Scimitar fish
This is actually a juvenile spotted drum (equetus punctatus), but the long, sleek, dorsal fin reminds me of a scimitar, and so wouldn't "scimitarfish" be an apt name?
Juvenile spotted drums are one of my favorite finds. They are not common (maybe one out of every 40 dives based on our dive log), they are tiny (1-2 cm from tip of nose to tail), they nervously swim back and forth undulating their tail, and, in particular, the shape of the dorsal fin is so distinctive among fish. Even the adult spotted drum lacks the long thin "scimitar". (Though, in fairness to who named the species, the adults do have spots that the juveniles lack.)
They are also a challenge to photograph because they usually are tucked low in the reef, often under ledges or in crevices. And they don't stay still - they tend to constantly circle around. This one was relatively out in the open, so I was determined to get a clean shot. I intentionally used a wide aperture to get the narrow depth of field. On this capture I think I got the eye and the dorsal fin on the same plane of focus and so it became a keeper!
Scimitar fish
This is actually a juvenile spotted drum (equetus punctatus), but the long, sleek, dorsal fin reminds me of a scimitar, and so wouldn't "scimitarfish" be an apt name?
Juvenile spotted drums are one of my favorite finds. They are not common (maybe one out of every 40 dives based on our dive log), they are tiny (1-2 cm from tip of nose to tail), they nervously swim back and forth undulating their tail, and, in particular, the shape of the dorsal fin is so distinctive among fish. Even the adult spotted drum lacks the long thin "scimitar". (Though, in fairness to who named the species, the adults do have spots that the juveniles lack.)
They are also a challenge to photograph because they usually are tucked low in the reef, often under ledges or in crevices. And they don't stay still - they tend to constantly circle around. This one was relatively out in the open, so I was determined to get a clean shot. I intentionally used a wide aperture to get the narrow depth of field. On this capture I think I got the eye and the dorsal fin on the same plane of focus and so it became a keeper!