Some fishes

Truly excellent fish photography requires skill, time, and long-suffering dive buddies that I don't particularly have the luxury of at this time. From what I understand, dedicated fish photographers might spend an entire dive, or several, with their desired fish subject, allowing the fish time to get acclimatized, completing small challenges to gain the fish's trust, meeting the fish's family, etc., before snapping that perfect up-close portrait.

As I've bumbled around doing my best not to enrage buddies who are trying to do science or see more than one coral head, a handful of fishes have deigned to let me approach and capture more than their blurred, retreating tails; here's a collection of my favorites.

Singular bannerfish (Heniochus singularis), Blue Corner

Scribbled pipefish (Corythoichthys intestinalis), Sam's dock

Crocodilefish (Papiloculiceps longiceps), Sam's Dock

Detail from same fish: the branched papilla camouflage its eye.

Spotted sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides) and cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus), Virgin Blue Hole

Pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis), Turtle Cove

Blue-spotted puffer (Arothron caeruleopunctatus), Blue Corner

Same as above

Fire dartfish (Nemateleotris magifica), Blue Corner

Trumpetfish (Aulostomus chinensis), Siaes Corner

Two-spot snapper (Lutjanus biguttatus), Siaes Corner

Indian dascyllus (Dascyllus carneus), Siaes Corner

Six-barred angelfish (Pomacanthus sexstriatus), Siaes Corner

Pennant bannerfish (Heniochus chrysostomus), Ulong Channel

Oval butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus), Ulong Channel

Bigeye emperor (Monotaxis grandoculus), Blue Corner

Flagtail grouper (Cephalopholis urodeta), Blue Corner

Same as above. Flagtails are shy and flit away quickly when a diver approaches, so I was surprised and pleased to find one so patient.