UPY 2025

UPY  Behaviour - Commended
'Whats for dinner'
Saeed Rashid

I was in the 'zone' photographing a clingfish in an urchin, when out of the corner of my eye there was a big kerfuffle. I looked around and saw a lizard fish dart away with something bright in its mouth. I knew exactly what had happened, the lizard fish had caught its supper. I have seen many photographs of this but never witnessed it myself. I managed to capture a series of six images of the side of the poor sweetlips fish being eaten alive. When all of a sudden the lizard fish turned to face me and I managed to catch up two more images, luckily one of them had both the predator and prays eyes pin sharp. It took only a few moments for the lizard fish to completely swallow its dinner and then the reef went back to normal, just like nothing had ever happened.

Judge's comment: Rarely seen, and even more rarely photographed with such precision. The moment of the hunt is captured perfectly and the judges all loved the colour contrast between the camouflaged predator and colourful prey. The gaping mouth of the sweetlips communicates its desperate situation.
Alex Mustard