Little Cayman Island 1997

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  Tube Sponge with (Almost) Matching Blenny

  In 30 or 40 feet of water, these sponges are a fluorescent lime green that perfectly matches the stripe on the blenny and his "eyebrow." When the flash goes off, things are different: the sponge turns an orangish yellow with red light present, but the fish colors don't change that much. Color scientists call that a metameric match. I call it too bad.
  
  Nikon F4, 200mm Nikkor f/4 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/22, Kodak Royal Gold 100.
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  Jawfish

  Jawfish live in burrows, like fire gobies. They're not so skittish, though. When I was making this picture, I couldn't get the jawfish to get down in his hole by just approaching him with the camera ('course, I was using the 200). I finally got the idea of moving my left hand forward and back until I could get him in this position.
  
  The male jawfish incubates the eggs in his mouth, turning them over occasionally. I looked and looked for a jawfish with a mouthful of eggs, but had no luck. Oh, well, there's always next time...
  
  Nikon F4, 200mm Nikkor f/4 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/22, Kodak Royal Gold 100.
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  Sleeping Parrotfish Detail

  Okay, okay, so Chris Newbert thought of this first. When parrotfish sleep at night, they often secrete a mucous cocoon to protect themselves from small beasties. When they are thus protected and tucked up under a rock somewhere, they don't seem to react much to divers. A photographer can shine two bright modeling lights on them from a few inches away, take his time getting focused, bang off three or four pictures, and swim away, and the fish is none the wiser, except for possibly some strange dreams.
  
  Nikon F4, 200mm Nikkor f/4 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/22, Kodak Royal Gold 100.
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  Peacock Flounder

  Flounders have eyes that operate independently, looking like periscopes as they twist back and forth surveying the scene. I took up station on a sandy bottom right in front of this one, ooched forward over a few minutes time, and he let me get close enough for this picture. I have one with both eyes in the frame, but I don't like it near as well.
  
  Nikon F4, 200mm Nikkor f/4 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/11, Kodak Royal Gold 100.
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  Nassau Grouper and Cleaner Shrimp

  This Nassau grouper is waiting patiently while a group of Pedersen's cleaner shrimp eat parasites. This is a commensal relationship: the shrimp get fed, and the Grouper gets to be healthier. Sometimes you can see another fish waiting for a turn at the cleaning station.
  
  Nikon F4, 200mm Nikkor f/4 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/11, Kodak Royal Gold 100.
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  Crinoid

  I made this picture on a night dive. If you look carefully, you can see that the coral under the crinoid is feeding.
  
  Nikon F4, 200mm Nikkor f/4 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/16, Kodak Royal Gold 100.
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  Jellyfish

  Coming off the safety stop on the first dive on Little Cayman, I almost ran into this jellyfish. I put my strobes way out and aimed them towards the lens axis to get side lighting, and underexposed the water to get the deep blue color.
  
  Nikon F4, 105mm Nikkor f/2.8 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/11, 1/250, Kodak Royal Gold 100.
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  Diamond Blenny and Anemone

  This little guy is a diamond blenny, and this particular one hangs around an anemone on Bloody Bay Wall, at about 90 feet.
  
  Nikon F4, 200mm Nikkor f/4 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/22, Kodak Royal Gold 100.
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  Orange Ball Anenome

  Orange ball anemones aren't anemones at all. They're coralomorphs, a different family entirely. If you've looked at the Solomons pages, you'll note that anemone shrimp don't hang around much in anemones, but in mushroom coral, which also looks like an anemone, but isn't. If it's got sticky fingers, divers will call it an anemone. Anyway, orange ball anemones stay curled up during the day, but open like this at night. The diagonal slit in the upper center of the picture is the mouth.
  
  Nikon F4, 200mm Nikkor f/4 Macro lens, Aquatica Housing, 2 Ikelite AI/n strobes, f/16, Kodak Royal Gold 100.