Samuel Andres

Page dedicated to the dissemination of photographs and videos of both the marine environment and its species.

01/02/2026

Giant Reef Moray Eel - Gymnothorax Javanicus
Stonehenge - Koh Lipe - Thailand

Its open mouth is not a threat:
it’s how it breathes, constantly pumping water over its gills.

It’s one of the largest moray eels on the planet, capable of exceeding 3 meters in length.
It inhabits Indo-Pacific reefs, where it spends the day sheltered in crevices and caves, relying more on its sense of smell than its sight.

It feeds on fish, octopuses, and crustaceans, hunting at night with silent ambushes.

A keystone predator of the reef, despite its appearance.

28/11/2025

Banded Sea Krait - (Laticauda Colubrina)
Manza - Okinawa - Japan
Physical Characteristics
• Length: 1–1.5 m (females can reach 1.8 m).
• Body: Cylindrical with large, well-defined scales.
• Tail: Laterally flattened in a paddle shape, adapted for swimming.
• Coloration: Very distinct black and light bands along the body.
• Head: Black, with a yellow band on the forehead (most visible in frontal views).

Biology and Behavior
• Type: Amphibious sea snake (one of the few that can move well on land).
• Respiration: Very large lungs that extend over much of the body; they can remain underwater for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Reproduction: Oviparous (lays eggs on land).
• Venom: Very potent (neurotoxic), but extremely docile and not aggressive towards divers. • Diet: Primarily eels and small fish hidden in crevices.

Distribution and Habitat
• Region: Indo-Pacific (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Polynesia…).
• Habitat: Coral reefs, sandy bottoms near the reef, and sheltered lagoons.
• Usual Depth: 1–20 m, although it can dive deeper.

Diving Behavior
• It is a calm species, accustomed to the presence of divers.
• It is often found foraging among holes and rocks.
• Its swimming pattern is undulating and graceful, as seen in your photo.
• It is not recommended to block its path or try to touch it, especially when it is on a surface to breathe.

24/11/2025

Moray Eel - Gymnothorax Thyrsoideus.
Manza - Okinawa - Japan

“Close encounter with a moray eel of the genus Gymnothorax. The image shows the classic opening and closing of its mouth, a ventilation mechanism necessary to pump water through its gills. The robust head morphology, small eyes, and uniform skin pattern are typical features of benthic species that inhabit rocky and sandy bottoms. Moray eels usually keep only their heads exposed from their burrows, but this one emerged completely—a behavior more common during nocturnal movements or when investigating vibrations in their environment. A reminder of the importance of respecting its space: it possesses a powerful bite and dentition designed to grasp slippery prey.”

22/11/2025

Crocodile Fish - Cymbacephalus Beauforti
The Couldron - Komodo - Indonesia

The crocodilefish, or Cymbacephalus beauforti, is a flathead fish known for its elaborate camouflage, large flat head, and specialized eyes with iris lappets that break up its pupil to improve camouflage. It is a bottom-dwelling ambush predator found in shallow, warm waters of the Indo-Pacific, and adults can grow up to 50 cm (19.7 in) in length. Its body is covered in a mottled pattern of beige, brown, or grey spots, which helps it blend in with the sandy or rubble-strewn reef bottom.

Body: Elongated and flat, with a head that resembles a duck’s bill.
Coloration: Varies from beige to brown or gray, with an intricate, mosaic-like pattern of spots separated by interlacing lines that provide excellent camouflage.
Eyes: Possess distinctive, fleshy flaps called “iris lappets” that help break up the pupil’s outline and improve camouflage.
Fins: Pelvic fins are equal to or larger than the pectoral fins.
Size: Grows to a maximum of 50 cm (19.7 in), though the average observed size is around 35 cm (13.8 in).

04/03/2025

Clown Fish Eggs - Ocellaris Clownfish - Amphiprion Ocellaris.
Tulamben - Bali - Indonesia.
Clownfish eggs are small, oval-shaped, and typically range from 2 to 4 mm in length. They are orange in color when first laid, blending well with their surroundings, but gradually become more translucent as the embryos develop. Each egg contains a visible dark spot, which is the developing eye of the baby clownfish (larvae).
The male clownfish is responsible for guarding and aerating the eggs, using his fins to fan them and keep them oxygenated. The eggs are usually laid on a flat surface near their anemone, ensuring protection from predators. After about 6 to 10 days, depending on water temperature, the eggs hatch at night, releasing tiny larvae into the open ocean.

20/12/2024

Pygmy Seahorse - Hippocampus Bargibanti
Melasti Tulamben - Bali - Indonesia
Bargibant’s pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) are always found on gorgonian corals of the genus Muricella, and live their whole adult life on a single coral. Their colour varies, seeming to match the coral that they live on: pink, yellow, lavender, or brown.
They are the largest pygmy seahorse at almost 2.7 cm

19/12/2024

Ornate Ghost Pipefish - Solenostomus Paradoxus
Lembeh Strait - House Reef - Indonesia
The Ornate Ghostpipefish can be recognised by its distinctive body form with slender appendages on the body and fins. It has deeply incised membranes in the dorsal, caudal and ventral fins. Its colour varies from almost totally black to semi-transparent with red, yellow, and white scribbling, spots and blotches.

18/12/2024

Longarm prawn - Heteropenaeus Longimanus
Lembeh House Reef - Indonesia

Also known as Ghost Shrimp, Longarm Shrimp, Longimanus Shrimp, Penaeid Shrimp.
Found singly, on mud and sandy bottoms, often buried in the sand with just their eyes showing.
They feed on algae, fish and squid.
Length - 9cm
Depth - 4-20m
Widespread

20/10/2024

Coconut Octopus giving birth to thousands of little babies.
Coconut Octopus - Amphioctopus Marginatus
Lembeh - Bitung - Indonesia
They are a medium sized octopus with arms growing up to 30cm in length. Like other cephalopods, they can change color dramatically from blue-ish and orange hues to bright white. Their suckers are white with a blue tint which makes a stark contrast to their dark bodies.
Mating and Reproduction
When the water gets warm, the male octopus passes the spermatophore with a hectocotylus (a te****le) into the female’s mantle area. It is quite a risky affair for the males as females are prone to eat their counterparts during mating. So, males disguise themselves as females in order to have offspring.
After a period of 11 months, a female coconut octopus lays up to 100,000 eggs, each sizing less than 0.24 in (6 mm). She keeps the eggs in a safe corner or crevice and protects them until they hatch.

18/10/2024

Donald Duck Shrimp - Leander Plumosus
Tulamben - Bali - Indonesia
The Donald Duck Shrimp (Leander plumosus), also called Plume Shrimp is a small cleaner who attracts customers by waving its antennae around. Its beaklike snout aids in the cleaning of fish gills and mouths. However, the shrimp’s main source of food is small sea worms and larvae