red widebodied pipefish, Sydney, Australia

This red wide-bodied pipefish (stigmatopora harastii) is a newly named species (November 2020), which has been observed only between Sydney and Jervis Bay (Australia's East Coast) over the past few years. It is very well camouflaged in red algae, taking expert eyes to spot it.
Because it is so well camouflaged, I wanted directional lighting to create contrast, and a black background to isolate the fish and its immediate environment (the red algae) from the rest of the reef. This was achieved using one snooted strobe, creating a narrow light beam.
This particular individual was photographed off Kurnell (south Sydney).