2017 Underwater Photographer of the Year

From 2017 Underwater Photographer of the Year I select this one as the best:

fish

It is, apparently, a Lionfish in its early larval stage. Here's my picture of a lionfish:

DSCN2295-lion-fish

Refs

* Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014
* Stoat-tastic

More like this

A follow up to the brilliantly successful the year in stoats: 2014. There can be no doubt about the picture of the year: If you're looking for a review of the climate-type events of the year then something like ATTP's will be of use. This is one post per month from me, chosen without specific…
I see I'm keeping up my habit of posts that are near-incomprehensible even to me after only a few months; its just like writing Perl. Anyway, here's my pick of the year, whilst we're in that grey quiet phase between Christmas and the New Year. Jan: Science (and the related Peer review) Feb: The…
It (it? Philippe Verdier, possibly-ex-weatherman) is all a bit silly, but here's a snapshot from the Torygraph if you like. Its the same old stuff: We are hostage to a planetary scandal over climate change – a war machine whose aim is to keep us in fear... I received a letter telling me not to…
This is really odd: there just might be a stable population of lionfish off the cost of Long Island. Many moons ago, I used to be a marine ecologist, and I would have never considered the notion that a tropical fish would be able to maintain an overwintering population even in Long Island Sound…

Very nice. Was your lionfish photograph taken while diving, or at an aquarium?

[I don't dive (too elaborate for my tastes). It's in the aquarium at Palma Mallorca. Which probably accounts for its somewhat disgruntled look -W]

By ...and Then Th… (not verified) on 15 Feb 2017 #permalink

It's all very nice. But the 2015 photo of the weasel on the woodpecker's back is still in a class of its own.

[Thanks for the reminder. I've added a ref -W]

..."in its early larval stage."

As opposed to the late larval stage, which is nearly impossible to distinguish, since these fish only shed their thin exoskeletons in the deep dark abyss, where even David Attenborough dare not go.

They also have compound eyes.

By The Very Rever… (not verified) on 15 Feb 2017 #permalink

Having discovered ichthyoplankton, I take that back - especially the part about Attenborough.

By The Very Rever… (not verified) on 15 Feb 2017 #permalink

You don't have to do proper diving to see lionfish. Not knowing it was dangerous, I cornered one while snorkelling only a metre or two down and got within a few inches of it. It looked at least as grumpy as your aquarium example. (And why wouldn't it? I was probably the stupidest snorkeller it had ever encountered.)

By Vinny Burgoo (not verified) on 15 Feb 2017 #permalink