^^ The Splendid Toadfish (Sanopus Splendidus) is a gorgeous fish, endemic to Cozumel).
I like to call them the Bloody Splendid Toadfish, which I do with a British accent. It’s not annoying at all to my dive friends, I am sure of it.
I go to Cozumel multiple times per year. It is one of my favorite places to dive. This time, I worked hard to get some shots I’ve been wanting, such as the Lancer Dragonet (Paradiplogrammus bairdi). I got two decent shots, with vastly different coloration as you can see below. These guys are tiny, only about an inch long. And very hard to see. Seems like a pattern with me.
I also saw a Shy Hamlet (Hypoplectrus guttavarius), which is very exciting as they are not common in the Cozumel area.
And after years of searching, I got an okay shot of a Flying Gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans):
Also, I finally got a decent shot of a Pikeblenny. I believe this one is a female Yellowface Pikeblenny (Chaenopsis limbaughi). My Caribbean fish ID book says it can only be positively identified by observing it interact with the male of the species, and there was a male nearby. The males have very cool dorsal fins, but sadly, I didn’t get his picture.
And finally, a mantis shrimp, which is very unusual! I believe this guy is the Scaly-Tailed Mantis (Lysiosquilla scabricauda):
See below for a few other fun shots from this trip:
