An orange-lined triggerfish squares off against its own reflection in the camera port
UKDIVING
The wrath of the orangelined triggerfish
After the Thistlegorm , we headed south to Small Gobal Island and the Barge , the skeletal remains of a largely forgotten vessel that have become home to an unusual density of fish life . Scorpionfish , stonefish and giant moray eels haunt the featureless , sand-filled hull , and with a maximum depth of about 12 metres it ’ s an easy , sheltered dive .
I experienced a moment of personal triumph by finding the resident crocodilefish , more as a result of sheer luck than actual fieldcraft . These fish are at once a gift and a challenge for photographers . They remain rooted to the spot , confident in their camouflage , which in turn makes them tricky to separate – in pictures – from the substrate .
I had been hoping for an appearance by George , the snaggle-toothed giant moray unofficially seen as the King of the Barge . Instead , pretty much everyone ’ s personal space was invaded by a persistent orange-lined triggerfish , Balistapus undulate . I first became aware of it when my viewfinder was filled with a set of blurry orange lines , as the feisty fish faced off against my camera ’ s dome port .
Needless to say , had it been the larger titan triggerfish , I would have backed off with some haste . But this guy was about the size of my hand , and not liable to do any serious
A crocodilefish on the Barge . To find them , look for those camouflaged eyes
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