RED LIONFISH LARVA

Like many marine fish, red lionfish are impressively fecund. A full-size female can produce up to two million eggs a year, which hatch into tiny larvae after a day or two spent drifting through the ocean. The larval lionfish in this image is barely 2.5cm long, yet already looks like a ghostly version of its spectacular, venom-spined parents. Its glowing halo is formed by translucent pectoral fins and luminous spines, which it has flared in a defensive position. The larva will ride the currents for about a month before turning into a juvenile fish.