The seasonal changes at the Izu Islands has brought in a wide range of unique animals. Who better to capture the influx of deepwater species and juvenile fish than pro photograpgher Tony Wu. In our correspondence with Tony he said it was like being a new diver again. The waters were full of new life [...]
The seasonal changes at the Izu Islands has brought in a wide range of unique animals. Who better to capture the influx of deepwater species and juvenile fish than pro photograpgher Tony Wu. In our correspondence with Tony he said it was like being a new diver again. The waters were full of new life and he was full of questions!
Two species that Tony photographed caught my eye. Take a look at this deepwater shrimp Lebbus ballsi, or in Japanese balsu-ibaramo-ebi. It brings new meaning to “peppermint shrimp” and is quite beautiful. Tony states L.ballsi usually lives near 120m, but during early spring often comes shallower to scuba depths.
The other photo that jumped out at me was this one showing a mated pair of Blacktail Triple fins (Spingerichthys bapturus), known in Japan as hime-ginpo, in their mating colors. The female is the vibrant marbled fish up front, while the male takes on a dark black head. Supposedly their normal coloration is rather drab, but this photo had me fooled.
These are just two of many stunning photographs of aquatic life rarely seen. Take a moment to visit Tony’s blog. Not only are his photographs stunning, but he provides vivid snapshots of local cultures while on his island adventures. For those of us land locked, it’s a great escape.
2 Comments
The fish are amazing…what beautiful coloration!
That shrimp is beautiful. I went to check out the site and got drawn in to the Ama diver article. Awesome site and some great photos.