The first Fishiding habitat photos.

These early photographs capture the first Fishiding habitat models soon after they went into the water. The bright white PVC is the clearest clue that the material had not yet been colonized by periphyton and algae, the living coating that develops on submerged surfaces over time and starts the food chain with this mother’s milk of nourishment.

That fresh, high-contrast appearance makes these photos especially valuable. They show the original shapes, spacing, and open corridors of the habitat before the surface changed. They also record how fish began to use this unfamiliar cover: moving through its openings, holding close to the structure, and using its layers as places to pause, hide, and explore.

Credit goes to Eric and his curiosity to study this kind of habitat underwater. His photographs created a first-of-its-kind look into how fish utilize this man-made fish cover, giving us an early visual record of fish interacting with artificial cover in real water, not just how it looks above the surface.

Underwater photography and observations: Eric at UnderwaterFishPhotos.com.