Actinopterygii Collection

Killer Whales / Orcas (Orcinus orca)
Killer whales / Orcas (Orcinus orca) large pod including calf traveling together while foraging on large schools of Herring (Clupea harengus) in the cold waters of northern Norway, January

RF - Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) swimming over a coral reef. Whilst a Predatory bandcheek wrasse (Oxycheilinus digrammus)

Piraputanga fish (Brycon hilarii) in underwater landscape, Aquario Natural, Rio Baia Bonito, Bonito area, Serra da Bodoquena (Bodoquena Mountain Range), Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Leafy seadragon (Phycodurus eques) male carrying eggs, swims over seagrass meadow. Wool Bay, Edithburgh, South Australia. Gulf of St Vincent

Northern pike (Esox lucius) amongst Shining pondweed (Potamogeton lucens). Lake Neuchatel, Switzerland, September. Photographed for The Freshwater Project

Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) portrait, Eleuthera, Bahamas. December

Dugong (Dugong dugon) male feeding on a seagrass meadow (Halophila stipulacea), accompanied by a young Golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus). Marsa Nabaa, Marsa Alam, Egypt. Red Sea

Young European eel (Anguilla anguilla) elvers, or glass eels, caught during their annual migration up rivers from the Bristol channel, swimming in a large holding tank at UK Glass Eels

School of Blackfin barracuda (Sphyraena qenie) forming circle in open water off the wall at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed Marine Park, Sinai, Egypt. Red Sea

Weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) male carries eggs through a kelp forest (Macrocystis pyrifera) in Tasmania, Australia. Tasmania is the only part of Australia with giant kelp forests

Malacosteus niger, stoplight loosejaw
Deep sea fish found off Tasmania, Australia. Specimen held in the collections at the Natural History Museum, London

Tompot blenny (Parablennius gattorugine) portrait, Swanage Pier, Swanage, Dorset, UK, English Channel, August

Killer whale (Orcinus orca) pod hunting together in herring baitball (Clupea harengus), Andenes, Andoya island, North Atlantic Ocean, Norway, April

Man-of-war fish (Nomeus gronovi) living within deadly tentacles of Portuguese man o war (Physalia physalis), to whose toxin it is ten times more resistant than other fish, at sea surface. Dominica

Kaleidoscopic image of Clarks anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii), Ambon, Indonesia

Grayling (Thymallus) migrating to spawning in the Temnik River, Lake Baikal, Baikalsky Reserve, Siberia, Russia. May

A portrait of a male Ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta), showing his bright mating colours. Plymouth, Devon, England, Great Britain. Wreck of the Glen Strathallan, Plymouth Sound, English Channel

A portrait of a Mediterranean parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense) above an algae covered rock. El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain. East Atlantic Ocean

School of Silversides (Atherinomorus lacunosus) mass below a jetty, creating a false ceiling of fish. Berenice Jetty, Aqaba, Jordan. Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan

Red sea fan (Melithaea sp.) is surrounded by Glassfish ( Apogon sp.) on a coral reef. Daram Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea. Tropical West Pacific Ocean

Freshwater fishes including Cichlid between water plants and leaves. Cenote Nicte-Ha, near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Illuminated netdevil (Linophyne arboritera), male anglerfish attached to much larger female, captive from deep sea

Piraputanga (Brycon hilarii) shoal, Rio Olhio d agua, tributary of Rio da Prata, Bonito area, Serra da Bodoquena (Bodoquena Mountain Range), Mato Grosso del Sul, Brazil

Striped Burrfish on caribbean reef

Potato cod (Epinephelus tukula) (potato grouper) (potato bass), Cod Hole, North Ribbon reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, Pacific

Museum scientists holding Oarfish specimen
Regalecus glesne. From left to right: Graham Pellow, Colin McCarthy, Prof. Philip Rainbow, Dr. Roger Lincoln, Ollie Crimmen and Sir Neil Chalmers

Pomfret illustration
One of 67 original water colour drawings of Mammals, Reptiles and Fish found at King Georges Sound, Western Australia, and in its neighbourhood; accompanied by manuscript notes by Neill, Robert

Pletail unicornfish (Naso brevirostris) juvenile, its horn will continue to grow as it gets older. Fiji Pacific Ocean

