UPY 2025

UPY  Macro - Commended
'Goosefish'
Steven Kovacs

The thrill of blackwater diving, drifting out in the open ocean at night over very deep water, is the hunt for something strange and unusual coming up from the depths or drifting by. Something that has possibly never been seen before. On one such night I couldn't believe my eyes when my efforts paid off and I was lucky to spot this strange little fish off the coast of Florida. I immediately knew it was a larval Goosefish, Lophoides species, as I had previously seen 2 different species, but none with such incredible color and such a comical appearance. Very small with a body size of just over 1cm, the challenge was to try and capture an image as it twisted and turned in every direction, trying its best not to look like a fish. Fortunately on this night I was able to produce a decent result.

Judge's comment: First of all you think that the image is just another blackwater shot. But having a closer look led us all to the conclusion that this little, cute critter deserves more! For me it totally looks like Minion, the small fish in the movie 'Megamind'. - Tobias Friedrich