A Toby fish finding refuge in a large bartrel sponge.
The attitude of this colorful Coral Grouper is amazing given she is confronting a massive creature (me) emitting bubbles and a hundred times her size.
a 3/4 profile a Leaf Scorpionfish with top lighting to show off her skin texture and jewels.
A Leaf Sheep nudibranch. Tulamben, Indonesia, March 2024
A tight portrait of a Thornback Cowfish with sidelighting to show her skin texture.
A super cute Leaf Sheep nudibranch grazing among the growth on a leaf.
A tight portrait of a Thorny Seahorse. Such interesting patterns and markings.
The Leaf Sheep nudis were the highlight of teh trip for me. Many are included.
This flatter nudibranch resembles a sea star from this angle, and maybe why named a Starry Carminodoris.
This picture shows the intensity with which an Anemonefish guards its eggs (sparkly patch below fish), and tends to aerating them.
A really small Netted Miamira nudibranch. Maybe a juvy?
This is a weird and intimate shot of a large Emperor Angelfish having the inside of her gills cleaned. Notice the little red and white shrimp at work in the lower left.
Another strange nudi, a Red-Dots Eubranchus, with bottle shaped protrusions.
A Leaf Scorpionfish backlight with strobe to show the translucency. Tulamben, Indonesia. March 2024
A Black-Balls Ceratophyllidia Nudibranch.The nudi is the size of a grain of rice.
This Warty Frogfish has her lure (the blob at the end of the blue/red striped rod extending from the nose) out in hopes of attracting a meal. The lure is usually tucked up on the forehead for safe keeping.
I love tight protraits of sea creatures, like of this Spotted Moray Eel.
The Leaf Sheep nudis were the highlight of teh trip for me. Many are included.
A pair of my favorite--Ornate Ghost Pipefish. They are usually found hanging around a crinoid as the case here. The crinoid provides protection and camoflaege. The crinoid, by the way, is also an animal and not a plant.
a Fingerprint Toby hamming it up for teh camera. The cloors and patterns underwater always amaze.
Clark's Anemonefish guarding eggs, the sparkly patch below fish, plus a tiny juvenille to the right!
Dive buddy, Jessica, and Dive Guide Eda.
a Ribbon Eel up close with top lighitng to show off her flared nostril openings.
A Longhorn Cowfish showing what her long snout is designed for--burrowing into the sand for inveritbrates. In all my diving this is the first time to witness a cowfish feeding.
This interesting tiny tiny Nudibranch is called a Motley Stiliger. She is mostly clear allowing all the interworking to be visible.
A pufferfish resting in some tubular sponges. Her color matched the sponges closer to my eye at teh time, so appartently on example of metamerism.
A stunning Red-Face Trinchesia Nudibranch. (No colored lighting used)
The same Leaf Scorpionfish with shot straight-on to show her thin profile.
An Ambon Scorpionfish, unlike most fish with sleek bodies for moving effortlessly through the water, has a very ragged shape. The photo is at eye level looking nearly straight on to her head. Presumedly, her shape allows better blending with the environment, and as a bottom dweller, and, as a bottom dweller, doesn't need sleek hydrodynamics.
a Longsnout Seahorse in profile with dramatic lighting.
A seahourse with the strobe behind to show off her translucence.
A leaf sheep nudibranch, aka, Shaun the Sheep. Tulamben, Indonesia. March 2024
Clown or Anemonefish like to play peekaboo in their host anemones.
Note the small Wrasse (light blue stripe) tucked into the gill of the larger Damselfish. The Wrasse's locale constitutes a cleaning station where fish come to allow their most sensitive areas to a groomed. The Damselfish's reaction the Wrasse probing her gills has made her mouth extend as if to say, "ooooh'.
A Leaf Scorpionfish with strong lighting.
A pair of Hypselodoris nudibranchs, named Pulchell's(yellow spots) and Tyron's(black spots).
The mesh of orange lines and dots are very attractive on this Batangas Halgerda nudi. (I hope i'm never asked to name these nudibranchs without guide book in my hand.)
Another tight 3/4 profile with top lighting to show of the frilly skin around her head.
A Soft Coral Crab standing tall fror the picture. Note the red eye and hair on the head--right center.
A beautiful Blue-Spot Dendrodoris Nudibranch that light up with a little light applied. Tulamben, Indonesia, March 2024
a very unusual black nudi, according to my local expert guide.
A tight portrait of a black Frogfish with her eye deadcenter in the picture. Her mouth, slanted up and lower right of eye. Always her lure is tucked up on the forehead.
Clown or Anemonefish like to play peekaboo in their host anemones.
A funny protrait of a pair of White Eyed Moray Eels. Much more common to see them solo.