Starr Puffer (Arothron stellatus), juvenile swimming. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Lined seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) amongst corals, The Bahamas

Carp (Cyprinus carpio) in oxbow lake of the Aare River, Switzerland

Backlit photo of a Robust ghost pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus) reveals a small fish that it has just eaten in its stomach. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Molluca Sea

Brandts cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) bursts through a school of Pacific chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) while hunting beneath an oil rig

Naso lituratus, orangespine unicornfish
Ff. 194. Watercolour painting by George Forster made during Captain James Cooks second voyage to explore the southern continent (1772-75)

Pterois volitans, red lionfish
Plate 112 from the John Reeves Collection. John Reeves, a 19th Century Tea Inspector, travelled to Canton, China in order to develop a large collection of Chinese natural history drawings

School of green chromis swimming over a couple of green turtles resting on a hard coral reef, Cebu, Philippines

Black jewfish
One of 67 original water colour drawings of Mammals, Reptiles and Fish found at King Georges Sound, Western Australia, and in its neighbourhood; accompanied by manuscript notes by Neill, Robert

Plate 130 from the John Reeves Collection
John Reeves, a 19th Century Tea Inspector, travelled to Canton, China in order to develop a large collection of Chinese natural history drawings

Snapper fish
Drawing no 54 by George Raper, 1790. Illustration labelled snapper of Norfolk Island

Scorpaena volitans (Pterois volitans)
Plate 184 - Naturgeschichte der ausl䮤 ischen Fische : mit sechs und dreissig Ausgemalten kupfern nach originalen (1785-95) by Marcus Elieser Bloch

Haliaetus leucocephalus, bald eagle
Plate 31 from John James Audubons Birds of America, original double elephant folio (1827-30), hand-coloured aquatint. Engraved, printed and coloured by R. Havell (& Son), London

Cyprinus hybiscoides, common carp
Part of LS Plate 166 from the John Reeves Collection. John Reeves, a 19th Century Tea Inspector, travelled to Canton, China in order to develop a large collection of Chinese natural history drawings

Tetraodon lineatus, globe fish

Ocean sunfish (Mola mola) off Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. July

Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) detail of the eyes and mouth, United Kingdom, September

Schools of Pacific creolefish (Cephalopholis colonus) and Panamic sergeant major (Abudefduf troschelii) swimming through sun beams inside an underwater cavern

West African mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus) Joao Vieira Poillo, Bijagos Archipellago. Guinea Bissau

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Actinopterygii, also known as ray-finned fishes, encompass a diverse array of aquatic creatures that inhabit our oceans and freshwater ecosystems. From the graceful Dugong feeding on seagrass meadows to the majestic Killer Whales hunting in synchronized pods, these species captivate us with their remarkable behaviors. In the vibrant coral reefs, we encounter the Hawksbill sea turtle gracefully swimming above its colorful home. Its presence serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between marine life and their intricate habitats. Moving towards warmer waters, we are greeted by the Tarpon's striking portrait in Eleuthera, Bahamas. This magnificent fish showcases its strength and beauty against a backdrop of crystal-clear waters. Venturing into Brazil's Aquario Natural, we witness the Piraputanga fish navigating an underwater landscape with grace and agility. Their vibrant colors blend harmoniously with their surroundings, creating an enchanting sight for any observer. The Young European eel elvers or glass eels remind us of nature's incredible ability to adapt. These translucent creatures embark on epic journeys across vast distances to mature into adulthood. Delving deeper into kelp forests off Australia's coast, we discover the Weedy seadragon male diligently carrying eggs through this mesmerizing ecosystem. Their unique appearance resembles mythical creatures from folklore but is very much real and awe-inspiring. Descending further into darkness lies Malacosteus niger or stoplight loosejaw—a deep-sea dweller emitting an eerie red glow amidst pitch-black depths. Its haunting allure reminds us that there is still so much left unexplored beneath our planet's surface. Emerging from great depths comes another enigmatic creature—the Oarfish—with its elongated body shimmering silver under sunlight while sporting a vivid red dorsal fin extending along its entire length. This rare sighting leaves us marveling at nature's ability to create such extraordinary beings.