At night in the Pacific Ocean, intriguing creatures migrate up from the depths to feed.
This juvenile octopus, for example, is just two centimetres across. ‘One of them stopped in front of me,’ says Fabien, ‘waving its tentacles gracefully’. Minding not to disturb it with a strong flash, Fabien captured the unseen world of this diminutive octopus. Transparent body tissues camouflage this tiny octopus. Along its arms are orange founder chromatophores – early stages of the pigment-containing cells that enable adult octopuses to change colour. The digestive gland and ink sac, in the main part of the body known as the mantle, are surrounded by reflective tissues, making them less visible too.
France
Fabien is an underwater photographer who lives in French Polynesia. His images of rich marine wildlife focus on everything from the smallest animals on a reef to sharks and whales. He has recently completed night dives off the coast of Tahiti, documenting the diversity of life that migrates up from the deep after dark.
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