FEATURES
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The fish at left stands out against the lighter waters above. At right the same fish—now with bioluminescent structures on its underside lit—blends in. Many deep sea creatures have evolved...
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Two bright orange anemonefish ( Amphiprion ocellaris ) poke their heads between...
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Editor's Note: See more information and details about the organisms displayed...
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Cardinalfish ( Cheilodipterus sp. ) dads do their part to protect their eggs by...
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May 8, 2013 - 9:26AM
The long barbel on the chin of this dragonfish ( Stomias boa ) has a glowing tip that may attract prey. With its large mouth and sharp, curved teeth, the fish makes quick work of any prey that venture too close. Scaly dragonfish...
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When we think "Africa," we think of the "Big Five"—lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and rhinos—that crisscross the...
MORE FISH
Nov 30 2012 - 9:24am
This guineafowl moray ( Gymnothorax meleagris ) is one of about 200 species of moray eels found in tropical and subtropical coral reefs . Moray eels are a type of bony fish. Many species, like this...
Jul 11 2011 - 2:17pm
Can painted wooden fish on a schoolyard fence change human behavior and help clean up the ocean for the real salmon? Stream of Dreams in British Columbia thinks so, and a lot of wooden fish and some...
Nov 22 2012 - 10:28am
The spotfin lionfish ( Pterois antennata ) , with venomous spines extended, is native to Indo-Pacific reefs, but has invaded reefs in Florida, the Caribbean and is moving up the Atlantic coast. It...
Aug 24 2012 - 8:46am
Blackdevil fish ( Melanocetus johnsonii ) are quintessential monsters from the deep . The female lurks in the dark, drawing in prey with her glowing lure, while the male attaches to her like a blood-...
Jul 25 2012 - 10:16am
A candy basslet ( Liopropoma carmabi ) was just one of the specimens Smithsonian scientists collected from the deep reefs of Curaçao , in the southern Caribbean. To study biodiversity far below the...
May 18 2012 - 1:34pm
Largely due to overfishing, the Southern Bluefin Tuna is listed as " critically endangered ." If its population continues to decline, the species faces the possibility of extinction. It's not alone...
Dec 31 2012 - 2:58pm
The deep-sea dragonfish ( Stomiidae ) , also called the barbeled dragonfish, uses it's fang-like teeth to grab prey in its deep-sea environment. Like other deep-sea organisms, dragonfish have...
Dec 14 2012 - 9:15am
A parrotfish ( Chlorurus sordidus ) creates a mucus cocoon to protect it from parasites, like bloodsucking isopods , while it sleeps. Read more from the Citizens at Sea blog .
Sep 19 2012 - 10:11am
The Sargassum frogfish Histrio histrio (Antennariidae) is a small but voracious predator - it can ingest animals up to it’s own size! The fins of the frogfish are perfect for creeping around in the...
Mar 11 2011 - 3:06pm
Dr. Carole Baldwin never expected to find seven new species of fish among the Starskia blennies she was studying at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. "My research team was using...
Jan 17 2013 - 9:20am
The whitish spots on this fish are individual parasitic trematode worms. Trematodes have complicated life cycles that usually involve multiple hosts -- often starting in a snail and then moving on to...
Aug 16 2011 - 2:31pm
A video of the Palauan primitive cave eel ( Protanguilla palau ) swimming in the Pacific off the Republic of Palau . Jiro Sakaue, a Japanese research diver, first discovered the new genus and species...
May 21 2012 - 5:22pm
Relatively slow moving, juvenile plane-head filefish Monacanthus hispidus (Monacanthidae) travel along with the algae. They pick off and eat small animals as they move around in the rotating...
Jan 26 2010 - 10:46am
Portrait of a yellow-green blennie ( family Clinidae ) hiding in the groove of a green brain coral.
Dec 17 2009 - 6:00pm
Scientists in the Division of Fishes at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History use X-ray imaging to study the complex bone structure and diversity of fish. This image gallery showcases...
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