Weird Creatures from Underneath by Alex Mustard

British wildlife photographer Alex Mustard has travelled the world snapping pictures of the weird and wonderful creatures found beneath the sea, from the denizens of the deep who never see light of day, to the strange sea life that populates the wider ocean.



via – telegraph.co.uk


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The stunning shots celebrate the startling variety of life to be found in the waters of the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and more


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Just off Indonesia a tiny pink pygmy seahorse camouflaged with its coral home appears startled to have been spotted…


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while nearby the bulging eyes of a reticulate stargazer peer from the seabed


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Elsewhere an emperor shrimp parades its bright colours as it hitches a lift on an equally eye-catching t-bar nudibranch and a paddle-flap scorpionfish reveals a face only a mother could loveAn emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) hitchhiking on a l


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Just as astonishing are the host of frogfish, from the prehistoric looking giant type…


A pair of giant frogfish (Antennarius commersoni). The male is the one on the left, while the female stands on the right behind the sponges (Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia).


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to the hairy variety – which certainly lives up to its name


In the the dive spot of Aer Prang in Indonesia this hairy frogfish (Antennarius striatus) waits for prey on the sand…


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when appropriate it uses its worm shaped lure to attract the prey


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Other funny fellows captured on camera by Alex include a pink anemonefish amongst its sea anemone home…


A pink anemonefish, aka pink skunk clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion), looks out from its host the magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica) in the Tropical West Pacific Ocean (Verde Island Passages, Philippines)


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and a brown sabretooth blenny emerging from a rather more unusual abode – a crushed can of coke


A brown sabretooth blenny (Petroscirtes lupus) in a discarded coke can (Sydney harbour, Australia)


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A nudibranch (Flabellina nobilis) feeding on a solitary hydroid (Tubularia indivisa). Note how the hydroid is bent back as it is pulled into the nudibranch’s mouth (Gulen, Bergen, Norway)


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A nudibranch (Limacia clavigera) searching for food on algae in the North East Atlantic Ocean (Gulen, Norway)


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A nudibranch (Mexichromis multituberculata) layings its eggs on discarded plastic bottle (Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia)


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A queen conch (Strombus gigas) extending its proboscis and stalked eyes at it moves across the sand by coral reef in the Caribbean Sea (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indie)


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Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia: A shorthead fangblenny (Petroscirtes breviceps) peeking out of the neck of a discarded bottle.


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Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia: A veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) shelters in an empty clam shell


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An orange painted frogfish (Antennarius pictus) – measuring the size of a golf-ball – waits to ambush prey disguised as a sponge (Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia)


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A backlit photograph of a paddle-flap scorpionfish (Rhinopias eschmeyeri) on rubble slope. (Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia)


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