Catfish nests in a rare submarine geothermal silica cone
The catfish bared its teeth at the photographer and can be seen curling around its spawn. Photo/Erlendur Bogason
Diver and photographer Erlendur Bogason captured this photo of a catfish (anarchias lupus) in the depths of the ocean at Eyjafjörður, North Iceland.
The catfish was found guarding its eggs in the Strýtur chimneys, giant submarine geothermal silica cones that rise from the 70 metre seafloor of Eyjafjörður.
Bogason and his friend Árni Halldórsson discovered this natural wonder in 1997, and the area has become very popular for diving.
"The fish wasn't particularly happy that I was going near him, "says Bogason. "It bared its teeth and curled around its eggs. The catfish waves its tail to get the water moving to clean sand and other dirt from the eggs, and to provide them with more oxygen."
Physicist and BBC presenter Brian Cox spent some time in Eyjafjörður this summer to film a new episode to be aired in January. Bogason explained that Cox had said that life on earth may have started in a spot exactly like in the Strýtur phenomenon.
