| Ever heard of crocodile? you must know that. | | | | green, grey, really ideal as a camouflage with their |
| Ever heard of fish? bet you are. What about | | | | habitat. It needs to blend with the environment, |
| Crocodile fish? bet some of you do not even | | | | as this fish considers as a predator, who sit |
| have any idea about it. People name it as crocodile | | | | patiently and silently for the victim's passing by. It |
| fish because it looks like crocodile at a glance, long | | | | is carnivorous, so it will eat other fish as long as |
| mouth, round eyes stare to the front, long body, | | | | the size of the victim fits with its ''crocodile'' |
| looks lazy just lay down on the sand, those are | | | | mouth. As a hunter, they have eye lappets, which |
| some facts that maybe people use it to relate | | | | help to break up the outline of the iris and |
| with common land crocodile. Refer to wikipedia, it | | | | improve camouflage, and can reach a length of 70 |
| has several names: Papilloculiceps longiceps, | | | | centimeters. |
| Platycephalus grandidieri, or Platycephalus | | | | When you found it, get close slowly and carefully. |
| papilloculus. If you like to know the name detail, | | | | I never get attacked by this fish, but try to |
| here it is: | | | | always be alert and respect it. In case anything |
| Kingdom : Animalia | | | | happen, it will hit my port of underwater housing |
| Phylum : Chordata | | | | first. Get close from the front, as its face is one |
| Class : Actinopterygii | | | | of the Point Of Interest (POI) for picture. I like to |
| Order : Scorpaeniformes | | | | take portrait picture, with enough depth of field to |
| Family : Platycephalidae | | | | cover only its front lips until the eyes, looks great. |
| Genus : Papilloculiceps | | | | The other POI is by taking picture from the side |
| Species : P. longiceps | | | | of its body, closely to its eyes. Try to aim the |
| You can find some great information also in | | | | light direction from your strobe to its eye ball, it |
| Fishbase website about this unique creature. As an | | | | will reflects on its eye-ball, created very unique |
| object for underwater photographer, this fish is | | | | motif. Even more if you use macro lens to do |
| very nice object to be taken. I mean it, as it just | | | | this. The pattern is awesome. |
| sit down nicely underwater stand still wait for us | | | | How if you are too close? off course this fish will |
| to take its picture. Okay, before take it, we need | | | | swim very fast, go away from your sight, and |
| to find it. Commonly we can find it on the sandy | | | | usually it swim to the front (directly to you..!!) then |
| bottom or rock, it does not matter if it is sea bed | | | | turn left or right (so it will not hit you). But don't |
| or on wall. What I meant by on wall here means | | | | be worry, it usually doesn't go quite far. It just |
| you can find it on wall dive where the position is | | | | look for another safer place. Observe its |
| vertical, it lands on small cave or small niche. This | | | | movement, then get closer again. However, |
| fish will choose places where the micro | | | | please don't make it stress. As a good diver we |
| environment can cover its existence. So you need | | | | got to respect the nature and think about the |
| take a look at its picture first to get the idea of | | | | next diver, if the fish stress it will always run |
| its body motif. It will be easy to understand then. | | | | away if it sees divers. It's not good for other |
| Crocodile fish has mix color between brown, | | | | underwater photographer. |