The Jellyfish Hunter! So here we have a pelagic #nudibranch, #Phylliroe sp., who manages to capture #jellyfish & siphonophores. Shot using scuba, over water that’s ~2000’ deep, while drifting with the plankton at night, offshore from Kume, Okinawa. #pelagicnudibranch #blackwater #gug

#Lobsters go through an early life stage called #Phyllosoma where they’re planktonic, and they’re constantly on the lookout for a “life raft” - often something with stingy bits, like this muave stinger #jellyfish. #lobster #blackwaterdiving #deepseacreatures #gug

The #BlueButton, (Porpita porpita). It’s not a #jellyfish, but rather a colony of cooperating #hydroids. Shot using #scuba, while drifting in the open ocean at night. And yes, the lick test says it’s only mildly spicy. #bluebuttonjellyfish #porpitaporpita #blackwaterdiving

My image is up for a Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award! Vote on the 25 nominated images from the >61,000 submitted. www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-... A sargassum swimming crab on an unidentified species jelly in Indonesia that I shot in Nov2024

Imagine wearing a #jellyfish as a helmet!?! Well, that’s exactly what this juvenile jack is doing! Mostly immune to its sting, the jack has taken the jellyfish prisoner. Shot using #scuba, out over the deep abyss, drifting at night. #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #scubadiving #gug

The most beautiful #snail ever to exist! Many #marine snails go through an early life stage called #veliger, wherein they drift along with the #plankton before settling onto the sea floor as an adult. We call this, #sparkles #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #mollusk #gug

I’ve never seen so many people so happy on a dive! If you’ve never participated in an ocean cleanup, I promise, it’s the best feeling in the world. Bali needs it! Organized by OceanProsperity.org

Hey little bebeh Ornate Ghost Pipefish - what are you doing out here in the middle of the ocean in the middle of the night, drifting around with the plankton? Not something I’d expect to see out here! #ornateghostpipefish #blackwaterdiving #gugunderwater #kumejima #okinawa

When it comes to my Aliens Collection, the weirder the better - and few fish are weirder than the larval-stage #Lamprogrammus #cuskeel #deepsea #deepseacreatures #deepwater #deepseafish #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater

A male #cardinalfish rotates his brood of eggs. #mouthbrooder #mouthbrooding #bali #amed #amedbali #tulamben #tulambenbali #chrisgug #gug #gugunderwater

Opened my email today to find that two of my images were awarded in the ExposureOne Black & White Nature Photography Awards in the Professionals category! “Holy Waters” took Gold & my newest print release “Shall We Dance” took its first commendation, with a Nominated status.

Spent 30+ minutes with this giant #mimicoctopus - of the dozens (hundreds?) I’ve encountered, this might be the biggest, with a legspan of >2’! #octopus #thaumoctopusmimicus OK fine, I’ll tag #wunderpus just in case… #tulamben #amedbali #tulambenbali #bali #🐙 #gug #gugunderwater #chrisgug

Against All Odds From the SeaScapes Collection of fine art prints 96 X 48” The baby green sea turtle was only about an hour old in this photo! How to get the art: Standard sizes up to 96x48” on the website. Custom with our designers from 16x24” up to 250” at RCamm Art Gallery, via 📞, or email

A giant #Pteropod #seabutterfly, Corolla spectabilis, cruising through the nighttime open ocean. Shot in the wild, using scuba, while drifting out over the deep abyss, at night, off Okinawa. #corollaspectabilis #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #kumejima #okinawa #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater

My first hairy #shrimp!!! Suuuuuper stoked to see this rare holy grail species! The #hairyshrimp (Phycocaris simulans) aka the #AlgaeShrimp, is a nearly impossible to see tiny tiny tiny little varmint. #phycocarissimulans #🦐 #calimari #muckdiving #tulamben #tulambenbali #bali

Ever seen 🧨💥from underwater? That’s how we knew it was officially 2026! It’s not a competition to be first, but if it was, we’d win😜! At the end, see my FIRST PHOTOS OF 2026 - shot from 12:01am-12:53am, Bali Indonesia time (13 hours ahead of NY/Miami).

A quick clip of the first-ever sighting of a bony-eared assfish (#Acanthonus armatus) in Okinawa! #bonyearedassfish #assfish #acanthonusarmatus #deepseacreatures #deepseafish #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater

A larval-stage Brama pomfret clings to a ctenophore (comb jelly). #pomfret #brama #bramidae #larvalfish #ctenophore #combjelly #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug

I presume this is a type of Myctophidae lanternfish, but I’m not 100% sure. TL ~2.5cm Shot offshore from Palm Beach, FL in Feb2025 #lanternfish #myctophidae #deepseafish #fishlarvae #larvalfish #deepseacreatures #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater

A big, beautiful, bebeh whalefish, drifting with the plankton over the nighttime abyss. Body without the crazy “tapetail” is ~6cm #whalefish #tapetail #deepseafish #deepwater #deepsea #deepseacreatures #larvalfish #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater

#Ctenophores! There are soooo many types! Did you know some aren’t pelagic, but rather benthic, so the live on the bottom, or, in this case, attached to this sea star?!? The tentacles aren’t stingy, so yes, they’re safe to lick. 👅 #ctenophore #tulamben #gug #cheisgug #gugunderwater #fishnerd

You may trick all the predator fish into believing that you’re just a floating leaf, but I see you, bebeh #batfish! I was diving no deeper than 8’ from the surface, shooting all the plastic pollution from my post last week, and I spotted this little gem, just drifting along with all the debris.

The most Thanksgiving turkey-looking creature in the sea! This is the Pegasus #SeaMoth that I shot last week in #tulamben. Super easy to shoot, but impossible to shoot well - I still don’t have any shot of them that I’d call “good”. #pegasusseamoth #Eurypegasusdraconis #muckdiving #tulambenbali

“Flocean #2” From the Flocean Collection of abstract beachscape prints. 96” x 48” It’s rare that I get a private concert while installing my art! Call, email, or stop by in to the Lauderdale showroom and we’ll get that empty wall transformed into an elevated space filled with joyful ocean art!

Straight outta Arrakis Like the worm riders in Dune, an imperator shrimp rides atop of this 3” nudibranch. They’ve stayed together in the same spot for 4 weeks now! #nudibranch #symbiosis #imperatorshrimp #emperorshrimp #seaslug #gug #gugunderwater #chrisgug #tulamben #tulambenbali

The most common fish in the ocean in 2025. All shot on one dive last week, along with another hundred or so. There is no “away”.

I have a feeling that soon there is going to be a lot more of these little peanut-size #pelagic #heteropods! Everywhere I turned, there was another pair doing the horizontal no-pants romance dance. #heteropoda #seaangel #seabutterfly #blackwaterdiving #okinawa #gugunderwater #gug #mollusk

This little 1” goby chose the most beautiful spot for its home!

1st photo: what NOT to do with an underwater camera. 2nd photo: for context to explain what the heck is going on. #eel #moray #morayeel #gymnothorax #giantmoray #giantmorayreel #tulamben #tulambenbali #bali #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater

Finally downloaded the memory card from the past 8 days of shooting, and this is the very last frame, shot tonight while collecting my bonfire lights. #squid #cephalopod #tulamben #bali #gug

While I don’t think anyone has made a specific designation between “larval” and “adult”, in the moorish idol, I’m going to label this one “post-larval” #moorishidol #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #kumejima #okinawa #chrisgug #gug #gugunderwater

The most colorful #squid I’ve ever seen! And such a cooperative poser too! #🦑 #cephalopod #chromatophores #calamari #underwater #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #blackwatervideo #kumeisland #kumejima #okinawa #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug

Ctenophores, more commonly called comb jellies, are pretty much everywhere in all oceans, but they’re incredibly hard to see during the day. But at night... #combjelly #colloblasts #blackwaterdiving #blackwater #blackwaterphotography #okinawa #kume #kumejima #chrisgug #gug #gugunderwater

Crazy-looking larval cusk eel with an impressive external gut. We’re still not sure why having the intestines on the outside is advantageous, but there must be a good reason 🤔 TL ~2.5cm #cuskeel #larvalfish #deepseafish #deepseacreatures #blackwaterdiving #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug

