This spectacular underwater photo was taken by Dave C. Hawkfish.

The fish is a Squirrelfish and was taken with the camera’s built-in flash off the Turtle Nest Inn in Bodden Town on the south shore of Grand Cayman.

Dave said, “This is the fourth year in a row that I have been to Grand Cayman.”

We hope he visits us here again.

The photo is found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31486092@N05/11205994253/in/photostream/

Others shown here in the set are: Yellow stingray photographed off the Turtle Nest Inn in Bodden Town on the south shore of Grand Cayman and a reef scene photographed off the Turtle Nest Inn in Bodden Town on Grand Cayman’s south shore.

“The fish in the middle are unidentified mojarras. Most of the hard corals in this spot are dead, but there are some nice soft corals,” said Dave.

Note: All photographs are the property of Dave C.

From Wikipedia:

The Holocentridae are a family of ray-finned fish, belonging to the order Beryciformes with the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae typically known as squirrelfish, while the members of Myripristinae typically are known as soldierfish. In Hawaii, they are known as menpachi.

They are found in tropical parts of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with the greatest species richness near reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Most are found at depths from the shoreline to 100 m (330 ft), but some, notably the members of the genus Ostichthys, are generally found far deeper. Being largely or entirely nocturnal, they have relatively large eyes. During the day, they typically remain hidden in crevices, caves, or under ledges. Red and silvery colours dominate. The preopercle spines (near the gill opening) of the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae are venomous, and can give painful wounds. Most have a maximum length of 15–35 cm (6–14 in), but Sargocentron iota barely reaches 8 cm (3 in), and S. spiniferum and Holocentrus adscensionis can reach more than 50 cm (20 in). The squirrelfishes mainly feed on small fishes and benthic invertebrates, while the soldierfishes typically feed on zooplankton. The larvae are pelagic, unlike the adults, and can be found far out to sea.