Patch Reefs in Palau are a series of small shallow-water reefs south of Long Lake. These reefs suffered a severe crown of thorns starfish infestation after the 1998 el Nino. Ron Leidich and friends removed thousands of crown of thorns, and the reefs have recovered quickly. The Patch Reefs are a transition zone from the inner lakes and mangroves of the Rock Islands to open ocean. Here, there are lots of branching corals and also schools of fast-swimming fish like this Dascyllus reticulatus darting in and out of coral to gather food in the current.
    Reticulated-damselfish-Dascyllus-ret...tif
  • Colourful, cute baby longnose cowfish are always popular subjects for photography
    Juvenile-longhorn-cowfish-Lactoria-c..tiff
  • Colorful and charismatic dragon moray eel (Enchelycore pardalis) living among boulders and rock formations off the east coast of the Izu Peninsula in Japan. These charismatic eels are so common in the area that local divers ignore them.
    dragon-moray-eel-enchelycore-pardali...tif
  • Dragon moray eel living among boulders and rock formations off the east coast of the Izu Peninsula in Japan. These charismatic eels are common in the area, so much so that local divers ignore them.
    dragon-moray-eel-mouth-open-Enchelyc...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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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) 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 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.
    long-spine-porcupinefish-mating-diod...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 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Two male Zoarchias major eelpouts intertwined in competitive battle, mouths wide open. 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
  • Portrait of a female Zoarchias major eelpout looking out from a hole in the reef. These fish often occupy holes like this. On one occasion, I saw one fish kick out a blenny to take over the hole. In another instance, I watched as a female eelpout tried to enter a hole and was punched in the face by a small mantis shrimp that was already occupying the hole.
    zoarchias-major-female-portrait-japa...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
  • Group of twinspot snappers (Lutjanus bohar) gathered as part of an early-morning spawning aggregation involving thousands of fish. Note the range of coloration displayed by individual fish, which most often appear red when seen by scuba divers.
    lutjanus-bohar-spawning-aggregation-...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
  • Bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) gathering in shallow water just after sunrise, in preparation for group spawning involving thousands of fish. These aggregations seem to occur often when there is a signficant level of suspended particles due to current and tide conditions. Coupled with low light levels, these conditions may provide the optimal chance for fertilized eggs to escape with the current and grow into fish larvae. Photographed in Palau.
    dawn-gathering-for-spawning-bumphead...tif
  • This is a small portion of a mass gathering of thousands of humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) that have come together for spawning. When these fish are ready to spawn, their faces take on the pale coloration depicted here. Of interest, some of the fish that participate in this group spawning activity do not exhibit pale faces. Photographed in Palau.
    humphead-parrotfish-mass-spawning-bo...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
  • 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
  • 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 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 mature male Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus). The fish has taken on whitish coloration for the breeding season. During this season, the male mates with multiple females, and defends his terrority against other males. Wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, so this male, like all other males of this species, started life as a female. At 100% magnification parasites attached to the fish’s face are visible.
    asian-sheepshead-wrasse-semicossyphu...tif
  • White-jawed Cardinalfish (Pseudamia amblyuroptera) encountered at 15m to 25m depth during a blackwater dive just off the reef at Short Dropoff in Palau. This fish was about 10cm in length, suggesting that it is an adult or near adult. The fish was hanging vertically in the water. It showed no concern with divers being present, making no effort to swim away. It also never adopted a horizontal position.
    pseudamia-amblyuroptera-white-jawed-...tif
  • Bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) engaged in a massive spawning aggregation, with one group of fish pictured here rising above the mass to spawn. There is one female at the center of the mass, with others being male fish. This takes place early in the morning.
    bumphead-parrotfish-spawning-aggrega...tif
  • An aggregation of Lutjanus bohar snapper engaged in mass spawning. As pictured here, large groups of fish cluster together before swimming rapidly in unison to release clouds of sperm and eggs. Thousands of fish were gathered for this spawning event. Photographed in Palau.
    Lutjanus-bohar-snapper-spawning-aggr...tif
  • A small group of humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) that has moved away from the main mass of thousands of fish in order to spawn. This happens repeatedly during mass spawning, with groups of fish swimming away and spawning in rapid succession, leaving the water milky-white and murky. Photographed in Palau.
    bolbometopon-muricatum-bumphead-parr...tif
  • White leaf scorpionfish with lighting at an extreme angle to highlight the fish from the background clutter of the reef
    white-leaf-scorpionfish-Taenianotus-...tif
  • When small fish like basslets, damselfish and other reef residents appear in large numbers with the change of tide at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, predators such as bluefin trevally gather in packs to hunt them. This trevally used me for camouflage to approach the swarms of small fish, then charged straight in front of me in an attempt to grab a meal.
    bluefin-trevally-Caranx-melampygus-h...tif
  • Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) with clutch of eggs in its mouth, eyes of the developing embryos visible. These fish are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
    Pterapogon-kauderni-endangered-Bangg...tif
  • Large school 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
    schooling-crescent-tail-bigeye-fish-...tif
  • Threadsail filefish (Stephanolepis cirrhifer) bite and latch onto something while they sleep. Here, a pair of these fish are holding onto a rope at about 20m depth while resting. The fish in the background is male. The one in the foreground is female.
    threadsail-filefish-sleeping-stephan...tif
  • A starry handfish (Halieutaea stellata) descending back to depth after being released from a fishing net. These fish are usually found between 50m and 400m depth.
    starry-handfish-halieutaea-stellata-...tif
  • This is a comet (Calloplesiops altivelis), an elegant, cryptic fish that possesses a false eye on its dorsal fin, probably to mislead predators. When alarmed, comets poke their heads into a hole or crevice and expose their tail ends in order to discourage potential predators by mimicking the head of the moray eel.
    comet-fish-Calloplesiops-altivelis-l...tif
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