Tomorrow is World Oceans Day, and to celebrate AnOther brings you a selection of beautiful watercolour paintings of ocean fishes by naturalist, artist and fisherman, James Prosek, from his book of the same title...
Tomorrow is World Oceans Day, and to celebrate AnOther brings you a selection of beautiful watercolour paintings of ocean fishes by naturalist, artist and fisherman, James Prosek, from his book of the same title. For these large-scale, immaculately detailed works, Prosek travelled the Atlantic in order to capture each fish fresh from the sea, before its colour started to fade – an intimate experience usually witnessed by fishermen alone. "I am not painting fish to represent a species in a field guide," Prosek explains. "I am painting an individual fish that I had a personal experience with...you could even call each one a self-portrait." The book consists of 35 such portraits of the most pursued saltwater fish, along with plants and creatures that share the marine ecosystems. Here, we present 6 of these stunningly-hued sea dwellers, from a toothy barracuda to a pointy-nosed mako shark, alongside enlightening facts about each species...
(Above) Barracudas are scavengers, and are attracted to shiny objects. They have teeth facing both forwards and backwards making it almost impossible for fish to escape from their mouths.
Amberjacks are colourful fish with a lavender and gold tint and an amber band running from the eye to the tail. Amberjacks are voracious predators, which feed on squid, fish, and crustaceans, and are thought to spawn offshore throughout most of the year.
Black sea bass dwell at the bottom of the ocean and choose to live alone. They are also known as "giant sea bass" – the longest recorded black sea bass measuring in at 7.45 feet and the heaviest weighing 563 pounds (around 40 stone).
The Mako shark is the fastest of all the shark species. It is also known for leaping out of the water from time to time, apparently as a recreational habit, with no explicable purpose.
Larger yellowfin tuna frequently school in association with dolphins, particularly the spotted dolphin, spinner dolphin, and common dolphin. Tuna are one of the few species of fish that can control their body temperature via a network of arteries and other blood vessels which trap and store body heat.
Mutton snappers have a small, distinctive black spot below their dorsal fin and a bright blue line below their eyes, following the contour of the operculum. They are recognised as skilled fighters.
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, Montauk, Long Island, New Yo)
, Bimini, Bahamas)
, South Andros Island, Baham)
, South Andros Island, Baham)
