Tag: Sponge

A vivid red sponge grows in branching form from the reef, surrounded by small anthias in the backlight of the sun.
A diver explores a spectacular coral wall with vivid pink soft corals and orange sponges. Small anthias swim among the corals, while the intense colour richness of the reef is showcased in crystal-clear blue water.
A lushly encrusted vertical wall with soft corals, sponges, gorgonians and schools of small reef fish. An explosion of colour in orange, red and pink.
A crocodilefish (Papilloculiceps longiceps) lies well camouflaged on the encrusted wreck. A diver hovers in the background; orange sponges cover the wreck.
A colourful reef wall with a dominant red sea fan in the foreground, surrounded by vivid soft corals and sponges in pink, orange and yellow tones. The silhouette of a diver is visible in the deep blue water, while sunlight filters through from the surface.
A vivid red soft coral dominates the right side of a colourful reef scene, while small anthias hover in the blue water above. The reef displays a diverse growth structure with hard corals, sponges and various invertebrates in warm tones.
A magnificent coral formation with large red and pink gorgonians (sea fans) dominates this reef scene against deep blue water. The fan-shaped soft corals display their characteristic lattice structure and are complemented by vivid sponges and other sessile organisms.
A brownish-pink tube sponge colony with characteristic tubular openings presents itself against a dark background. The numerous tubes of various sizes show the typical growth form of these filter-feeding animals.
A vivid red fire sponge with its characteristic branching structure extends into the blue open water. Sun rays penetrate the clear water, creating a dramatic contrast between the red sponge and the brilliant blue background.
A male anthias swims in front of a vivid red sponge. The small fish displays the typical violet-pink tones and characteristic body shape of the anthias family with its forked tail.
A diver explores the anchor of the SS Thistlegorm wreck, encrusted with colourful corals and sponges. The metal structures are completely covered with marine growth, giving the wreck new colours in pink, orange and red.
The anchor chain of the SS Thistlegorm descends from the bow into the depths, densely encrusted with colourful soft corals, sponges and other sessile organisms. The sun shines through the deep blue water, creating dramatic lighting around the coral-covered ship structure.
A magnificent nudibranch on a vivid red sponge, photographed from below against the sun. An artistic composition.
A diver explores the anti-aircraft gun of the SS Thistlegorm wreck in deep blue water. The metal structure is densely encrusted with corals, sponges and other marine organisms, while small reef fish swim around the wreck.
A beautiful long-nosed hawkfish with its characteristic red-and-white checkered pattern and elongated first dorsal fin spines rests on a colourful reef structure. The fish displays its typical elongated snout and striking lattice pattern, positioned among corals and sponges.
A diver swims through a spectacular underwater cave or grotto whose ceiling is encrusted with colourful soft corals and sponges. The intense blue water and light falling from above create a dramatic atmosphere in this reef formation.
A colourful anthias swims in front of a vivid red sponge. The fish displays its typical violet-pink colouring with yellow accents and its characteristic green eye, while a small orange fish is visible in the background.
A colourful wreck section overgrown with magnificent soft corals in pink and violet hues. The wreck structure is densely colonised by various corals, including red sponges and other marine organisms, while blue water and sun rays illuminate the dramatic underwater scene.
A small nudibranch with a yellowish body and characteristic bluish-violet stripes crawls across a vivid red sponge surface. The elegant body shape and striking colour combination make this nudibranch a popular macro photography subject.
A magnificent pink soft coral extends its polyps in the deep blue of the ocean. The branching coral grows on a colourful reef substrate with yellow sponges and other corals, while small reef fish are visible in the background.
The image shows an impressive shipwreck on the seabed, whose gun barrel or cannon is heavily encrusted with colourful marine organisms. Red sponges and other sessile organisms have colonised the metal, creating a colourful contrast against the deep blue water.
A vibrant reef scene with a magnificent red gorgonian fan coral as the main subject, surrounded by various hard and soft corals. A vivid red sponge is prominently visible in the foreground, while the deep blue water in the background highlights the colour contrasts of the coral formation.
A heavily colonised wreck lies on the seabed, covered with corals and sponges in warm red and orange tones. Schools of small reef fish, including white and bluish species, swim around the wreck while the blue water is flooded with sunlight.
A vivid violet-blue wrasse swims over a coral-encrusted reef wall. The fish displays a characteristic intense lilac colouring and slender body shape, moving among the colourful coral growth of sponges and soft corals.
A magnificent soft coral dominates the scene with its extended pink-violet polyps swaying in the blue water of the reef. The coral grows on a mast of the wreck encrusted with colourful sponges and other marine organisms, while the deep blue water creates the typical underwater atmosphere in the background.
A colourful nudibranch with characteristic black-and-yellow striped gills crawls over an encrusted reef substrate. The nudibranch displays its typical cerata (dorsal projections) and is surrounded by sponges, corals and other reef organisms.
