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Articles on Marine Life:

• Crabby Delights
• The Elusive Crocodile Fish
• Nudibranchs (Marine sea snails/slugs)
• Venomous Animals Part 1
• Venomous Animals Part 2
• Muck Diving

Crocodiles, the very name conjure pictures of ferocious teeth and wicked smiles. However there is a more docile animal bearing the same name, the crocodile fish. Crocodile fish belong to the family Platycephalidae which means flatheads and have been aptly named as they indeed have very flat heads. We have found these strange fish in almost all habitats ranging from rubble bottom, to coral reefs, jetties and wrecks. Their favorite pass time seems to be blending perfectly with their background and remaining motionless for as long as possible even with strobes flashing around them. I even put camera framers close to a few of them to photograph their beautiful skin patterns and this fish neither moved nor seemed bothered by my presence.

The Flatheads (picture above) are closely related to the scorpion fish and contain about 60 species. Distinguishing between species is difficult and based on the distance between the eyes of the fish. They live from the temperate to tropical regions of the world and are found mainly on night dives. Not much scientific information is known about this species especially the giant member the crocodile fish.

The crocodile fish; Cymbacephalus beauforti is a favorite of ours. Unlike its other family members, our encounters with this fish have occurred during the day. Its head with bony ridges, a rounded snout and bulbous eyes bears a strong resemblance to its namesake the crocodile. It’s elongated mouth is lined with sharp teeth and can be as much as a quarter of the body length. The small sharp teeth help them to crunch on crabs, shrimps and smaller fish that pass them by unsuspectingly. The beautiful intricate eyelashes that resemble lacework and are called umbraculum/dermal papillae and in adults, one can find 10-12 such projections from the eye. These projections help break up the black pupil of the fish, and thus improve its camouflage.

The crocodile fish can grow up to a meter and look quite menacing. However it is a timid fish, preferring the concept of ‘if I don’t move, you will leave soon’. The crocodile fish differ from most Flathead, as they are larger, have elaborate frilly fins and dappled color pattern that helps camouflage them against the reef. They are so confident of this ability that they can be approached and photographed quite easily. They are also easy to follow, as they do not swim very far after being spotted and tire easily. Although found usually alone, they can be quite sociable as our recent visit to Mabul Island, Malaysia revealed. We saw seven of this fish half buried in the sand in an area less than 3 meter squared waiting to ambush unsuspecting fish.

When looking for one, the 2P method; patience and perseverance seems to work best. Of course a good dive master and a suitable dive site clinches the deal. Dive sites with rubble and wrecks in shallow warm tropical waters (5-20m) are ideal. Once you meet these crocodiles of the sea, you will find yourself looking forward to the next meeting. Happy bubbling.

The elaborate frilly fins

An adult can grow up to a meter in length