HOME | DD
LazyDugong — Pygmy Seahorse of Walea
Published: 2009-04-17 17:51:19 +0000 UTC; Views: 1305; Favourites: 29; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description
Pygmy SeahorseHippocampus waleananus
This recently named species, has been found only in the Togian Island, East Sulawesi - Indonesia.
Average size, including the long tail: 18 mm.
Camera: Canon Eos 500
Lens: 100 mm macro
Strobe: Inon Z22
Film: Fuji Velvia 50 ASA
© COPYRIGHT NOTICE
The works contained in my gallery are copyright protected © All rights reserved. My works may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my personal written permission.
Related content
Comments: 19
its so adorable! the surrounding coral makes it stand out really well
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
The strobe light make the difference. With the natural light it's very hard to see this little guy!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
ooh interesting! sounds like a lot of equipment..?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Not really a lot, but everything made for underwater use, which means bigger, heavier and more expensive. It's better to have always some backup, because it's very easy to flood something and salt water makes a lot of damages very quickly.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Is that adorable? Or is it adorable?!
Beautiful shot!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Maybe 'she'? She's probably a female!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
haha okay. Rephrase:
"Is she adorable? Or is she adorable!!"
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I don't know where you're driving me...
SHE IS ADORABLE - STOP!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Yes, this is my favorite Pygmy Seahorse. The average size of body and head is about 6 mm (0'0-8/32"). Consider also that underwater, with the natural light, you don't see its colors and it has the same color of the guest soft coral on which it lives. So it's very difficult to spot and it was found, for the first time, only few years ago, by chance as always happens with these small critters.
In the last seven months five new species of Pygmy Seahorse have been officially named (this was the last one). I wonder how many species are still waiting to be discovered!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That is absolutely miniscule.
I would've expected something around two to three cm, not 6mm! You must've been amazingly lucky to find it as well!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That's why it's called "Pygmy"!
As with all mimetic species, at the beginning you need someone to show you them. But also in this way can be very difficult to see or recognize some species. After that, you learn to recognize the shape, the color, the size, where to focus your eyes and, with some exercise, to find new subjects by yourself, which is a great satisfaction too! While underwater, you miss all the details (they are too small) and colors of these small animals. The strobe light is too short, the water gives you false colors (already at a depth of 5 m you start missing the red. At 15/20 meters the red is dark brown, and you miss orange and yellow too). So a good macro has always a lot of surprises!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That does make it very difficult though, no? I mean, when I do photography, I carefully arrange my composition (unless they're holiday pics, ofcourse). You can't do that underwater.
Any special techniques?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Underwater you have to do everything very quickly, your air is never enough and you have to follow rules for your bottom time. Animals don't stop and smile, they are always scared, so you must be ready to shoot as soon as you (or they) get close enough, presetting focus and F number.
For macros is different, many species (like the nudibranchs) don't move very fast. So you have time for the composition, but only if the subject is in a good position: the first rule is do not touch or move the subject. A nudibranch on a dark and dirty sponge has a meaning, because probably it's feeding on that sponge. If you move it on a beautiful red coral, you can get a much better photo but without any scientific relevance. It's just a fake. Further more, you can't touch and damage the surroundings, the underwater habitat is very fragile. So, very often, to get close enough to the subject is a big problem and you can't do anything for your composition.
Special techniques? A good experience and knowledge of the marine species, good balance underwater, moving slowly, don't make too many bubbles and noise, anticipate the behavior of your subject. Waiting and, as always, be lucky!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Whoa, sounds difficult, I'm going to have to try this sometime. I like snorkelling and I've scuba-dived before, so I hope I'll be able to make at least one good photo.
I fear I'm not even going to come near your level though. It's fantastic.
PS. A colourful nudibranch on a dark and muddy sponge actually makes for a better photo than one of a nudibranch on an equally bright branch of coral. You get better focus on the nudibranch in the first photo.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
So, you're ready to try underwater photography! You can achieve good results with some experience. Let me know!
PS: I was making an example about not touching or moving the subjects, just to have a better background. Unfortunately very often the background is very poor, but anyhow it explains the habitat of the subject. I've seen local guides moving their findings in better places to help photographers, but this is always very wrong.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Sadly, it'll be a while before I get opportunity to do some good scuba diving. I may go to Socotra (near Yemen) soon-ish, but I haven't got a clue if there's good marine life there.
And yeah, I've heard moving marine animals is also destructive to said animals. Besides, I'd never touch a fish. You never know if they'll poison, electrocute or otherwise harm you.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Socotra has good marine life for sure. It has been off-limits for decades, so it should be pristine too.
It was famous for piracy till few years ago, but apparently the business moved to Somalia now.
I've been told that the nature on the island is interesting and worth exploring.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yeah, it's quite safe now. And the nature on the island certainly is unique in the way the Galapagos islands have unique nature. It's a beautiful island, but I haven't really looked if the seas around the islands are beautiful as well.
I'll just have to explore, and take a good camera.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0