TwoGeckos Photography

Photography is a hobby, one that I like to use to show off my artistic side. I started with wildlife, but since I also enjoy diving, I purchased the equipment to start underwater. While I don't have a lot of experience, it's coming, and occasionally I get a picture that I really like. Hopefullly you enjoy it too.

Nembrotha yonowae Nudibranch

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160 ISO: 720 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: f/6.3
Date: 17 September 2023
Location: Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: Nembrotha yonowae is a large black nembrothid that grows to at least 95 mm in length. Its body is covered with orange pustules. The rhinophores and gills are black, edged in orange. This species looks similar in appearance to Nembrotha cristata.

Halgerda malesso Nudibranch

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 4500 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/14
Date: 16 September 2023
Location: Talima Marine Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: Halgerda malesso is a species of sea slug, dorid nudibranch, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks in the family Discodorididae.

Heron Ardeadoris Nudibranch (Ardeadoris egretta)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 400 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/14
Date: 16 September 2023
Location: Talima Marine Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: Ardeadoris egretta, the heron ardeadoris, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. It is the type species of the genus Ardeadoris.

Willan's Chromodoris Nudibranch (Chromodoris willani)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 1250 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: f/14
Date: 03 September 2023
Location: Talima Marine Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: Chromodoris willani, commonly known as Willan's chromodoris, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae. The species is named for the renowned nudibranch taxonomist Dr. Richard C. Willan.

Dotted Nudibranch (Jorunna funebris)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200
Aperture: f/16
Date: 15 July 2023
Location: Zamboanguita, Philippines
Description: Jorunna funebris, commonly called the dotted nudibranch, is a large species of sea slug. It is a dorid nudibranch, meaning it is a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae.

Sea Goblin (Inimicus didactylus)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/16
Date: 22 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: Inimicus didactylus, also known as sea goblin, demon stinger or devil stinger, is a Western Pacific member of the Inimicus genus of venomous fishes, closely related to the true stonefishes. It can reach a body length of 25 cm (10 in) and is irregularly surfaced with spines and a knobby appearance. The fish has venomous spines to ward off enemies. The fish are nocturnal, and often dig themselves partially into the sandy seabed during the day. The body is red or sandy yellow and well camouflaged on sandy and coral seabeds.

Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 1100 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/14
Date: 16 September 2023
Location: Nalusuan Island Marine Sancturary, Philippines
Description: The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a venomous coral reef fish in the family Scorpaenidae, order Scorpaeniformes. It is mainly native to the Indo-Pacific region, but has become an invasive species in the Caribbean Sea, as well as along the East Coast of the United States and East Mediterranean and also found in Brazil at Fernando de Noronha. Red lionfish are clad in white stripes alternated with red, maroon, or brown stripes. Adults in this species can grow as large as 47 cm (18.5 in) in length, making it one of the largest species of lionfish in the ocean, while juveniles are typically shorter than 1 inch (2.5 cm). The average red lionfish lives around 10 years. As with many species within the family Scorpaenidae, it has large, venomous spines on its dorsal fin as well as other venomous spines on its pelvic fins and anal fins. It is these fins together with the other long non-venomous fins which create an appearance similar to a mane, giving it the common name "lionfish". The dorsal spines deter most potential predators.

Zebra Lionfish (Dendrochirus zebra)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/16
Date: 22 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: Dendrochirus zebra, known commonly as the zebra turkeyfish or zebra lionfish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Scorpaenidae. It has vertical stripes in orange, white, and black on its body, and large, banded, fan-like pectoral fins that flare out on either side as the fish lies on the seabed. The front dorsal fin is made up of 13 tall, quill-like spines and the second dorsal fin has 10 or 11 soft rays. The anal fin has three spines and about 10 soft rays. The second dorsal fin, the anal fin, and the rounded caudal fin are transversely banded in black and white. This fish grows to a maximum length around 25 cm (10 in).

