Bold and Beautiful
Contributors' Picks from Around the WorldPublished in X-Ray Magazine
Issue 115, November 2022
Text and Photos by Michael Rothschild
To paraphrase George Washington, the best defense is a good offense. While many marine creatures protect themselves with camouflage or armor, others take an active stance, employing fangs and venom not as predators, but as reluctant prey.
Stinging anemones use nematocysts for defense and offense, but as in most societies, some individuals have special privileges. The anemonefish in Photo 1 enjoys immunity to this poison, keeping his friend clean of parasites in return.
Photo 2 shows a lionfish in the South Pacific where it is supposed to be, and not as an invasive species in the western hemisphere. These are great photographic subjects—dramatically beautiful and calm enough to pose as they drift by.
In Photo 3, we see the long tentacles of the mauve stinger. Fortunately, this one was in an area where divers tend to cover up thoroughly, so injuries are rare.
Finally, we have the most dangerous animal in the sea in Photo 4. His rebreather allows him to sneak up on prey in silence, making quick work of the slowest flatfish of the New Jersey shore. In this shot, however, he is using his weapon defensively, warding off a photographer who came too close for comfort.
Stinging anemones use nematocysts for defense and offense, but as in most societies, some individuals have special privileges. The anemonefish in Photo 1 enjoys immunity to this poison, keeping his friend clean of parasites in return.
Photo 2 shows a lionfish in the South Pacific where it is supposed to be, and not as an invasive species in the western hemisphere. These are great photographic subjects—dramatically beautiful and calm enough to pose as they drift by.
In Photo 3, we see the long tentacles of the mauve stinger. Fortunately, this one was in an area where divers tend to cover up thoroughly, so injuries are rare.
Finally, we have the most dangerous animal in the sea in Photo 4. His rebreather allows him to sneak up on prey in silence, making quick work of the slowest flatfish of the New Jersey shore. In this shot, however, he is using his weapon defensively, warding off a photographer who came too close for comfort.
