{"id":123997,"date":"2025-10-15T16:34:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/123997\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T16:34:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:34:12","slug":"blackwater-photography-reveals-new-fish-anemone-interactions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/123997\/","title":{"rendered":"Blackwater photography reveals new fish-anemone interactions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-orange-filefish-with-Palythoa-polyp-larva-blackwater-photography-Rich-Collins.jpeg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-orange-filefish-with-Palythoa-polyp-larva-blackwater-photography-Rich-Collins.jpeg\" alt=\"Blackwater photography: A small transparent fish with its insides visible, holding a yellow worm-like creature in its mouth.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"960\" class=\"size-full wp-image-524632\"  \/><\/a>This is a juvenile orange filefish (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aluterus_schoepfii\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Aluterus schoepfii<\/a>) swimming while holding a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Palythoa\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Palythoa<\/a> polyp larva in its mouth. The fish was about 0.8 inches (20 mm) long. Co-author <a href=\"https:\/\/sfups.org\/photo-galleries\/richard-collins\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Rich Collins<\/a> took this photo in waters off Palm Beach, Florida. It\u2019s one of several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturettl.com\/an-introduction-to-blackwater-photography\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">blackwater photography<\/a> images that document juvenile fish carrying, or swimming with, larval polyps and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sea_anemone\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">anemones<\/a>. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rich_c_diver\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Rich Collins<\/a>. Used with permission.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Blackwater photography reveals juvenile fish<\/strong> carrying or swimming with larval anemones and polyps, likely for protection from predators.<\/li>\n<li><strong>This behavior is a newly discovered relationship<\/strong> between open-water juvenile fish and larval anemones and polyps.<\/li>\n<li><strong>These blackwater photos of everyday movements<\/strong> offer rare insights into the lives of deep-sea creatures at night.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Blackwater photography captures dark interactions<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturettl.com\/an-introduction-to-blackwater-photography\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Blackwater photography<\/a> divers are scuba divers who plunge into the ocean at night to photograph seldom-seen small sea creatures. They\u2019ve captured uniquely stunning undersea photos of wondrous marine organisms. And marine biologists have been studying these photos with great interest because they reveal new perspectives on ocean life. <\/p>\n<p>On October 7, 2025, scientists and divers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vims.edu\/newsandevents\/topstories\/2025\/blackwater-photos-suggest-new-symbiosis-between-fish-and-anemones.php\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a> they\u2019ve made a new discovery using these photos. They found that some juvenile fish carry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/Blackwaterphotogroup\/posts\/2112469452428846\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">larval tube anemones<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zoanthus_sociatus\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">button polyps<\/a> in their mouths, probably for protection against predators. They\u2019ve also documented juvenile fish swimming alongside larval <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sea_anemone\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">anemones<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sfups.org\/photo-galleries\/richard-collins\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Rich Collins<\/a> is a blackwater diver and photographer, as well as a co-author of the paper. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vims.edu\/newsandevents\/topstories\/2025\/blackwater-photos-suggest-new-symbiosis-between-fish-and-anemones.php\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Some species of vulnerable larval or juvenile fish use invertebrate species apparently for defensive purposes. They\u2019ll find something that\u2019s noxious or stingy, and they just carry it around.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The scientists and divers <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/jfb.70214\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">published<\/a> their findings in the <a href=\"https:\/\/authorservices.wiley.com\/Reviewers\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">peer-reviewed<\/a> Journal of Fish Biology on September 5, 2025.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-horse-eye-jack-with-larval-tube-anemone-blackwater-photography-Rich-Collins.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-horse-eye-jack-with-larval-tube-anemone-blackwater-photography-Rich-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"A silver fish nosing a round pink sea creature that has 9 very short radial tentacles.\" width=\"960\" height=\"960\" class=\"size-full wp-image-524631\"  \/><\/a>The paper authors think this is a horse-eye jack (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Horse-eye_jack\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Caranx latus<\/a>). The photographer, Rich Collins, saw it swimming with a larval <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tube-dwelling_anemone\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">tube anemone<\/a> in waters off Palm Beach, Florida. The fish was about 0.8 to 1.3 inches (20 to 33 mm) in length, while the tube anemone larva was about 0.2 inches (5 mm) wide. