Very unusual fish enjoys posing for the video camera

Scuba divers encounter something unique with almost every dive. The underwater world is alive with fish of all colors and sizes and some of them are extremely unusual. Some fish flee at the sight of a human and only allow a brief glimpse, while others are curious and willing to approach a human for closer inspection. This goldspot sheepshead is a very unusually looking creature with his large, prominent forehead and protruding lower teeth. The teeth resemble a set of canines in a large dog. Approximately two feet in length, this is a bulkier fish, with a very solid jaw to go along with those big teeth.Show more

As the diver approached and stopped, the sheepshead became curious about the camera. As if wanting to pose and provide a few great shots, he stared into the camera, turned, stared again and then began swimming away. But as if changing his mind, he circled back for another look, or for a few more pictures. He’s a curious fellow and has no apparent fear of the diver with the camera. The rest of the divers in the group are slightly ahead and have just passed by this inquisitive fish. He’s fully aware that people are cruising over his reef and he makes a deliberate effort to go and check the last one out.

Something unusual about this fish is that despite his size, he doesn’t use his tail to propel himself through the water. Although he might if he needed to put on a sudden burst of speed, he mainly uses his pectoral fins for positioning and propulsion. This seems to do the trick nicely and he manages to move smoothly away when he is done checking out the camera. This fish was filmed in the Galapagos Islands, an amazing dive location with an abundance of very diverse species.