Description
Alien #31: A Sargassum Frogfish (Histrio histrio), the smallest I’ve ever seen, at about the size of your pinky nail. Unlike most of my Aliens, it has metamorphosized out of its larval stage, so we should refer to it as “post-larval”, or “sub-adult”, but that change likely hapenned within the past day or so. When I came across it, it was already behaving like an adult, clinging to drifting flotsam. 50 years ago, that would have been sargassum seaweed, its natural habitat, but as is the case more often these days, it was in a plastic bag. Actually, I saw the bag from 30′ away and approached to shoot an environmental message shot of a bigeye fish living in it. After 2-3 minutes, I ruined the bigeye’s night by sticking the bag in my pocket and, and only then noticed this little cutie drifting right in front of my face. Was he in the bag too? I suspected so, but only upon downloading the shots did I see him in the background of some of the bigeye photos! Now I have a moral dilema – surely I can’t put the plastic bag back, but do I leave him unprotected & vunerable, drifting near the surface out over the deep abyss until he finds other shelter???
Alien #31 is now available for printing on vibrant high-gloss aluminum in standard sizes online, starting at the popular 15×15″ for mix & match Aliens groupings, up to 48×48″. For custom sizing or design assistance, contact Rcamm Art Gallery in Lauderdale by the Sea, FL, or call/email.