How cute! This Bony-Eared Assfish has a pet amphipod! And yes, that’s the actual name of this this #fish - the bony-eared #assfish #Acanthonus armatus #cuskeel #bonyearedassfish #acanthonusarmatus #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #deepseafish #larvalfish #deepsea #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug

StarStruck From the SeaScapes Collection 60 x 40” Love the stone accent wall in this dining room! And it all comes together with a pop of color from the sea! Order standard sizes online, or call/email to discuss custom sizing, and if you’re in South FL, stop into the RCamm Art showroom in LbtS, FL

Jellyfish helmet! This larval-stage jack fish (aka trevally) is living inside the #jellyfish for protection against whatever might come his way. #jackfish #trevalley #jellyfish #🪼 #symbiosis #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater #okinawa #kume #kumejima

One of the smallest Armored Sea Robins that I’ve ever seen - its body a little larger than a pea. This is the same species featured in my Aliens Collection Print, “Alien #27”. #armoredsearobin #searobin #larvalfish #deepseafish #blackwaterdiving #gurnard #chrisgug #gug #gugunderwater

Here’s a weird one for ya - even by my standards! This #crab has a pair of #barnacles growing out of its forehead! This crab is in an early life stage known as #Megalopa #parasitism #symbiosis #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #okinawa #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug

The largest larval-stage #Lucibrotula corethromycter cusk eel I’ve ever seen! #cuskeel #larvalfish #deepseafish #deepsea #deepseacreatures #lucibrotula #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater #scubadiving #underwater

A young #argonaut #octopus (aka “paper #nautilus”) hitches a ride atop a muave stinger #jellyfish. #papernautilus #symbiosis #muavestinger #🐙 #🪼 #blackwater #blackwaterphotography #blackwaterdiving #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug #kumejima #okinawa #marinelife

A beautifully-crowned #Tonguefish larvae (#Cynoglossidae sp.), drifting with the #plankton in #Okinawa. Don’t worry - it gets more “tongue-y” as it gets to its adult stage. #flatfish #fishlarvae #deepseafish #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater

I slowed down this vid in the beginning, but let it get to its actual real speed - crazy! Admittedly, I kept wondering how this #polychaete #worm would be in a marinara sauce, covered in pecorino romano🤤 Shot in #Okinawa. #marineworm #polychaeteworm

First (and only) time seeing this species - and this doesn’t appear to be a larval-stage - perhaps a juvenile, just post-metamorphosis. #soapfish #larvalsoapfish #blackwater #blackwaterdiving #blackwaterphotography #chrisgug #gug #gugunderwater

I’ve watched this pair of #clownfish through two full breeding cycles over the past month and a half - as of yesterday morning, they’re empty nesters once again. It’s been cool documenting the whole process and watching the eggs develop. #anemone #tulamben #gug #chrisgug #gugunderwater

New print release in the Fish Faces Collection! “TURTLE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN”. See the full story behind the shot at gugunderwater.com/item/turtle-... Originally shot as a horizontal image, it’s quite flexible, so it also works well as a vertical, square, or panoramic crop.

I’ve never seen so many anemones in all my life! Every surface covered in anemones as far as the eye could see! . . #anemone #clownfish #anemonefish #emperorangelfish #tulamben #bali #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug

The weedy #rhinopias (Rhinopias frondosa) is a holy grail species for any fish nerd, and I returned to shoot this guy several days in a row. #rhinopiasfrondosa #weedyrhinopias #chrisgug #gug #gugunderwater

I mean…. It’s gotta tickle, right? A scarlet cleaner shrimp plays doctor with an emperor angelfish from last week. #cleaningstation #symbiosis #scarletcleanershrimp #emperorangelfish #tulamben #bali #chrisgug #gug #gugunderwater

This little 1” goby is caring for several clutches of eggs. The newest ones are more solid, while the most mature have little eyeballs and tails inside. She had glued all of them to this tunicate. #goby #gobywitheggs #gobyeggs #tulamben #chrisgug #gugunderwater #gug