An amazing destination with mind-blowing diving! Heaps of pygmy seahorses which is obviously a major draw for me but the reefs really are out of this world.
Whilst on a night dive aboard the Paradise Dancer in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesia recently I came across this unusual velvetfish. Having consulted an expert, who had never seen it before, it may well be a new species. Hence forth it shall be known as Richard's velvetfish!
The new issue of Sport Diving has just been published and contains my article Pygmy Species Explosion. It explains some of the work that is part of my PhD, focusing on the ecology of pygmy seahorses, as well as quick run down of the species that have recently been described such as Hippocampus pontohi, Hippocampus waleananus, Hippocampus severnsi and Hippocampus satomiae.
The second article in my Species Crash Course series has just been released in Asian Diver Magazine Issue 106. It is about the exciting species of scorpionfish that can often be found on the muck dive sites of Asia such as Lembeh, Alor, Milne Bay and Anilao. It has already hit the stands in Singapore and should soon be available in Australia too! Keep your eyes peeled!