Descending into pitch-black open ocean under the cover of inky skies can unnerve even experienced divers, but for underwater photographer Steven Kovacs, it’s a surprisingly addictive activity. “It’s like a treasure hunt. You never know what amazing creature will drift by or come up from the depths.”
While Kovacs has documented the strange and beautiful larval forms of many species during such dives, this opalescent lionfish fry (Pterois volitans) was a particularly arresting sight. Turning in slow circles at a depth of around 500 feet, the larval fish was — for the moment — a peaceful ocean drifter. In a matter of weeks, however, it would become a voracious predator primed to decimate nearby reef ecosystems.
If Atlantic coral reefs had a Most Wanted list, the invasive red lionfish would certainly be at the top. Native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the species first arrived in the United States ...
