This is yet another photo from Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida. Diving here is like playing underwater Where’s Waldo. There are lots of cryptic creatures that camouflage with the seafloor. Some practice mimicry, trying to look like something else around them. For this type of diving you go slow. You may scan across the bottom focusing on something the size of an orange. These creatures have evolved with impressive camouflage, so unless you go slow, you are guaranteed to miss out. This is a unique dive because it all takes place in less than 20 feet of water. 

This photo was taken in about five feet of water. The pygmy filefish is doing an excellent job blending in with the green feather algae around it. The tail of the pygmy filefish looks very similar to this fern-like algae. It’s wild how the filefish and the plant share almost the same lime green color. This green feather algae is a common species for this area. Its range is from the Carolina’s south, throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and south to Brazil. Green feather algae isn’t limited to the Atlantic basin, it can also be found in the Pacific Ocean. This photo is a good example of the type of habitat this species of algae thrives in. This algae prefers warm, shallow, sandy substrate.