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 […]
Barred Hamlet – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Barred hamlets have a continuous dorsal fin that has ten spines This beautiful tropical fish is called a barred hamlet. There are several other species of hamlet in the waters of the tropical western Atlantic, including the indigo hamlet, butter hamlet, shy hamlet, golden hamlet, yellowbelly hamlet, yellowtail […]
Indo-Pacific Rock-Boring Urchin – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data It’s also known as the burrowing urchin This photo was taken while on a snorkeling adventure with my wife off the coast of the island of Hawai’i. We were in the Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District, which is a marine protected area. We were with […]
Redbarred Hawkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern They have a small number of teeth in the roof of their mouths While on a dive off the coast of Honolulu, Hawai’i in which I was searching for nudibranchs, I came across this interesting looking fish. It seemed to be on the lookout from its hovel […]
Redbreast Sunfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These fish were fearless Dropping under the water at Alexander Springs in Altoona, Florida, I was not expecting the water to be as crystal clear as it was. The visibility was easily one hundred feet, and the water was a crisp 72 degrees. Although this is a […]
Gray Triggerfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable If you depress the second spine, this will release the first spine This unique looking fish is called a gray triggerfish. It is a medium sized fish which will grow to be around nine inches long. Their coloration and pattern are hard to appreciate in the water, especially if it […]
Black Coral Shrimp – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data This shrimp can be found all over the world I encountered this semi-transparent shrimp while diving in Little Cayman. Confusingly this black coral shrimp is not on black coral in this photo. Instead it is on a sea rod which is attached to a vertical wall. In diving, we […]