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Colorful Exposed Tilapia Nests at the Salton Sea

As the water level in the Salton Sea recedes, previously underwater fish nests like these are becoming exposed.

Spawning occurs when the water temp...
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As the water level in the Salton Sea recedes, previously underwater fish nests like these are becoming exposed.

Spawning occurs when the water temperature exceeds 68° F. Males dig large circular nests with their mouths in shallow water over a sandy bottom. The male swims out to a passing female and leads her to the nest where courtship occurs; female lays eggs and immediately takes into mouth after male fertilizes, after which she swims off, possibly to mate with another male. The males continue to guard nests and may spawn again with another female.

I believe a combination of algae, bacteria, and possibly minerals are what cause the interesting mix of colors in the water here.

To produce this panoramic image, I shot several frames side-by-side and then stitched them together in Lightroom. This was shot around sunset when the shadows and colors are more intense.

As always, prints are available on my website: www.KevinKeyPhotography.com
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