A BLENNY fish pokes its head out of a coral reef off the Caribbean island of St Lucia. Blennies aren’t known for their looks. They tend to be small, dull-coloured and slimy – hence their name, which means “mucus” in Greek.

Most of the 800 known blenny species live in warm, shallow waters. They slither along the seabed using their comb-like teeth to nibble algae and detritus off rocks and coral.

Because of the constant threat of being eaten by larger fish, blennies are generally found camouflaged against rubble patches or lurking behind coral. Here, the fish is propping itself up on its pelvic fins to scan for danger.

Photographer Jade Hoksbergen says she became fascinated with blennies after moving to St Lucia last year and getting her hands on an underwater camera for the first time. “I thought they made extremely interesting subjects due to the range in their facial expression, sometimes akin to the grimaces one would associate with gargoyles,” she says.

This shot captures the shy, wary nature of blennies, Hoksbergen says. “I wanted to illustrate their intricate detail whilst showing how their colour and texture blends seamlessly with the environment,” she says.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Gargoyle of the sea”