A giant moray with open mouth hides among colourful soft corals and sponges on the reef. In the background, a school of yellow reef fish swims through the crystal-clear blue water.
A diver explores a heavily colonised shipwreck on the seabed. The wreck is completely covered with colourful corals, sponges and other marine organisms, showing it has served as an artificial reef for some time.
A crocodilefish lies on the deck of a sunken shipwreck that has become an artificial reef, encrusted with colourful soft corals and sponges. Various tropical reef fish swim in the blue water while the wreck structure is completely covered with marine growth.
A vibrant coral reef scene with various hard and soft corals, including branching stony corals and orange-red sponges. Among the corals swim small orange-yellow reef fish typical of tropical coral reefs.
A perfectly camouflaged stonefish rests motionlessly on the reef floor, surrounded by colourful coral encrustations and sponges. The warty skin and irregular body shape make it nearly invisible in its surroundings — a true master of camouflage.
A colourful reef scene shows various nudibranchs on a substrate covered with sponges and corals. At the centre, white translucent nudibranchs with black spots and characteristic gill tufts are visible, surrounded by vivid orange and red sponges.
A red-and-white striped longnose hawkfish sits in a gorgonian. The small reef fish displays its characteristic elongated body shape and striking striped pattern as it navigates among yellow sponges and orange corals.
A pink frogfish sits among light-blue sponges, lying in ambush for its prey.
A hermit crab with a vivid red body has settled into a whitish snail shell and sits atop a hard coral. The long antennae of the crab are clearly visible as it moves across the structured reef floor.
A juvenile whitetip reef shark rests on the sandy seafloor beneath a reef overhang adorned with colourful corals and sponges, displaying the typical daytime resting behaviour of this species in sheltered areas.
A magnificent mantis shrimp with its characteristic large compound eyes and vivid red raptorial claws poses in a reef crevice. The complex eyes and powerful appendages are clearly recognisable as the animal seeks shelter among colourful corals and sponges.
A magnificent Nembrotha nudibranch with characteristic turquoise-blue gills and orange-and-black rhinophores crawls over orange sponges. The sea slug displays its typical folded dorsal appendages in vivid blue and black tones.
An orange-yellow frogfish (Antennariidae) sits camouflaged among sponges and coral growth on the seafloor. The small, rounded animal with its characteristic knobbly body shape and clearly visible eyes shows perfect adaptation to its environment.
A tiny violet nudibranch with orange projections sits on a pale sponge or coral. The delicate nudibranch displays its characteristic cerata and is a perfect example of the fascinating microfauna of the reefs. A human thumb is included for scale.
A perfectly camouflaged frogfish sits among colourful corals and sponges on the reef. The animal demonstrates its impressive ability to camouflage by mimicking the colour and texture of its surroundings, making it nearly invisible.
A delicate Pseudoceros flatworm with a bluish-white body and characteristic orange-red lines crawls over a vivid red sponge. The elegant marine flatworm displays its typical elongated form and coloured markings.
The image shows a hairy squat lobster, scientifically known as Lauriea siagiani. They are characterised by their vivid pink or violet colour and a dense covering of white hairs. They are often found on giant barrel sponges, where they filter nutrients from the water.
The image shows a Nembrotha chamberlaini, a species of colourful sea slug from the order Nudibranchia. These sea slugs have a cream-coloured body with prominent brown spots and are distinguished by striking, vivid red tentacles (rhinophores) and gills.
A small reddish shrimp sits on an orange sponge or coral. The shrimp displays the characteristic long antennae and transparent body parts typical of many cleaner shrimps.
A colourful reef scene with vivid pink and violet soft corals and yellow and orange sponges. The various coral species form a dense, vivid covering on the reef slope against deep blue water.
A magnificent reef scene with vivid pink gorgonians (sea fans) spreading elegantly in the blue water. The soft corals form a vibrant reef community together with colourful sponges and other corals, while small reef fish swim in the background.
A colourful reef scene with vivid violet soft corals, orange sponges and various other sessile organisms. The soft corals dominate the scene with their extended polyps, while orange sponges and other reef dwellers form a vibrant underwater landscape.
A colourful reef with lush growth of soft corals, sponges and other invertebrates. The reef is densely covered with violet, orange and yellow organisms, while the deep blue water is visible in the background.
A diver hovers over a vividly coloured coral reef with bright pink soft corals and yellowish sponges or corals. The scene shows the typical underwater landscape of a tropical reef with crystal-clear, deep blue water and dramatic lighting.
A colourful reef scene with vivid orange sponges and violet-pink gorgonians against deep blue water. The soft corals unfurl their delicate polyps in the current and together with the sponges form a magnificent Mediterranean reef habitat.
A colourful reef scene with vivid violet soft corals and yellow-orange sponges densely covering a coral boulder. In the background, a small reef fish swims through the crystal-clear blue water.