PotW 3 July 2012

[the foto fanatic]

Firstly, apologies for the late post. My wife was rushed to hospital after the Ambos gave her a couple of shots of morphine to counter the acute back pain she was experiencing. They had to stabilize her to be able to carry her down the three flights of stairs in our apartment complex - no lift! Never want to go through that again! (Naturally, neither does she!!)

I have long been an admirer of the underwater photography of ATJ - Andrew. For this week, I have chosen this photograph of his:


This female pot-bellied seahorse has appeared before, but this composition is a little stronger in my mind. It shows the seahorse with her tail firmly anchored to a piece of coral, giving the photographer the evil eye. Andrew's notes say that the image was made some 20 metres below the surface. His gear would have provided that information, but how does he know that it is a female?

Here is the original thread.

[bigsarg7]

Great choice! Well done Andrew!!

[Reschsmooth]

Excellent photo and great choice.

Trevor, it is obviously female based on the eye makeup she is wearing.

[biggerry]

Nice one, top image Andrew and good choice.

Trevor, i hope all works out with the wife and she returns to good health asap.

[ATJ]

[quote="the foto fanatic"]My wife was rushed to hospital...[/quote]
Most importantly, I hope she is doing better and is either back home or will be soon.

[quote="the foto fanatic"]For this week, I have chosen this photograph of his:[/quote]

[quote="the foto fanatic"]Andrew's notes say that the image was made some 20 metres below the surface. His gear would have provided that information, but how does he know that it is a female?[/quote]
That's easy... she doesn't have a pouch. Males seahorses have a pouch into which the female deposits her eggs. The male carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch and he gives "birth" to live baby seahorses.

Here's a photograph of a male (actually taken at the same location as the female and so he's probably carrying her eggs. You can see the pouch between the base of the body and the tail. The pouch sort of goes diagonally from the body to the tail. In the female the transition from the body to the tail is perpendicular.
[img]http://andrewtrevor-jones.com/H_abdominalis_TheLeap1206-4.jpg[/img]

Edit: I don't know why the BBCode is off.

[Mr Darcy]

ATJ wrote:
> Edit: I don't know why the BBCode is off.

Andrew, bbCode is always off on POTW threads. The HoityToity don't approve of the HoiPoloi playing here. P)

I tried cutting and pasting your link. It didn't work for me.

Great pic BTW and well deserved POTW.

[zafra52]

Lovely picture. Congratulations to this week's winner.

I hope you wife recovers, soon

[ATJ]

Mr Darcy wrote:
>I tried cutting and pasting your link. It didn't work for me.

odd... it is a valid link:

http://andrewtrevor-jones.com/H_abdomin ... 1206-4.jpg

[the foto fanatic]

Thanks for the messages to my wife. She just got home after several days in hospital and is slowly improving.

[biggerry]

Thanks for the messages to my wife. She just got home after several days in hospital and is slowly improving.

good to hear!

[Willy wombat]

Good choice!