Striped eel catfish

by Darren

I was chatting to Louise last night about how there is much more danger under the water than over. For example, sea snake venom can be as much as ten times more poisonous than that of a black mamba. First aid involves a man with a plywood box and a black hat!

So it’s good that we have inoccuous bottom feeders like these striped eel catfish. I was enamoured by their behaviour cleaning the sand for food as they move along the bottom in an arrow shaped shoal. You may also have seen a shoal in the image of a diver I posted a day or two ago, and they are quite prevalent in the waters of the Philippines, especially at shallower depths.

Their simple appearance and behaviour is in contrast to the blue-ringed octopus, also found in the Philippines. I haven’t seen one but would love to. What both creatures have in common is that, like the sea snakes, their venom is deadly to humans. Not what you’d expect from either species.

Luckily, deploying venom is often troublesome for underwater life and therefore is used as a last resort. As with out of water encounters with wildlife, respecting and knowing your subject is the most important attribute needed of a photographer.

It’s the right way to behave towards the animal, it will make you a better photographer, and it might just save your life!