Daisy corals (Alveopora spp.) frantically feeding.
Nikonos RS SLR camera; Nikonos 50mm objective and Rene Aumann UW Services X2 teleconverter; two Nikonos S-105 strobes; Ektachrome VS film; F16; 1/125s; TTL. Taken at: 18m depth; diving from MS. FeBrina. Trip organised by Chris Newbert of RS Tours. Shot on: 16:58 28 February 2005; overcast day, very choppy, no current. Daisy coral may look like a bunch of flowers, but as soon as they start feeding it is clear this is a colony of hyperactive animals. Their colours match the drab and turbid waters stirred up by surge and currents from a muddy sea-bed. Rich in nutrients and plankton, this stimulates the daisy coral into a feeding frenzy, Each polyp stretches out trying to get above its siblings and grasps with its 12 tentacles to catch passing food fragments, arching them towards the central slit of a mouth, before reaching out again for another handful.
Size: 8218px × 5313px
Location: Chuck's Bear, Kwato Island, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
Photo credit: © Malcolm Ross / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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