Stargazer Fish Emerges From Ocean Floor

The creature, known as a stargazer fish, looks like a being straight from a Sci-fi movie. 

And it’s not just a fearsome appearance - the venomous fish buries itself in sand and can cause electric shocks.

London based photographer Jennifer Jo Stock, 33, snapped this portrait while diving with a group and local guide in the Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. 

Jennifer said: “The guide took out a little pipet and blew away the sand, revealing this hellish face to me.

“I was originally engrossed with photographing a ghost pipefish when the guid tapped me on the shoulder and indicated for me to follow him. 

“I followed him and was pleased when we swam up to a huge pair of creepy eyes glaring up at me out of the black sand. 

“I didn’t want to scare the fish away so I approached with caution and tried to get the right angle." 

She took one clear shot before the 30cm long fish darted away from her view. 

Jennifer is a camera operator and television director, and has been photographing sea creatures for the past two years. 

She said: “I’ve wanted to take my photography to a new place and combing in this with diving has offered some really fresh challenges. 

“I’d never been to Lembeh nor seen a stargazer before - diving there offered a whole new host of underwater gems to me.”