Underwater photographer Marty Snyderman’s fascinating body of work brings to life some of the more unique behaviors of the animals of the deep. Snyderman has dedicated his professional life to documenting these creatures – including those that clean other fish, guard fertilized eggs in their mouths, and “fish” for their dinner using a natural worm or fishlike lure incorporating their own body as a fishing rod. In order to find such intriguing creatures, Snyderman, 67, said a lot of discussion must first take place between himself and fishermen, scientists, photographers or even local diving instructors. Here: A California horn shark hatching from its egg casing in the middle of a dark spring night in a reef community off Catalina Island in southern California. Many sharks are live bearers, but horn sharks are egg layers. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A juvenile golden trevally, a member of the jack family, swimming just a few inches in front of a highly carnivorous gray reef shark. Specialists believe the behavior makes the jack safer when it swims in close proximity to sharks as it only has to keep track of one potential predator. The jack can react extremely fast if the shark tries to catch it, and no other animal is likely to approach the shark in an effort to pursue the colorful jack. The risk involved is too large for the potential reward. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A Hawaiian cleaner wrasse provides its cleaning services to a yellowfin goatfish in a reef community off the Big Island in Hawaii. Cleaner species help rid their hosts of ectoparasites, dead tissue, bacteria and fungi. Studies have shown cleaning to play a vital role in keeping many reef ecosystems healthy. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A pair of approximately six-foot long Chinese sea kraits (aka black-banded seasnakes) mating in the waters of far eastern Indonesia at Manuk Island, a small body of land also appropriately known by the name Snake Island. Like sea snakes, sea kraits are highly venomous, but fortunately, they ae not aggressive toward divers. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A pair of mandarinfish rise off of the reef below into the water column as they spawn. Mating occurs close to sunset if a male, the larger s*x, is able to successfully woo a willing female. These marine jewels occur over a wide swath of the Indo-Pacific. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A male yellowhead jawfish protects the fertilized eggs of its mate by holding them in his mouth until they hatch. The scene of this so-called Mr. Mom was captured over a shallow sandy bottom off the island of Cozumel, Mexico. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A scarlet cleaner shrimp providing its cleaning services to a yellow-edged moray eel (aka yellowmargin moray) in an Indonesian reef community. Cleaner species help rid their hosts of ectoparasites, dead tissue, bacteria and fungi. Studies have shown cleaning to play a vital role in keeping many reef ecosystems healthy. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A pair of white-eyed moray eels peer out of a crevice in a reef community off the coast of Puerto Galera, Philippines. While these morays are predators that readily feed on a variety of fishes, crustaceans, and mollusks, they are not aggressive, and they are often misunderstood due to their method of respiration. Unlike most fishes, morays need to open and close their mouths repeatedly to pump oxygen-rich water over their gills. Their fierce-looking behavior gives them a reputation for being much more vicious than they are. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A juvenile warty frogfish feeding on a reef near Dumaguete, Philippines. Frogfishes fish for their dinner by extending and wiggling a natural lure called an esca that is on the end of a rod, or illicium. The motion of the lure is intended to attract prey that consists mostly of small fishes and crustaceans. Frogfishes are slow swimmers, but they can open their mouths so fast that it creates a pressure differential in the water that helps them overwhelm and suck in their prey. Frogfishes are believed to be able to open their mouth faster than any other known animal. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





An oceanic manta ray being approached by a school of adult Clarion angelfish in the waters of the eastern tropical Pacific off of Mexicos Socorro Island, one of four islands in the Revillagigedo archipelago. Unlike many angelfishes, adult Clarion angelfish are cleaner fishes. Cleaners help rid their hosts of ectoparasites, dead tissue, bacteria and fungi. Studies have shown cleaning to play a vital role in keeping many marine ecosystems healthy. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





The garibaldi, the species pictured here, is the California state marine fish. Here you see two males in the midst of conflict over their turf. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A male ringtailed cardinalfish mouth brooding the fertilized eggs of his mate. Often referred to as Mr. Moms, male cardinalfishes take on the job of guarding the eggs by holding them in their mouth for the one-to-two weeks long period until the eggs hatch. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A hunting cuttlefish in Indonesia extends its two specialized tentacles that are designed to help capture prey as the cephalopod mollusk prepares to attack. Its prey consists primarily of very small shrimps, crabs and other crustaceans along with some small fishes. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





In this scene you see a large male bigfin reef squid (aka longfin reef squid) hovering over a female as she plants her egg casing in a patch of egg casings. The male is attempting to prevent other males from mating with this female at this vulnerable moment in her life. He is not performing a noble service, but is trying to make sure that it is his genes that are passed along to future generations. Confrontations between adult males can be physically intense, and when males fight, other males known as sneakers try to quickly mate with the female as she plants her egg casing. The scene was captured in Indonesias Lembeh Strait. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A group of whitetip reef sharks rest under a ledge on a wall at the small, remote island of Roca Partida, one of four islands that make up Mexicos Revillagigedo archipelago. The islands are located between 220 and 400 miles south of the southern end of the nations Baja peninsula in the eastern tropical Pacific. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A female peacock mantis shrimp holds a clutch of fertilized eggs. An Indo-Pacific species, peacock mantis shrimp reproduce via internal fertilization. Once eggs are laid, the female gathers, guards and cleans the precious cargo while carrying the eggs around on her front appendages until they hatch. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)





A squadron of juvenile golden trevally accompany a whitespotted pufferfish that is feeding in the sand along the shores of Dumaguete, Philippines. The mustache around the fishs lips reveal that it is actively feeding, an act that has the attention of the hungry jacks. The jacks will dart down from their position to try to grab uncovered prey and puffers leftovers. (Photo by Marty Snyderman/Caters News Agency)