This is the mouth of a feeding sea urchin (Diadema species). I was able to capture this image as the sea urchin was feeding on the biofilm of my reef tank. Sea urchins are a keystone species on tropical reefs in that they remove fast growing algae from reef rock so that other organisms can colonize these areas.
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Pertinent technical details or techniques:
D500 105mm f2.8 micro (1/125 sec at f18, ISO 250), 3 flashes set at an angle of 45 degrees from plane of the glass, variable power in TTL mode. Levels, crop for comp, Brightness & Contrast, Topaz DeNoise and Topaz Adjust for final tweaks to micro contrast. The small bright blue spots are specialized structures called iridophores with no known function.
Is this a composite?
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Oh wow, Jim, this really nice. This is something we all donāt get to see, so I appreciate you sharing it. Iām glad you explained the blue spots. I think they add to the image though, (so now they have purpose). You did an excellent job taking this through the glass, with not distortions or reflections, and wonderful details throughout the Sea Urchin. Excellent!
As Shirley said this is something we donāt get to see, just for that this is just an amazing image. The detail is superb, and the complexity of the sea urchin is astounding.
Those small round apendices are what makes the urchin stick to the glass rigth?
Jim, the details here are outstanding and Iām thoroughly enjoying how youāve emphasized the symmetry with your square crop. Those bright turquoise āthingiesā are indeed curiosity triggers.
Perfect symmetry Jim. What a unique and interesting capture. And I love the little blue thingies as well as the little suction cup sticks. The composition is what generates the initial interest though. Weāll done Jim.
Jim, a welcome change in the subject, which we donāt get to see much. Great details and interesting little spines. Nice lighting with flashes. Amazing!
Jim: Iām really late to this party but what a marvelous subject and a fine capture. Thanks for a fine image and for your wonderful contributions to the community. >=))>
wow! I have photographed live sea stars (starfish) upside down and think there is such beauty and symmetry in them, never saw the underside of a live urchin, though! This is like a flower, beautiful, and unusual! well done. I might add here that sea urchins ALSO eat kelp, which is an algae, and have a voracious appetite for it. Left unchecked without predators, they can destroy the natural kelp forests, and have along several areas of the pacific ocean coastline; but if there is a healthy population of sea otters, who LOVE eating urchins, the environment is in balance. Just wanted to share that bit of science info here for anyone interested.
