And the Sea

animalworld:

FLASHLIGHT FISH
Photoblepharon palpebratus
©courtneyplatt

From the Photographer: At 100 feet on a vertical wall at night [in Grand Cayman], my buddy and I turned off our dive lights and scanned the millions of bioluminescent lights for pairs that moved in unison… that would be a flashlight fish! Approaching with lights still off until I was very close I suddenly stunned the light sensitive fish with my lights, caught it in my left hand as it made for a hole in the reef and shot with right hand. It cuddled into my hand as if it found some sense of safety there. Flashlight fish are very rarely seen by divers due to their nocturnal behavior and habitat. Not many divers want to turn off their flashlights at 100 feet, on a vertical wall that drops to 6,000 feet, in the middle of the night. It’s kinda spooky. Shot on film back in the day and scanned.

Text and Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15030185@N05/1579619273/

Other posts:

Atolla Jellyfish and another

Eye Flash Squid

Predatory Ctenophore

(via ichthyologist)