Daniel Sly, Portraits of Sydney's Unique Marine Residents (ANIMAL 2023)

Sydney, despite being a bustling metropolis of over 5 million people, is also home to a unique and diverse array of marine life, including the pot-bellied seahorse, pygmy pipehorse, and the eastern gobbleguts. These species, along with many others, can be found in the city's surrounding waters. The pot-bellied seahorse, known for its distinctive rounded belly and prehensile tail, can be found amongst the kelp beds and soft coral gardens along Sydney's coast. The pygmy pipehorse, a small and well-camouflaged species, hides amidst the algae that carpets the boulders beneath the water of Botany Bay. The eastern gobbleguts, during the summer months, carries it’s young in its mouth until they are developed and can be found in the shallow bays inside Sydney Harbour.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.