Category: Image of the week

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Racing stripe flatworm

Racing stripe flatworm swims over Discosoma coral

Racing stripe flatworm {Pseudoceros bifurcus} on Discosoma sp. which is a corallimorph. There is a contrast between the colours of the flatworm and the coral. Malapascua, Philippines. November

Location & date

Chocolate Island, Malapascua, Philippines. 16th November 2014

Subject

The racing stripe flatworm Pseudoceros bifurcus is a ‘say what you see’ species. The distinctive white stripe with dark border easily identifies this species. This example has a cut, possibly a bite mark, on one side. This particular flatworm was moving fairly quickly over coral. Species of the Discosoma genus are corallimorphs, with large wide oral discs. The discs are often brightly coloured, as in this specimen. The colour comes from symbiotic algae.

About this image

At first glance this looked like a fast moving nudibranch. In tropical waters, flatworms are often similar in look to sea slugs. Often brightly coloured and slug-like in appearance, they move sinuously across the substrate. In this case I saw this racing stripe flatworm was moving across a particularly photogenic coral. The length of the flatworm made it difficult to get the whole thing in frame.

Camera setup

Nikon D800, 105 mm Nikon lens in a Nauticam NA-D800 housing with two Inon Z240 strobes.
ISO 100, f/22, 1/125 sec

More like this:

Marine invertebrates photography (on this site)

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Biodiversity of coral reefs

Coral reef scene in the Red Sea

Reef scene – Port Ghalib, Red Sea, June

Location & date

Emperor divers house reef at Palace and Sahara Sands Hotels, Marsa Alam, Egypt: 21st June 2014

Subject – Biodiversity of coral reefs

This image for me encapsulates the biodiversity of coral reefs in one picture. It is probably the most species I have ever crammed into one shot, and I would defy anyone to photograph more in any other environment than coral reefs. Below I have tried to identify most of them, but these are just the visible species. Many species of invertebrates and fish live within the crevices. The same scene photographed at night would look very different with invertebrates such as urchins, starfish, sea cucumbers, feather stars and crustaceans coming out to feed. Also fish such as parrot fish go to the reef to sleep in a cocoon. Even turtles might be present too.

Species in this photograph include:

Coralline red algae:
Sporolithon sp. (many similar species)

Sponges:
Various species including honeycomb sponge Crella cyathophora

Fire coral:
Millepora dichotoma

Soft corals:
Xenia umbellata
Anthelia glauca

Hard corals:
Porites sp.
Acropora sp. (multiple)
Coscinaraea monile

Fishes:
Longjawed squirrelfish Sargocentron spiniferum
Common lionfish Pterois miles
Juvenile barracuda Sphyraena sp.
Lyretail anthias Pseudanthias squamipinnis
Golden sweeper Parapriacanthus ransonneti
Arabian chromis Chromis flavaxilla
Various juvenile fish

About this image

This photograph was taken as part of my project on coral reefs. The location was a very busy house reef near Marsa Alam. Although it looks like a typical coral reef scene, views like this are sadly relatively rare. The section of reef in this photograph was the top of a small pinnacle, which serves as a nursery for small fish. There are also two lion fish against the table coral on the left. These are highly efficient ambush predators. Although it seems odd to see a top predator right in the midst of a nursery ground for some of its prey species, this can often happen on coral reefs.

Camera setup

Nikon D800, 16-35mm Nikon lens @16mm in a Nauticam NA-D800 housing with two Inon Z240 strobes
ISO 100, f/22, 1/125 sec

More like this:

Underwater photography section of this website, including a subsection on Coral reefs.

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Fluorescent coral polyps

Image under ultraviolet showing fluorescent coral polyps

Polyps of a reef building coral {Pocillopora sp.} fluoresce green under ultraviolet light.

Location & date

Wadi Lahami, Red Sea, Egypt: 23rd June 2014

Subject

Corals of the Pocillopora genus are some of the fastest growing on the coral reef, and are therefore an important part of the reef building process. They tend to be found in shallow water – this one was at about 5m on the reef edge. The fluorescent coral polyps contain zooxanthellae – symbiotic algae which provide the energy for growth through photosynthesis.

