Photostory

Deep Water

words by > Jonny Clark

Ocean Odyssey

*Taking a closer look at marine life with Phaidon’s famous underwater photographer, David Doubilet. Images are taken from two of his books, Water Light Time and Fish Face.

 

green turtle
Chelonia mydas This is the largest of all hard-shelled sea turtles, but it has a comparatively small head. Adult green turtles are unique among sea turtles in that they are herbivorous, feeding primarily on sea grasses and algae. An endangered species, the green turtle can live to be 70 years old and reaches sexual maturity anywhere between 11 and 59 years of life. That’s still a long way off for this little youngster.

 

sweet lips
Plectorhinchus
Found in coral reefs and rocky areas, this species is closely related to the snapper that you would fi nd on your plate. A very social animal, it lives in large shoals and varies in size from four inches to two feet. As it matures, the fi sh goes through a drastic change in coloration. Look carefully inside his mouth, and you will see a cleaner wrasse—a fi sh that cleans larger fish, making it a dermatologist of the sea.

 

spine-cheek anemonefish
Premnas biaculeatus
Also known as the tomato clownfish, this species is typically found hiding in coral reefs. With the ability to be unharmed by the stinging tentacles of the anenomes it hides in, this is a fi sh that has a perfect symbiosis with its environment.

 

black cod
Notothenia microlepidota
This handsome species is commercially fished, and for good reason—black cod tastes delicious. Weighing in at seven pounds and measuring up to two feet in length, this cold-water fi sh deals with the freezing temperatures of the ocean incredibly well, due to the antifreeze proteins in its blood.

 

anthias and sea fans
Found in tropical waters, the small, peaceful and beautiful fi sh known as anthias are mainly zooplankton feeders and live in large shoals. The sea fan is similar to the soft coral that you would fi nd in tropical waters—a colony can be several feet high, yet only a few inches thick. It is often brightly colored in purple, red or yellow.

yellow puffer fish
Arothron meleagris
With eyes that move independently of one another and the ability to fi ll itself with water to protrude the spikes on its skin, this fi sh is all about defense. If provoked, however, it can turn aggressive. These odd creatures are also beautiful and swim with a unique rowing action.

water light time & fish face

Photography by David Doubilet

Fish Face is available in paperback in November, $9.95. Water Light Time is available in paperback now, $29.95. Both books are published by Phaidon. www.phaidon.com