Spotted Scorpionfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern You can generally get very close because this fish trusts its camouflage Scorpionfish are masters of camouflage. They have numerous cirri covering their body (mainly head). Cirri are the fleshy appendages that are used for sensing and camouflage. This scorpionfish is facing to the right. The red eye in the top […]
Porkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern With the proper exposure and lighting, a photograph can reveal interesting details Porkfish is a funny name for a fish, especially for a fish that humans generally don’t eat. Porkfish are a member of the grunt family. Like other grunts, porkfish can grind their teeth to make a pig-like grunting […]
Bandtail Searobin – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern With the proper exposure and lighting, a photograph can reveal interesting details This month we are highlighting “close up” photography, also referred to as “macro” photography. This is my favorite type of photography when it comes to shooting underwater. I enjoy this because as a diver you often can’t […]
Blue-Spotted Cornetfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern This family is in the same order of fish as pipefishes and seahorses I took this photo of a blue-spotted cornetfish while snorkeling at Anini Beach on the island of Kauai in Hawai’i. Anini Beach is an isolated spot on the north side of the island. You […]
Yellow Tang – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern This yellow tang was one of many yellow tang that I saw during our four hours of snorkeling This photo was taken during a snorkeling trip with my wife in Kealakekua Bay on the big island of Hawai’i. This area is a marine life conservation district, which […]
Caribbean Reef Octopus – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data I’ve encountered Caribbean reef octopus on night dives You are looking into the eye of a Caribbean reef octopus. Although they look mysterious, they are one of the more commonly seen octopus and we know quite a lot about them. Caribbean reef octopus are generally seen at night. I […]
Red-Tipped Sea Goddess – iNaturalist The impact of the red-tipped sea goddess within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is unknown Although this is a beautiful nudibranch, it is probably not from the area it was photographed (Florida Keys). The majority of the red-tipped sea goddess sightings are from the Pacific Ocean. However, it is believed they […]
Varicose Wart Slug – iNaturalist First of all, nudibranchs are tiny, and I love macrophotography! Photographing small marine creatures was my goal when I dove off the island of Oahu in Hawai’i. I was on the trip by myself, so I made sure to have a dive master who could show me around the local […]
Ringed Sap-Sucking Slug – iNaturalist The sandbar will actually be exposed during low tide! I certainly wasn’t expecting to see a ringed sap-sucking slug when I rolled out of the kayak in three feet deep water in Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu in Hawai’i. We started our morning by kayaking one mile straight […]
Purple-Crowned Sea Goddess – iNaturalist Without the blue/purple rhinophores, it would be hard to know which end is the front and which is the back Nudibranchs are known for their wild colors and patterns, and this nudibranch is no exception. The purple-crowned sea goddess is the smallest nudibranchs I am writing about this month. This tiny nudibranch […]