The reef is full of dangers 🌊 The Orange-spotted Filefish has a wild trick—it smells like the coral it eats, fooling predators! Often seen in pairs, it’s double trouble. 🧡🐟 #CoralConnections #ReefMagic #OceanAdaptations

New paper out in Proceedings B @royalsociety.org‬ by our team and Brazilian collaborators! Mid-Atlantic islands act as natural evolutionary incubators and highlight how rare dispersal across soft barriers can spark speciation. DM me if you want the PDF! royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

#JMIH2025 kick off, here we go!

This Candy Basslet (Liopropoma carmabi)—which I photographed her in the Steinhart Aquarium’s Twilight Zone exhibit—is a vivid reminder of the hidden beauty thriving in mesophotic reefs. Rarely seen, but impossible to forget. 🌊🔦 #TwilightZoneExhibit #HiddenDepths

The Black-lined Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea helsdingenii) is common on sheltered reefs and estuaries throughout the Indo-Pacific. They are usually seen in pairs of small groups, and I was lucky to photographed these two here perfectly lined up! #ichthyology #NastyGoby #Indonesia

Our new paper reporting several new records of deep reef fishes in Australia's Coral Sea is out in Coral Reefs! Great team effort led by @kaithefishguy.bsky.social and including records made both by technical diving and ROVs. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The Gilded Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) is a common and widely distributed fish. But because it prefers deeper waters (usually below 40m) in places with a lot of current, it's rarely seen. I photographed this beautiful male in the Maldives at about 70m depth.

On #WorldOceansDay, let's celebrate the heartbeat of our oceans: 🦈 Sharks play a vital role in maintaining healthy marine #ecosystems. As some of the top predators, they help balance species below them in the food chain, keeping coral reefs vibrant and fish populations in check. 🐠 #saveoursharks

Today, we celebrate the vast blue heart of our planet—the oceans. Be mindful, be curious, and be bold in your efforts to protect them. Here’s to the beauty, power, and mystery of the oceans. 🌍💙 #WorldOceansDay #ProtectOurBluePlanet #OceanLove

SECOND HUGE bucket list 🪣 item attained: FINALLY getting to meet the incredible @coralreeffish.bsky.social and @divaamon.bsky.social at an @oceancensus.bsky.social Workshop this morning in Nice 🇫🇷!! My cup is full! 🌊 🦑 #OOSC

"Extinction of experience" in disciplines like ecology & paleobiology isn't just about fieldwork. It's also the loss of taxonomic expertise. Any focus on Big Data, divorced from knowledge of natural history, is a largely vacuous enterprise with limited capacity to generate meaningful insights. 🧪

These spawning hamlets that I photographed in Belize are a perfect reminder of the ocean's rhythms and resilience. This #WorldOceanWeek, let’s celebrate and protect the underwater wonders that sustain our planet. Every fish, every reef, every ripple matters. 🌍🌱

What Is Coral Bleaching, And Why Is It On The Rise? by @grrlscientist.bsky.social via #Substack #CoralBleaching🪸 #ClimateChange #SciComm🧪 substack.com/home/post/p-...

Super excited that my PhD research made it on the national news of my chosen home for the past four years! @royalsocietypublishing.org 🦀🧪🪸🌍 arab.news/bvtne

Kicking off World Ocean Week with one of the ocean’s most colorful powerhouses — the mantis shrimp! 🌊🦐💥 Let’s protect their home and all the magic beneath the waves. 💙 #WorldOceanWeek #MantisShrimp #ProtectOurOceans #OceanMagic

The Bicolor Basslet (Lipogramma klayi) is a Caribbean deep-reef basslet. I photographed this one at 90m depth off Roatán at its natural #mesophotic habitat. This species is very rarely seen, but common at depths between 80 and 110m. #Honduras #DeepReefBiodiversity

🌊🌿 Happy International #BiodiversityDay2025! 🌿🌊 Symbiotic relationships are everywhere; these partnerships keep ecosystems balanced, species thriving, and life interconnected in ways we’re still discovering. And that teaches us a powerful lesson: we are better together!

🌍 Coris atlantica is a beautiful wrasse common in oceanic islands of the tropical eastern Atlantic. Males often spread their fins and show off their colors to intimidate rivals and attract females. #ichthyology #biodiversity #SaoTome

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Wishing everyone a day full of vibrant colors and Mexican Caribbean vibes — just like this magnificent Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) that I photographed a couple of years ago in Cancún! 🌊🎉🇲🇽 #CincoDeMayo #Cancun #Explore

Meet the Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loriculus), one of the most stunning pygmy angelfishes in the world. I love the contrast between its bold red-orange body, black stripes, and electric blue markings on the fins. Found in shallow reefs of the central and south Pacific.

Hoping your day is as bright and beautiful as this Klunzinger's wrasse (Thalassoma rueppellii)! This species is only found in the Red Sea, and I photographed this one in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, home to some spectacular coral reefs. #PositiveVibes

From lots of color to no color at all! Meet the Midnight Angelfish (Centropyge nox). Yes, it's a real fish, and it's common in shallow coral-rich areas of the western Pacific. I photographed this one in Batangas, Philippines. #ichthyology

Crosshatch Triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento) sends everyone wishes of a very colorful and exciting week! #ichthyology #explore #scuba

Groppos (genus Grammatonotus) are only found in #mesophotic or deeper depths in the tropics. During our trip to the Marshall Islands I had the chance to photograph the beautiful G. xanthostigma at about 140m depth, and what a beauty it is! This was its first record to the region.

Staying in the Hawaii/Johnston area, here is another beautiful #mesophotic species that I photographed in Johnston Atoll: the Hawaiian Butterflyfish (Chaetodon tinkeri). This one is common at both places, rare in the Marshall Islands, and almost always found below 30m depth.