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rich_c_diver\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Rich Collins<\/a>. Used with permission.<br \/>\nFish and marine invertebrate interactions<\/p>\n<p>Some adult fish species <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sea_anemone#Mutualistic_relationships\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">associate<\/a> with anemones on the ocean floor. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clownfish\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">clownfish<\/a> live with anemones. The anemone, with its poisonous stinging tentacles, protects the clownfish from predators. In return, the anemone feeds on nutrients released by the clownfish\u2019s excrement. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, scientists have documented juvenile fish in open waters seeking refuge from predators by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Tf3XdtbqUKo\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">swimming very close<\/a> to large jellyfish and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Salp\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">salps<\/a>. Now, in this new study, the researchers have also documented juvenile <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Filefish\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">filefish<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Driftfish\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">driftfish<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pomfret\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">pomfrets<\/a>, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Horse-eye_jack\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">horse-eye jack<\/a> associated with larval <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tube-dwelling_anemone\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">tube anemones<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Palythoa\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Palythoa<\/a> polyps. They\u2019ve obtained images of juvenile fish carrying larval anemones or polyps in their mouths. Plus, they have photos of the fish swimming with larval anemones. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vims.edu\/about\/directory\/students\/afonso-g.php\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Gabriel Afonso<\/a>, the paper\u2019s lead author and a Ph.D. student at the William and Mary Virginia Institute of Marine Science, is studying this phenomenon. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vims.edu\/newsandevents\/topstories\/2025\/blackwater-photos-suggest-new-symbiosis-between-fish-and-anemones.php\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a>: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>As far as I know, this is the first relationship of an open water fish interacting physically with an anemone that looks to be carrying the invertebrate.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Based on these images, Afonso thinks this could be a newly discovered type of mutual benefit for the fish and anemone or polyp. He suggests that while the sting of a juvenile anemone or polyp is not powerful enough to kill a predator, it is a deterrent because it is unpalatable. Moreover, larval anemones and polyps carried by the juvenile fish can help the invertebrates disperse more widely in the ocean. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-Atlantic-pomfret-with-larval-tube-anemone-blackwater-photography-Linda-Ianniello.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-Atlantic-pomfret-with-larval-tube-anemone-blackwater-photography-Linda-Ianniello.jpg\" alt=\"A silver fish holding with its mouth a round pink sea creature by its short tentacles.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"size-full wp-image-524629\"  \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/lindaiphotography.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Linda Ianniello<\/a> photographed this juvenile Atlantic pomfret (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Atlantic_pomfret\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Brama brama<\/a>), which was between 0.2 to 0.26 inches (5 to 6.6 mm) in length, in waters off Palm Beach, Florida. It was holding a larval tube anemone in its mouth. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/lindaiphotography.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Linda Ianniello<\/a>. Used with permission.<br \/>\nThe largest migration on Earth<\/p>\n<p>Each night, many deep-sea animals undertake vertical migrations to the upper layer of the ocean. But when daylight dawns, they descend back to the depths. It\u2019s called <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Diel_vertical_migration\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">diel vertical migration<\/a>, often referred to as the largest migration on Earth. <\/p>\n<p>This migration is a complex phenomenon influenced by several factors, and it involves a wide range of sea creatures, from tiny <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zooplankton\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">zooplankton<\/a> to larger animals like small fish, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/crustacean\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">crustaceans<\/a> and jellyfish. Additionally, other migrators include the juvenile forms of marine animals such as <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cephalopod\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">cephalopods<\/a> (like octopus and squid) and large fish. <\/p>\n<p>External cues, such as changing light and temperatures, drive these vertical movements. However, there could also be internal cues directing the animals up and down the water column, such as body rhythms tied to an animal\u2019s genetics. But why do the animals do it? Most of them, scientists think, travel upward to feed on <a href=\"https:\/\/oceanservice.noaa.gov\/facts\/phyto.