id: 13370546
A crinoid shrimp (Laomenes amboinensis) lives among the arms of its host, a feather star (Class Crinoidea). The shrimp relies on precise colour and pattern matching to remain camouflaged while feeding on particles carried by the current, using the feather star both as shelter and as a feeding platform. This close association represents a highly specialized survival strategy and a clear example of host-specific mimicry on coral reefs. This image is especially meaningful to me, as I had planned it for a long time. I used a Nauticam EMWL 160º wet lens to create a CFWA perspective that cannot be achieved with a conventional macro lens alone, allowing a POV representation from the scale of the subject. The photograph was taken in Tulamben without assistance from a dive guide and without disturbing either the shrimp or its host. Achieving this image required many dives over several weeks, waiting for the right feather star, shrimp, and precise positioning.
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