A solitary ghost fish. These shy fish hide in soft corals or crinoids. Hidden beneath the surface of the sea, fish lead secret lives. Even in the calmest conditions we cannot see fish swimming around reefs as clearly as we can see birds flying in the sky. Investigation into the lives of fish has, historically, been through fishing, and only in the last 40 years, with the growth of scuba diving, have people been able to witness fish in their natural environment.
Many fish are exquisitely beautiful.
Whether gaudy or subdued, outrageous or subtle, fish have no earthly rival in their brilliant displays of colour and design. The Bat fish has a tiny mouth compared to its body size. It glides through the water feeding on plankton. The parrot fish is one of the most colourful of the reef's inhatitants. A well camouflaged stone fish awaits its next meal.