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">phytoplankton<\/a> \u2013 microscopic algae and cyanobacteria \u2013 at the ocean surface, under the cover of darkness to avoid predators. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-Atlantic-pomfret-with-Palythoa-polyp-larvae-blackwater-photography-Linda-Ianniello.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-Atlantic-pomfret-with-Palythoa-polyp-larvae-blackwater-photography-Linda-Ianniello.jpg\" alt=\"A silver fish holding a bright yellow worm-like creature almost as big as it is.\" width=\"1692\" height=\"1128\" class=\"size-full wp-image-524633\"  \/><\/a>Another juvenile Atlantic pomfret (Brama brama) photographed by Linda Ianniello in waters off Palm Beach, Florida. This fish, less than 0.2 inches (5 mm) long, was holding in its mouth a Palythoa polyp larva that was about 0.14 inches (3.5 mm) in length. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/lindaiphotography.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Linda Ianniello<\/a>. Used with permission.<br \/>\n Blackwater photography offers a new perspective on marine life<\/p>\n<p>Diel vertical migration provides an excellent opportunity for photographers to document these rarely seen migrating sea creatures. Most of these animals are tiny, requiring divers to use a technique called <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Macro_photography\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">macro photography<\/a> \u2013 extreme close-up photography \u2013 to capture their images. <\/p>\n<p>The photos used in this study were mostly taken in waters off Palm Beach, Florida. The divers were between 26 to 49 feet (8 to 15 meters) below the sea surface, in ocean depths between 548 to 748 feet (167 to 228 meters). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-spotted-driftfish-and-larval-tube-anemone-blackwater-photography-Linda-Ianniello.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Juvenile-spotted-driftfish-and-larval-tube-anemone-blackwater-photography-Linda-Ianniello.jpg\" alt=\"A tubular sea creature with a few long tentacles next to a silver fish with reddish markings.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-full wp-image-524630\"  \/><\/a>A juvenile spotted <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Driftfish\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">driftfish<\/a> (Ariomma regulus), about 0.4 inches (10 mm) long, swimming close to a larval tube anemone. Blackwater photographer Linda Ianniello captured this duo in waters off Palm Beach, Florida. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/lindaiphotography.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Linda Ianniello<\/a>. Used with permission.<\/p>\n<p>To get their closeup shots, the photographers featured in this article used Nikon <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">DSLR<\/a> cameras with 60 mm Nikkor micro (also known as macro) lenses. In addition, they placed the cameras in a waterproof housing and fitted them with lights and strobes to illuminate the animals.<\/p>\n<p>You can see more stunning blackwater photography at <a href=\"https:\/\/lindaiphotography.com\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Linda Ianniello\u2019s website<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rich_c_diver\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Rich Collins\u2019 Instagram<\/a> page. <\/p>\n<p>Bottom line: Scientists and divers using blackwater photography have documented some juvenile fish carrying, or swimming with, larval anemones and polyps.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/jfb.70214\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Source: Associations between fishes (Actinopterygii: Teleostei) and anthozoans (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia) in epipelagic waters based on in situ records<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vims.edu\/newsandevents\/topstories\/2025\/blackwater-photos-suggest-new-symbiosis-between-fish-and-anemones.php\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Via William &amp; Mary\u2019s Virginia Institute of Marine Science<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/earth\/3-snailfish-discovered-using-advanced-underwater-technology\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Read more: 3 snailfish discovered using advanced underwater technology<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>                    Shireen Gonzaga<br \/>\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/author\/shireengonzaga\/\" class=\"post-author-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">View Articles<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    About the Author:<\/p>\n<p>Shireen Gonzaga is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about natural history. She is also a technical editor at an astronomical observatory where she works on documentation for astronomers.<\/p>\n<p>                <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is a juvenile orange filefish (Aluterus schoepfii) swimming while holding a Palythoa polyp larva in its mouth.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":123998,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[6599,18,19,17,133],"class_list":{"0":"post-123997","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-earth","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-science"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}