Juvenile Highhat (Pareques acuminatus) – Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Fl
Canon G15, Nauticam NAG15, Inon s2000 (x2), Sola Photo 800, SubSee +10
1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO100
Adult Highhat (Pareques acuminatus) – Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Fl
Canon G15, Nauticam NAG15, Inon s2000 (x2), Sola Photo 800
1/60 sec, f/8, ISO100
Highhats are beautiful at all ages. Juvenile Highhats (pictured above) can range between .5″ and 2″, while the adults (pictured below) can grow to about a foot long. The tiny juveniles flick about making them very difficult to shoot, both because of the small size and the rapid movement. These small Highhats are often found in and among debris, under ledges, and in other generally inconvenient places to photograph making them a favorite challenge of Blue Heron Bridge photogs. The adults display the same distinct dorsal appendage as their younger counterparts and can be found cruising for a meal of crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans. The image of the juvenile took about twenty exposures before I actually landed the photo I wanted – the rest of the shots were out of focus, blurred, or simply devoid of the fish at all.