Sony F-717 digital
Sunpak MZ4400AF flash off-camera
9.7mm (Macro) at f8
1/125 at ISO 100

Blowing you a kiss
northern pipefish Syngnathus fuscus portrait

Near as I could tell, at only certain times of the year could northern pipefish (Syngnathus fuscus) be found in the lagoon, usually the spring and early summer. I never determined why this is, but it may be because they consider the lagoon their breeding ground. I know that I had caught several males with an extended breeding pouch – pipefish, like their close relatives the seahorses, have the male carrying the young during incubation, after the female deposits the eggs in his pouch.

northern pipefish Syngnathus fuscus profileThey tend to be 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) in length, which actually makes getting a full-body image rather hard, because at closeup magnifications, the depth-of-field doesn't extend even remotely that far. So it requires having them perfectly flat to the camera, perpendicular to the lens, and since they're squirmy little buggers, they won't hold a pose. In the above case, I simply opted for a cute look, and a good view of the tubelike mouth.