Magnus Lundgren
Jellifish Mimicry
Duo of African pompano, Philippines, 2019
Category - Ocean Worlds
African pompano or threadfin trevally (Alectis ciliaris) is a true cosmopolitan species found in tropical oceans around the globe. Adult individuals measure around 130 cm and often hunt along the coastlines, while the juveniles live in the open ocean. They can be recognised by the long filaments on their gleaming blue fins, which resemble the stinging tentacles of a jellyfish, a mimicry that allows them to avoid predators. I found these two African pompanos on a night dive at Verde Island Passage, in Balayan Bay, Luzon, Philippines. The duo seemed to be performing a languorous underwater dance-like ritual. Swimming around each other, I was able to take this photo just as their bodies and fins aligned in a lovely parallel motion.
60 mm f/2.8 Lens - 1/250 sec at f/13 ISO 400