Less than an inch long, this tiny yellow-striped cardinalfish was photographed during a night dive against a backdrop of transparent tunicates (also known as sea squirts). Close observation of the photo reveals a type of parasitic isopod attached to the flesh of this fish near the tail. Most fish of the reef fear divers and are difficult to approach, but at night the diver has the advantage. Sometimes moonlight is enough to see the subject, and if not, a small pen sized flashlight lashed to the camera's flash unit is enough to see the subject. Fish often react to excessively bright beams of light by swimming fast in an attempt to escape, but their disorientation causes them to swim recklessly, often crashing into the reef. Identification: Apogon cyanosoma back to gallery I