Q2-Spring-2016_Alert-Diver

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PARTING
SHOT
112 | SPRING 2016
8th
Place
LARVAL CUSK EEL
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
By Jeff Milisen
We spotted this larval cusk eel on
a blackwater dive off Kona. These
eels have many adaptations to
help them survive to adulthood, including fin spines
that increase their surface area to help keep them
from sinking into the abyss, a transparent body that
makes them harder to see and an external stomach to
promote nutrient consumption and enable this little
alien to grow as fast as possible. Eventually it will
grow to about 18 inches long and live on the slope of
the Big Island between 650 and 2,300 feet.
Canon EOS Rebel T1i, Canon 60mm macro lens,
1/160 sec @ f/10, ISO 200, Ikelite DS51 strobes (2),
Light and Motion 2000 lumen video lights (2), Ikelite
housing;