Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — The depths of the Red Sea embrace many types of marine life, which raises bewilderment and admiration, and attracts diving enthusiasts to Egypt to explore the secrets of underwater worlds.
Among these species, there is a fish that you might think at first glance is a crocodile, given the remarkable similarity between it and the amphibian.
And the Egyptian diving instructor, Peter Bushra, was able to document a close-up video clip of the fish, which is known as the spiny flathead, which takes its home from the bottom of the Red Sea. (Watch the video clip above).
Unlike wild crocodiles, this “crocodile fish”, as some call it due to its distinctive appearance, does not pose a threat to humans, and divers can easily approach and photograph it, as it is used to hiding and shows its skill in camouflage.
Bushra believed that the importance of documenting such distinctive marine creatures is to show hidden underwater worlds to serve as an incentive to explore them by novice diving enthusiasts and marine life enthusiasts, as he told CNN in Arabic.
Bushra explained that the meeting with “Al-Sakma Al-Temsah” was at a depth of 14 meters, at a diving site in the “Makadi Bay” area in Hurghada, which is characterized by its embrace of pristine coral reefs and various marine creatures.
The fish is characterized by a large head and a long, elongated jaw resembling a duck’s beak, with its eyes located on the top of its head, which allows it to obtain a wide field of vision.
This fish relies on its unique body shape and color to camouflage itself on the sandy seabed, taking its camouflage ability to another level, with special patches of skin covering its eyes, giving it a ghost-like disguise on the sea floor, according to the website of the Australian Museum, a foundation. Funded by the Australian Government of New South Wales.
This perfect integration with its surroundings enables it to catch its prey of crustaceans and small fish.
Of course, underwater photography is not without challenges, such as water currents or the inability to see under the sea at times, but this is not considered a problem in most cases, given the pure nature of the Red Sea water, according to Bushra.
The pioneers of social networking interacted with the clip that Bushra shared on the “Instagram” website, and showed their admiration for the diversity of marine life in the waters of the Red Sea in Egypt.
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