Mantle of a variable thorny oyster (Spondylus varians).
Nikonos RS SLR camera; Nikonos 50mm objective and Rene Aumann UW Services X2 teleconverter; two Nikonos S-105 strobes; Ektachrome VS 100 film; F16; 1/125s; TTL. Taken at: 15m depth; diving from MS. FeBrina. Trip organised by Chris Newbert of RS Tours. Shot on: 14:00 4 March 2004; overcast day, choppy water, no current. Spiny oysters cement themselves to walls and open reef faces and feed by filtering plankton. They also have zooxanthellae algae embedded in their flesh, which gives the remarkable colours and patterns of the mantle. This algae creates sugar through photosynthesis, which is an important second food source for the spiny oyster. Protected by orange tentacle eye-lashes a row of blue eyes (along the edge of each shell warns of coming danger, and the oyster then springs closed, so tight that no crack is visible. Often they will detect even the most stealthy diver/photographer well before they get close enough to admire the colours and patterns of the mantle. Even less likely is the chance of a second shot after the strobes fire their flash for a first image. They will then remain closed for a considerable time. The spines or thorns on the outside surfaces of the upper and lower shells catch debris and become little gardens for algae, sea-grasses and sponges, so when closed the shell is indistinguishable from the surrounding reef.
Size: 7859px × 5315px
Location: Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
Photo credit: © Malcolm Ross / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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