Fly Fishing Beasts of Lembeh

Imagine an organism that blends perfectly into its surroundings, attracts its unwary food items by luring them within striking distance with a specialized appendage, and then swallows them whole. All of us who dive know this camouflaged mini-beast and if you’ve spent any time diving from Lembeh Resort with the incredible guides at Critters@Lembeh Resort you’ve encountered their kind numerous times.

Frogfish are one of nature’s perfected monstrosities and they should make you appreciate being just a bit too large for their jaws. Frogfish are ‘perfect’ in that they’ve evolved a life of relative leisure. They sit around, seemingly relaxed in whatever underwater habitat they choose, fishing for food (and maybe for fun) with their illicium (a modified dorsal spine) and escas (the lure at the end of the spine).

Though natural selection has shaped frogfish into well-disguised, fleshy lumps, nearly invisible on the seafloor, you, or more likely your guide, will find at least a few species on almost every dive site in Lembeh Strait. At least nine species have been confirmed living in the Strait, each having their own special twist on adaptations and fitting into specific niches. The next time you’re planning on a visit to Sulawesi and are looking to dive the best dive sites in Indonesia, be sure to visit Lembeh Resort in order to experience these crazy-looking creatures up close and personal. Muck diving in diving North Sulawesi is an experience not to be missed!

Author : Ethan Daniels 

See more of his work at his website : oceanstockimages.com  and Facebook Page