Shrimp in Sea Squirt

A commensal shrimp takes up residence inside a sea squirt.

Shrimp in Sea Squirt

A snapping shrimp has made a sea squirt its home. The sea squirt has been illuminated by shining a dive light through the sea squirt's side wall.

Shrimp in Sea Squirt

A commensal shrimp peeks out of a sea squirt to look at the divers.

Shrimp in Sea Squirt

Another shrimp from a bit farther away.

Nudibranch and Sea Squirt

Sea squirt - or ascidian - are animals with one end of the body fixed to rock, coral, or other solid surface.

Sponge Crab

Sponge Crab

Lionfish

Likely a juvenile Shortfin Lionfish.

Red Lionfish

Lionfish belongs to the scorpionfish family. It is native to Indo-Pacific. Lionfish have become invasive species in Florida and Caribbean, where they have no natural predators destroying up to 80% of existing fish species in a few weeks.

Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish do not attack divers, but their venomous spines can be lethal if you are not careful where you slam your hands.

Scorpionfish

While some scorpionfishes disguise themselves, some sport vivid colours.

Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish have venomous spines on their dorsal fins.

Moray Eel

Moray eels are shy creatures. They hide in crevices or bury themselves tail first into the sand.

Moray Eel

Moray eels do not attack divers unless provoked or by accident. Scuba divers have lost fingers while hand-feeding moray eels. Moray eels have poor eye sight and they rely on their sense of smell, which may make distinguishing between food and diver's fingers difficult.

Moray Eel

Moray eels have rear-hooked teeth. The grip is difficult to release even if the eel is dead.

Green Moray Eel

Garden Eel

Garden eels usually live in burrows on the sea floor. They tend to live in groups, and eel heads "growing" from the sea floor resemble plants in a garden. They vary greatly in color depending on the species involved.

Bubble Coral Shrimp

Tiger Crinoid Shrimp

Crinoid Shrimp

Soft Coral Crab

Candy crab.

Fairy Crab

Fairy Crab on a sponge.

Spotted Stingray

Most stingrays have one or more barbed stingers on the tail, which are used exclusively in self-defense.

Manta Ray

We hope that the manta in the photo does not mind being included in the collection of critters, but since they are awesome creatures, we had to include them anyway.

Manta Ray

There are more photos of Manta rays in Raja Ampat Photo Gallery.

Manta Ray

Manta Ray with scuba divers. Being a certified scuba diver offers you a chance to see some of the largest animals in the world up close.

Say Hi to Goby

Goby peeking out of its hole. Gobies usually live in symbiosis with shrimps: the shrimp digs a whole, keeps cleaning and perfoming other household duties. The goby keeps guard and if threatened, they both quickly retract into the hole.

Sea Spider

Sea Spider

Phyllodesmium Nudibranch

Nudibrach egg ribbon

Nudibranch lay their eggs in a ribbons, in different colours depending on species.

Octopus

An octopus hiding in the sand keeping an eye on the surroundings.

Flounder

(Wide-eyed?) Flounder

Flatfish, Soles and Flounders are placed in their families by location of their eyes. There are both left eye and right eye dominant families. Flatfish bury themselves in sand to hide from predators and use their eyes as periscopes as these can rotate 180 degrees. These fish are not flat when hatched but become so as they grow: their bodies flatten, and one eye migrates across the head next to the other eye.

Spider Crab

Sea Spider

Sea spiders are not 'true' spiders. More than 1300 species are known to exist.

Possibly Halgerda Batangas.

Polyclad Flatworm

Hancock's flatworm.

Polyclad Flatworm

Phyllidia Nudibranch

Phyllidia varicosa

Nudibrach - Halgerda bacalusia

Nudibranchs are slow moving, but they can swim or be propelled along either by muscular contraction or by millions of tiny hairs on the bottom of a fleshy 'foot'. They have a voracious appetite and feed with a rasp like tongue.

Sea Hare

Ornate Elysia

A sap-sucking sea slug. It resembles nudibranchs, but belongs to a different class of mollusks.

Nudibranch

Unidentified nudibranch probably from Glossodoris family.

Nudibranch

Hypselodoris maculosa.

Hypselodoris Nudibranch

Scorpionfish

There are hundreds of species of scorpionfish. Some are attractive with bright colours while others hide in disguise and wait for the prey to pass.

Stonefish

Stonefishes are scorpionfishes that masquerade as rocks. They usually swim away from scuba divers if they feel threatened but can strike extremely fast.

Crocodile fish

Crocodile fish - aka. Giant Flathead. Flatheads are closely related to Scorpionfish. Their eyes are covered by a tasselled curtain which helps to disguise them from predators. The tassels expand and contract with intensity of light.

Not yet identified fish. It looks a bit like a lionfish with spots.

Decorator Crab

Decorator Crabs stick sponges, anemones and plants to their bodies as camouflage.

Decorator Crab

Longnose Hawkfish

Spotted Boxfish

Boxfish can be found singly or in pairs on clear water reefs, slopes and shallow drop-off's with rich coral growth. Males and juveniles are brightly colored, females black with white spots.