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Ocean Portal by The Smithsonian Institution

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PHOTO Fish Using Counterillumination The fish at left stands out against the lighter waters above. At right the same fish—now with bioluminescent structures on its underside lit—blends in. Many deep sea creatures have evolved t...MORE PHOTOS


	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Anemonefish in their Host Anemone Two bright orange anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) poke their heads between an...
	BLOG POST MORE STORIES Uncovering Biodiversity Before It Disappears Editor's Note: See more information and details about the organisms displayed in...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Cardinalfish Dad with a Mouthful of Eggs Cardinalfish (Cheilodipterus sp.) dads do their part to protect their eggs by gi...

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					Scaly Dragonfish May 8, 2013 - 9:26AMThe long barbel on the chin of this dragonfish (Stomias boa) has a glowing tip that may attract prey. With its large mouth and sharp, curved teeth, the fish makes quick work of any prey that venture too close. Scaly dragonfish...

Seven New Fish Discovered

Apr 25, 2013 - 8:06AM

Starksia blennies, small fish with elongated bodies, generally native to...

A School of Hawaiian Squirrelfish

Apr 10, 2013 - 9:03AM

Check out the eyes on these Hawaiian squirrelfish (Sargocentron...

SPOTLIGHT


The Big Five of the Ocean: Exploring the Waters of East Africa A whale shark swims with a diver off the coast of Southern Mozambique. Photo: Caine Delacy. When we think "Africa," we think...

Adolf’s Eelpout Jan 6 2011 - 4:34pm Scientists are excited when they discover an animal where they had never seen it before. This eelpout fish, Lycodes adolfi, was seen on the Pacific side of the Arctic in 2009. Previously, scientists had thought it was only found on the Atlantic side.	Weedy Seadragon, Flinders pier, Flinders, Victoria, Australia Mar 25 2013 - 8:55am Weedy seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) are found off the coast of south and east Australia. Just like seahorses, the male seadragon is tasked with caring for its eggs. The bright pink eggs are placed by the female on a brood patch on the underside of the male where they are incubated and then...
A School of Hawaiian Squirrelfish Apr 10 2013 - 9:03am Check out the eyes on these Hawaiian squirrelfish (Sargocentron xantherythrum)! Because squirrelfish are almost entirely nocturnal, they need big eyes to absorb as much moonlight and starlight as they can in the dark. During the day, they hide out in the nooks and crannies of tropical coral reefs....	Protected Pigfish and Mao-Mao School Mar 13 2013 - 7:21am Red Pigfish (Bodianus unimaculatus) and Blue Mao-Mao (Scorpis violacea) school at the edge of a cavern in New Zealand's Poor Knights Islands. Read photographer Brian Skerry's story behind this photo on the Ocean Portal blog.
Sea Toad Jul 8 2011 - 10:05am This fish belongs to a group of anglerfishes known as lophiiformes. This species, along with other anglerfishes, has a modified dorsal-fin spine, usually on the tip of the snout, which serves as a lure for capturing prey. Researchers with the Smithsonian's Deep Reef Observation Project snapped this...	Sockeye Salmon, Adams River, British Columbia, Canada Jun 21 2011 - 1:58pm “Every four years, sockeyes come inland from the Pacific to spawn. The year 2010 was the largest run in 100 years, reaching more than 30 million fish. On this day, I waited for the right sunlight, then quietly slipped into the river. Fighting the rush of the current, I positioned myself in front of...
Hawaii’s Maro Coral Reef Sep 28 2012 - 10:35am This bluefin trevally is lucky to call Hawaii’s Maro Coral Reef, part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, its home. Maro is the largest reef in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands and just one of the many marine ecosystems protected in the 140,000 square miles of...	Three-spot Frogfish Apr 1 2013 - 9:36am The three-spot frogfish (Lophiocharon trisignatus), seen here off the coast of Western Australia, looks like it might just be a rock or a part of the sea floor! Frogfish use various methods of camouflage such as their rough shape, color changes and even inflation to hide from their predators. The...
Dragonfish from Australia Aug 6 2012 - 10:05am Deep-sea species like this dragonfish (Bathophilus indicus) live in cold, dark waters and may go weeks or months between meals. When food is found, the fish uses its impressive teeth—including some on its tongue—to get a tight grip on its prey.	Fish Using Counterillumination Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am The fish at left stands out against the lighter waters above. At right the same fish—now with bioluminescent structures on its underside lit—blends in. Many deep sea creatures have evolved this adaptation (known as counterillumination), which enables them to hide in an environment with few hiding...
Pacific Hagfish Oct 17 2012 - 10:49am The Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii), a fish that looks similar to an eel, has no jaw and is totally blind. They find food, often dead fish, through a specialized sense of smell and, because they can absorb nutrients through their skin, can eat by just burrowing into a dead carcass.	Australian Fish and Cuttlefish Jul 9 2010 - 12:22pm Dampier was not able to collect specimens of fishes and other ocean life. But he had his shipboard artist carefully record the species that Dampier found new and unusual.
Sweetlips, Raja Ampat, Indonesia Mar 18 2013 - 8:38am The larger fish in this picture are called sweetlips (Plectorhinchus) because of their big, fleshy lips. There are over thirty species of sweetlips, which tend to live on coral reefs in small groups.	Catching Salmon Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Fish spears and fish weirs—fish traps placed in rivers—are traditional ways of catching salmon on rivers. More about raven spirit can be found in our Raven Spirit featured story.
The Big Five of the Ocean: Exploring the Waters of East Africa Nov 21 2012 - 11:25am A whale shark swims with a diver off the coast of Southern Mozambique. Photo: Caine Delacy. When we think "Africa," we think of the "Big Five"—lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and rhinos—that crisscross the African Savannah. Few would imagine that there could be more natural beauty on offer. But...	Uncovering Biodiversity Before It Disappears Aug 22 2012 - 5:25pm Editor's Note: See more information and details about the organisms displayed in the slideshow here. Researchers who come to Curaçao to take part in DROP (Deep Reef Observation Project) aren’t running on sleep; they’re running on passion, curiosity and a drive to not waste a moment of...