Spotfin Lionfish (Pterois antennata)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/16
Date: 22 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: Pterois antennata, the spotfin lionfish, banded lionfish, broadbarred lionfish, broadbarred firefish, raggedfinned firefish, raggedfinned scorpionfish or roughscaled lionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the tropical Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

Robust Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 320 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/10
Date: 04 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: The robust ghost pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus), also known as the blue-finned ghost pipefish, Racek's ghost pipefish, robust-snouted ghost pipefish, or the squaretail ghost-pipefish,is a species of false pipefish belonging to the family Solenostomidae. Its appearance can vary greatly due to its ability to change colors over several hours, but the general body shape and fin shapes allow it to mimic a piece of seagrass.

Spiny Seahorse (Hippocampus histrix)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 320 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/10
Date: 04 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: The spiny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix), also referred to as the thorny seahorse, is a small marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, native to the Indo-Pacific area. It is classified as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN.

Map Puffer (Arothron mappa)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/16
Date: 22 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: The map puffer (Arothron mappa), also known as the map pufferfish, scribbled pufferfish, or Kesho-fugu, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Tetraodontidae. The map puffer is typically found in tropical and subtropical waters from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean. This fish contains tetrodotoxin, a potent and deadly chemical compound used to ward off predators. Despite being highly poisonous, the map puffer can be found both in the aquarium trade and certain food markets.

White-Spotted Puffer (Arothron hispidus)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/16
Date: 22 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: The white-spotted puffer fish (Arothron hispidus) is a medium to large-sized puffer fish, it can reach 50 cm length. It is light grey in color, or greyish or yellowish, and clearly covered with more or less regular white points, that become concentric contrasting white and dark grey lines that radiate around the eyes and pectoral fins. The ventral part is white. The "shoulder" (around the pectoral fins) is dark. It also has concentric contrasting white and dark grey lines that radiate around the eyes and pectoral fins. The white spotted puffer fish is poisonous.

Octopus

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/16
Date: 22 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description:

Porcelain Crab (Neopetrolisthes maculatus)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/16
Date: 22 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: Neopetrolisthes maculatus is a species of porcelain crab from the Indo-Pacific region. It is a small, colourful crustacean with a porcelain-like shell. This porcelain crab is usually found within the stinging tentacles of a number of sea anemone species.

Snowflake Moray Eel (Echidna nebulosa)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/16
Date: 22 July 2023
Location: Dauin Marine Reserve and Sanctuary, Philippines
Description: The snowflake moray (Echidna nebulosa), also known as the clouded moray among many vernacular names, is a species of marine eel of the family Muraenidae. It has blunt teeth ideal for its diet of crustaceans.

Dusky Nembrotha Nudibranch (Nembrotha kubaryana)

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 4000 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/11
Date: 04 June 2023
Location: Apo Island, Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Description: This animal can reach a total length of more than 120 mm. It is a large dark-bodied nudibranch which may have green stripes running down the length of the body or have green raised spots. The margin of the foot and head is a vivid red-orange. The rhinophores and gills may be red or green. Nembrotha kubaryana is easily confused with a similar species, Nembrotha cristata although the latter has no red-orange border on its foot.

Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica) with Skunk Clownfish

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikkor 20mm f/1.8
Flash: Ikelite DS160
ISO: 3600 (auto)
Shutter Speed: 1/800 sec
Aperture: f/6.3
Date: 23 October 2022
Location: Pamilican Island, Bohol, Philippines
Description: The magnificent sea anemone is characterized by a flared oral disc, which reaches between 20 and 50 cm in diameter, but in some specimens, this can reach 1 m. The oral disc, the base of the tentacles, and the oral orifice have the same color, going from light beige to white. The numerous tentacles exceed 8 cm long. The sea anemone, being a member of the Hexacorallia, usually carries tentacles in multiples of six that are positioned in concentric circles. Their tips are fingered and often lighter in coloration than the tentacle body and are sometimes vividly colored. Its specific scientific name, magnifica, and its vernacular name come from the bright color of the column, which is the visible outer structure when the animal retracts, and these range from electric blue to green, red, pink, purple, or brown.