Anthias Pillows

Never mind the 'anthias' ~ just look at this stunning backdrop... these fish are "rich in life!". Let's keep their coral that way ~ don't spoil their backdrop!!! :D o.O

This underwater photography by Ute Niemann shows colorful anthias (Pseudanthias huchtii, Red Cheeked Anthias, Perch) on a sun-drenched reef top. Such photographs make every diver's heart and viewer beat faster! I shot the underwater motive at Pescador Island | Peninsula Moalboal | Cebu | Philippines.

(Pseudanthias huchtii), the threadfin anthias or red cheek fairy basslet is a fish from the Western Central Pacific Ocean.

Even with a *fast shutter speed*, these brightly coloured female schooling Sudanese 'scalefin anthias' are difficult to capture by an underwater photographer... Using an array of focus points, made the capture easier, but even then - some of these little critters are just too 'skittish as a group' to pose for the camera...! Just at the time of taking the image a large male *photobombed* the camera, top right hand corner, adding to the image and its composition..!

Anthias Argus, The Argus. Mixed media. Done with newspaper texture. Perhaps thinking of fish and chips?

After the Freshwater Tank boardgame, created by Kaplan Crypto, people liked the fish designs from the game, and they wanted them as T-shirts and other products. Now, there are over 600 fish and invertebrates from the aquatic ecosystem waiting for you. Reefhorse was formed to sell Kaplan Crypto's many fish designs and has over 600 freshwater and saltwater fish designs in multiple high-quality apparel and accessories. Every day, Reefhorse adds new fish designs depending on the customers' needs.

After the Freshwater Tank boardgame, created by Kaplan Crypto, people liked the fish designs from the game, and they wanted them as T-shirts and other products. Now, there are over 600 fish and invertebrates from the aquatic ecosystem waiting for you. Reefhorse was formed to sell Kaplan Crypto's many fish designs and has over 600 freshwater and saltwater fish designs in multiple high-quality apparel and accessories. Every day, Reefhorse adds new fish designs depending on the customers' needs.

A cute pink squareback anthias swims its way pass some seagrass. An undersea background with a little hint of light rays coming through the water.

Anthias Sacer, The red Grunt. Done with newspaper texture.

Scomber regalis, The King's fish. Mixed media. Done with newspaper texture. Perhaps thinking of fish and chips?

Scomber Ductor, The Pilote-Fish. Mixed media. Done with newspaper texture. Perhaps thinking of fish and chips?

A dance of anthias school over the rocks whilst a marbled sea cucumber forages for food...

I was a police diver and a sports diver for many years. From all the Underwater video I took I produced enough paintings to have an Underwater Exhibition. This was the second painting I did of Ras Mohamed, but 4 times the size of the previous one 6 feet by 4 feet.

Seldom do beginner underwater photographers ~ look up! Even for more experienced and knowledgeable 'underwater cameramen' ~ there is a whole NEW World ~ which often gets ignored... The NEKTON! Nekton refers to the aggregate of actively swimming aquatic organisms in a body of water (usually oceans or lakes) able to move independently of water currents. The term nekton was coined in 1890 by Ernst Haeckel ~ and is rooted in the Greek adjective νηκτός nēktós ~ "the swimming". Looking up within the Nekton ~ a 'wave and wash' ~ of damsels, what seems to be anthias and also fusiliers. *large free swimming organisms* ~ DIVERS ~ drifting at 50 Degrees of separation ~ from the wreck!

A cute pink baby squareback anthias blows bubbles by some seagrass. An undersea background with a little hint of light rays coming through the water.

Having dived all over the world I still rate tge Red sea the best. This painting is typical of what you encounter. Great coral, and the little orange anthias.

Healthy coral reef with thousands of anthias

A 'fire coral' profuse with dancing 'anthias' with divers diving deep walls of the Sudanese waters sets an 'Ocean Vista'

Some conversations, you just remember... Whilst presenting at an event in Singapore, an interested passer by, overheard my conversation on photography and mentioned that he *'particularly liked underwater photo's with green in them'* ~ he mentioned that if you find something with green in it then shoot it..! I can't think of any underwater shot that better represents what he envisioned... So here you are Sir, *"Pure Green Milord with Lucky Gold Fish!"* :D

A small harem of lyretail anthia fish dance and dart around, courting the males around a stinging fire coral...

A red sea "grunt" or spiny squirrel-fish sits sheltered from predation awaiting dusk before cruising out from underneath this protective table coral to feed. These family of fishes (Holocentridae) are known to divers in the Western hemisphere as "grunts" due to their unusual form of communication, producing audible belly rubbing 'grunts' or 'grumbles' underwater... Beautifully situated under the seas of Sudan. Shadowed by table coral. A 'kiss of flash' - was used - to just 'tease out the colour' and freeze the action of the swirling thread-fin 'anthias' surrounding him.