Anilao

Painted Frogfish Antennarius pictus This orange frogfish yawns as a snack goes down the gullet, beyond those sharp teeth. He was waiting for prey -- until someone blundered by. The small white frilly object, just about where his right eyebrow would be, is his lure, useful for bringing curious small fish into range. I like to think of an image showing the starship Enterprise being sucked into his mouth. Somehow his Latin name, Antennarius pictus , sounds perfect for an alien g

Seahorse Hippocampus kuda Sea horses (unlike land horses) can change their color. This particular fellow chose black or dark brown, with white spots and gold trim for this moment. I am guessing that he is male from a brood pouch on his lower abdomen, and that he is a common seahorse ( Hippocampus kuda ) rather than another of the many species in the Philippines. I like the fuzz on his snout and chest, which looks to me like tiny hydroids. Zoom in!

Frogfish Frogfish are ambush predators. When they see prey swim into range, they quickly gulp an enormous swig of water, and swallow it down. This individual has just spotted a delightful snack. Afterwards, he seemed have a case of the hiccups, making a series of smaller gulps. Frogfish are masters of the art of camouflage. They have bright colors and lumpy, irregular skin texture (which they can change over periods of days or weeks to match their surroundings). Recognizing a

Crinoids often have resident shrimp; maybe they always do, because the shrimp are usually hard to find: they are well-camouflaged and like to hide.

Whip-Coral Goby: Bryaninops yongei Whip-coral gobies are common in the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and the Western and Central Pacific. They usually live in male-female pairs on whip coral (AKA wire coral). They are small and well-camouflaged, but tend to remain still once they are found. They're good subjects for photography! This pair decided to hide on the other side of the whip coral after about 5 minutes; the erect dorsal fins in the image below show that they are ready to j

Wire coral Crab: Xenocarcinus conicus Xeno crabs spend their lives strolling along a particular wire coral, like colorfully dressed flâneurs . Like many of his species, this individual has extended his red-and-white camoflage by attaching a few yellow coral polyps to his shell.

Octopus at the door of its home, a tin can This octopus made his home in a handy tin can, on the sandy bottom near Anilao Pier. He had a shell just outside, a toy. Octopi often keep things with interesting textures at the entrances of their burrows; they are very tactile creatures and enjoy touching them. This fellow was initially shy, barely peeking out his front door, but gradually emerged to see what I was, and what I was up to. I hovered outside for about 30 minutes. I am

The orange networked pattern, orange-tipped papillae, and white margin distinguish them from the other 2 species in the genus Halgerda.

Unlike the Coleman's shrimp I've encountered, this fellow was defiant.

The frilly white decoration and golden crown give the scene a bridal aura.

Octopus at rest This octopus was resting on the sand beside its hole when I happened upon him at 60 feet depth. He decided to head uphill, and I followed him at a respectful distance. Ultimately he reached another hole in the sand, and dropped in--including all tentacles, but not his head. We regarded one another for a couple of minutes before I decided to return to my native element, air. Octopus now peering forth from his sandy den. Would it be fun to wear clothes that coul

his whip-coral shrimp has captured a delicious blob, and rises from its usual position hunkered against the coral to devour it.

The flamboyant cuttlefish travels across the bottom sand, dining on the small creatures that live there.

Seahorse: Hippocampus histrix This spiny seahorse posed graciously for me in the front door of her home labyrinth, a soft coral (Alcyonacea). I am guessing that she is female because I do not see the abdominal pouch where males keep a couple's young offspring. Spiny seahorses are considered vulnerable: populations are widespread but are in decline. They are threatened by habitat loss, as bycatch in shrimp fishing, and because of their use in traditional medicine. (Somehow sme

Ornate Ghost Pipefish, Solenostomus paradoxus : Female with Egg Pouch Ornate Ghost Pipefish are amazing masters of camouflage. This pair...

Ardeadoris angustolutea are widespread in the Indo-Pacific, ranging from the Marshall Islands to Thailand, and Australia to Japan.

This pipefish and his family group live amongst the tentacles of a solitary Sun Mushroom Coral.

This shrimp, and their partner, will care for the eggs until they hatch.

Purple-tipped nudibranch: Janolus savinkini

Chromodoris willani, aka Willani's Chromodoris Chromodoris willani is in the same genus as the Magnificent Chromodoris and has the same...