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These may be the only live photos of this rare endemic Hawaiian pipefish. It was found in shallow water a few feet deep in weed right in front of the Waikiki Aquarium by one of the aquarium staff, photographed in a tank (by me), and then returned to the reef. It is so rare that even the famed ichthyologist Dr. John E Randall, who dived and collected fish in Hawaii for over 50 years, writes that he never saw one.

A juvenile photographed at 100 ft. off South Point, Hawaii. This species is endemic to Johnston Atoll and is only found in Hawaii as an extremely rare waif. I tried to keep the location secret, but it leaked out via FB and the fish was collected and sold to a Japanese aquarist, probably for $5,000 or more! On the bright side, it may will live longer in captivity than it would have on the reef and has made several people very happy.

Nudibranchs are a group of sea slugs characterized by having no shell, thus having their gills exposed. The name in latin, nudibranchia, means precisely that: nudi (nude, exposed) + branchia (gills).
Instead of the protective shell, the nudibranchs use other intricate defense mechanisms and that's one of the reasons they are such an interesting group to study. Not to mention their exquisite appearance.

More info about this species:

www.seaslugforum.net/find/dondbany
hypselodoris.blogspot.com/2008/07/dondice-banyulensis-por...