About this image

This was my first attempt at Ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence underwater photography. I was diving with Red Sea Diving Safari,  on a shallow night dive close to shore on Torfa house reef. Apart from creating eyecatching ‘different’ photographs, my interest in fluoro photography was mainly the conservation aspect. This technique is used by conservationists to assess the health of coral reefs. Healthy coral fluoresces at a different intensity to less healthy coral. By comparing the same species on healthy reefs and unhealthy reefs, conservationists can build up a pattern and start to predict when reefs are under stress, before mass bleaching events occur.

Camera setup

Nikon D800, 105 mm Nikon lens in a Nauticam NA-D800 housing with two Inon Z240 strobes (each with blue filter), Nauticam Super Macro Converter with orange filter.
ISO 100, f/14, 1/30 sec

More like this:

Red Sea portfolio gallery (on Toby Gibson Portfolio site)

Coral reefs portfolio gallery (on Toby Gibson Portfolio site)

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Skye Landscape – Old man of Storr

View from the Old Man of Storr

The old man of Storr overlooks the sea across to the Scottish Mainland. Evening sunset landscape. Skye, January.

Location & date

Isle of Skye, UK: 17th January 2014

Subject

The Isle of Skye is one of the most inspirational places in the UK for landscape photography. This is a view from the Old Man of Storr back towards the Scottish mainland. A few snow-peaked mountains can be seen in the distance.

About this image

This Skye landscape photograph was taken at the end of a trip to Skye and Mull with a couple of fellow students from the University of Nottingham. We were specifically photographing landscapes for a magazine project. After a fairly sharp walk up the side of the hill, we were rewarded with this view. The grassy landscape in the foreground really was that colour and velvety texture. The sun had just gone down, so I made the most of the ‘golden hour’, where the light is at its most even, and detail can be kept in the sky.

Camera setup

Nikon D800, 16-35 mm lens at 16mm
ISO 100, f/16. 1/6 sec. Tripod used.

More like this:

More Skye landscape photographs from this trip are available on my Portfolio website.

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Double-spined or banded sea urchin

The Double-spined urchin {Echinothrix calamaris} is fairly common in the Philippines and lives in rocky or coral crevices. The common name comes from the two distinct types of spine. Also known as the banded sea urchin. Malapasuca, Philippines, November.

The double-spined or banded sea-urchin Echinothrix calamaris

Location & date

Malapascua, Philippines: 14th November 2014

Subject

A close-up of the banded (or double-spined) sea urchin Echinothrix calamaris showing the translucent anal papilla (which looks like a glitter ball). The banded spines can clearly be seen, as well as the five naked areas of test forming a blue star pattern, which is a distinguishing feature. The banded sea urchin is distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and generally only comes out from rock or coral crevices during the night. However this individual was out in the open during the daytime. The smaller spines can produce a nasty sting.

About this image

I often see these sea urchins, even during the daytime, but had never really stopped to look really close up. I have usually been trying to avoid them, while photographing other species. I never noticed the beautiful pattern formed by the test and spines.

Camera setup

Nikon D800, 105mm in a Nauticam NA-D800 housing with two Inon Z240 strobes
ISO 100, f/16, 1/100 sec

More like this:

Malapascua 2014 Portfolio gallery (on Toby Gibson Portfolio site)

Gallery of Philippines wildlife (on this site)

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Coral reef scene in the Philippines

Soft coral scene with fish shoal in the background, Calanggaman, Malapascua, Philippines, November

Soft coral reef scene with shoal of fish in the background

Location & date

Malapascua, Philippines: 19th November 2014

Subject

A fish-eye view of a coral reef in Calanggaman island near Malapascua, Philippines. The soft coral in the foreground is Dendronephthya sp.

About this image

Calanggaman island is how you would imagine a tropical paradise island to look. Some of the coral reefs surrounding it have been designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and there are permanent rangers and regular patrols in the area. This means in conservation terms that the reefs have higher levels of fish life. Fish shoals like the one in the background of this image are regular occurrences on the reef. This, sadly, can not be said of all the reefs in this region.

Camera setup

Nikon D800, 15mm Sigma fisheye lens in a Nauticam NA-D800 housing with two Inon Z240 strobes
ISO 100, f/11, 1/125 sec

More like this:

Malapascua 2014 Portfolio gallery (on Toby Gibson Portfolio site)

Gallery of Philippines wildlife (on this site)