UPY 2026 Portrait - Runner Up

UPY 2026 Portrait - Runner Up
'Screaming Swallower'
Steven Kovacs

Every year off the coast of Florida, from late July to early October, Kali colubrina, a fish belonging to the family Chiasmodontidae and commonly known as snaketooth fishes or swallowers, makes an appearance during blackwater dives. Fish in this family are renowned for their ability to consume prey larger than themselves, with mouths and stomachs capable of expanding to accommodate prey up to twice their length and ten times their weight.
Once encountered, they are notoriously difficult to photograph, as they have the annoying habit of hanging upside down in the water column, looking straight down. I was very lucky one night to come across this beautiful individual, fully displaying its elegant fins. Being fairly cooperative, it allowed me to take a few portrait shots. While setting up one of these shots, it suddenly decided to yawn, and fortunately I was able to react quickly enough to capture this image.

Judge's comment: The enduring appeal of blackwater images was, in the early days, enough to grab our attention but now we need that extra ingredient to create a winning image and here is a good example. Perfectly composed and lit with the menacing yawn fast tracking it upwards.

Peter Rowlands