The beautiful Centropyge nahackyi is a very rare angelfish found only on deep reefs of Johnston Atoll and occasionally Hawaii. When I went to Johnston back in 2006 they were quite common below 35m depth, and, unlike other pygmy angelfishes, surprisingly easy to photograph!

The beautiful Headband Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mitratus) is found in deep reefs of the tropical Indian Ocean. They can be seen in some places as shallow as 20m depth, but are most common around 60m. I photographed this one at about 70m depth in Zanzibar. #mesophotic #ichthyology

Proud PhD Moment 🦀 My third PhD chapter is finally released to the world, and the cherry on the cake: My photo made the cover of the current #ProcB issue @royalsocietypublishing.org 🪸 check it out here: doi.org/10.1098/rspb... #CoralReefs #Biodiversity #Fluorescence #Symbiosis #Decapods

The Neopercularis Hogfish (Bodianus neopercularis) is a deep reef wrasse found in the Central Pacific. They are especially common in the Marshall Islands where I photographed this one at about 90m depth. #explore #mesophotic

Here is another beauty from the deep, the Yellow-crowned Butterflyfish (Chaetodon flavocoronatus). It's only found in deep reefs of the Mariana Islands, and I photographed these at about 100m depth, but they have been seen in caves as shallow as 30m. #ichthyology #explore

Did you know that coral reefs extend to depths of about 150m? The deeper communities are very different and poorly known with some of the most incredible fish I've ever seen. This one is Odontanthias katayamai that I photographed at about 140m depth in the Marshall Islands!

The Lemonpeel Angelfish (Centropyge flavissima) and its sister species (the Pearlscale Angelfish, C. volikii) hybridize where they co-occur. The hybrid is absolutely beautiful, with a color pattern that is intermediate between its parents! #ichthyology #explore

Trying to stay in the orange/white/black pattern as much as possible, here is one of my favorite butterflyfishes, the Hooded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon larvatus). It's found only in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and I photographed this one in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. #ichthyology

And now a very rare fish with a very rare color. The beautiful (Genicanthus personatus) only occurs in Hawaii, mostly in very deep reefs. As you go north along the Hawaiian chain you can see it shallower, but it's very hard to get there. #ichthyology

Baby Clown Coris (Coris aygula) are simply stunning. White is a rare color in fishes and the white/black/orange combination is simple and extremely beautiful at the same time. I've only ever seen one of these, in the Red Sea, need to come back to see more! #ichthyology

If you reviewed the National Nature Assessment Zero Order draft and/or if you were an author, save that copy as OSTP issued a stop work order for the NNA and the report is now down. www.globalchange.gov/our-work/nat...

Check our new publication on mesophotic reefs fishes in Cabo Verde!! Environmental and geographical drivers of reef fish beta diversity across the depth gradient doi.org/10.3354/meps... @cnrs.bsky.social @sorbonne-universite.fr @coralreeffish.bsky.social @underthepole.bsky.social

Meet Plectranthias raki, a beautiful new perchlet from #mesophotic reefs in the Maldives. The name raki roughly means "shy" in the Dhivehi language, and we chose it because these fish hide quickly when they see us! #ichthyology doi.org/10.3897/zook... @zookeys.pensoft.net @calacademy.bsky.social

Today's beautiful angel is the Regal Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus). The species is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific, but there is quite a bit of color difference between the Indian and Pacific populations. The Indian Ocean fish (my favorites) have much more yellow.

Time for another angel! Today's incredible beauty is the Blueface Angelfish (Pomacanthus xanthometopon). They are one of the largest angelfishes growing to about 40cm (16in) in length and are widely distributed in the tropical Indo-west Pacific. #ichthyology

Continuing with the angelfish theme, here is another one of my favorites, the Majestic Angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus). It's found in the western Pacific, mostly within the Coral Triangle, and it's always uncommon, so I photograph it every time I see it! #ichthyology

Here is another beautiful angelfish to brighten up the beginning of your year. This one is a teenager King Angelfish (Holocanthus passer); they are found in the tropical eastern Pacific and I photographed this one in the Galapagos. #ichthyology

New summary of 2 massive recent publications documenting the status and trends of sharks, rays, and chimaeras 🧪🦈🌎 @mongabay.bsky.social news.mongabay.com/2025/01/new-...

A common term that you will see for a #Marineprotectedarea that is protected on paper, with little actual protection is a "Paper #MPA." @coralreeffish.bsky.social has spoken a lot about this problem in the past. It's worth following him if you are concerned about this problem

May the New Year bring you all the spectacular fishes!

Adult Blue Tangs (Acanthurus coeruleus) are always blue, but their juveniles are yellow. However, some juveniles stay yellow for several months, while others change into their blue coloration weeks after settling on the reef. One thing is certain though, both are beautiful!

🌿 Calling all nature poets! Share your love for nature through poetry. Submit a poem to the #NatureOfOurTimes, a creative companion to the National Nature Assessment. Let’s blend science & art to inspire action. Deadline is coming - 1/15/25. Spread the word! 1 natureofourtimes.poetsforscience.org

End of the year news coverage (...from ABC 7 News in #SanFrancisco) about new species discovered in 2024 by the researchers from the California Academy of Sciences. Includes discussion of tropical fish "Chromis abadhah" described by @coralreeffish.bsky.social abc7news.com/post/califor...

Merry Fishmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! Also, there's still time to apply for a PhD with me and folks at the @nhm-london.bsky.social looking at tiny #fishes from the UK and beyond. Apply for this PhD @sotonoceanearth.bsky.social through www.findaphd.com/phds/project... and join #teamfish