Marine Life in Macro
The colorful appearance of marine life is the main reason why many people choose to maintain a salt water aquarium at home. Phenomena known as iridescence and fluorescence result in highly attractive marine fishes, corals and other invertebrates. When we examine these ocean dwellers in detail through a camera lens, a fascinating world is revealed to us, with the most elaborate structures and colors imaginable.
Fishes
It is no secret that marine fishes are amongst the most colorful creatures on earth. Both in the wild and in captivity, they are the first to attract the attention of the casual onlooker. Available in many forms and colors, they provide the aquarium with movement and fascinating behavior. The exquisite colors of fish (and of any other creature for that matter) serve to attract mates, fend off predators and competitors, or provide camouflage.
Scleractinian Corals
Amongst the most popular invertebrate animals in the aquarium hobby today are the stony or scleractinian corals. With their vibrant colors and diverse shapes, these often static animals are highly suitable models for close-up and macro photography. So too the species Stylophora pistillata (family Pocilloporidae), with its small polyps that come in shades of purple, pink, green and beige. These colors are matched with a brownish coenenchyme, a result of the symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) which occupy the coral’s tissue. S. pistillata is true lab rat, widely used in scientific studies, but it’s also a hardy and attractive species that grows well in the average aquarium.