Dafila Scott captures the #IconicFishes of Raja Ampat
What happens when a zoologist and wildlife artist dives into one of the most biodiverse marine environments in the world? For Dafila Scott, the experience became inspiration for a new series of pastels featuring some of our #IconicFishes.
A dive among the spectacular reefs of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, earlier this year became the inspiration for three new additions to our Inspired by #IconicFishes art movement. Her pastel work brings some of our iconic fishes to life: a common seahorse, a trumpetfish shadowing a yellow-masked angelfish, and another trumpetfish shadowing a redmouth grouper.
The latter two capture a particularly fascinating behaviour. Trumpetfishes have been observed closely following larger fishes, using them as camouflage to approach their prey. Dafila’s pastels capture these moments as she experienced them underwater, bringing together careful observation of animal behaviour and her eye as a wildlife artist.
Trumpetfish shadowing © Rich Carey / Shutterstock
Her latest works invite us to look a little more closely at some of the remarkable fishes sharing our reefs and the behaviours that make them so fascinating.
We would love to see more art that reveals and celebrates the wonders of these often-overlooked fishes. Join the Inspired by #IconicFishes art movement and share your own creativity with a worldwide audience.
🎨 Explore our Inspiration Kit at www.iconicfishes.art
🌟 Create new art or share existing art inspired by our iconic fishes
📲 Post on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, or Mastodon, tagging @IconicFishes with #IconicFishes
📧 Not on social media? Email us at iconicfishes@projectseahorse.org
💙💪 Together, let’s give these fishes the spotlight they deserve! 💪💙
