Minibook #2 - In Swim the Fish

Carved some quick gulf coast fish to add to a fish minibook.  Thought it might be fun to focus on secondary colors.  So much of the coloring visible on fish is dependent on the light that reflects off of their surface.  The first photograph I saw of a young lady holding her prize hogfish catch, the colors looked very close to the colors below. She appeared to be standing onboard a fishing boat floating in the water.  The fish glistened, as if wet and it's mouth was slightly open, showing 'Miss Piggy pink' lips.

A cute little hogfish!

The next time I saw a photograph of a hogfish, it was various shades of gray (yes, it appeared to be a color photograph,) but did not appear to be wet.  I wondered if the first photograph was of a living fish, just caught, and the second was of a fish not living.  More investigation needed.......

Two hogfish in the fish minibook!

The colors in the fish printed below are a further stretch from the live grouper I have seen.  Most have been beige and patterned with a rusty color.  I have also observed mottled shades of gray in a grouper.  I haven't seen any grouper that are white with green and blue patterning.

Modified, artistic grouper block print with hand coloring!

During our visits to various aquariums, the tank lighting makes a tremendous difference in the color the fish appear to be.  Many of the tanks are lit with black light, so the fish almost glow with vibrant colors.  The first time I saw a trigger fish was in the Mote aquarium.  He was neon green and periwinkle purple - a beautiful fish.  My understanding from talking to those who have caught them in the Gulf of Mexico, they exit the water with subtle shades of these colors, but quickly change to gray, gray, gray.

Cousteau showed us, in his deep sea adventures, that the lighting carried to the dark depth of the ocean illuminate fish in a way that often makes them glow, as well.  Without the man made lighting, the fish could be missed by the divers.