Koh Tao - Lovers and cucumbers...

During my dives, I met surprising animals such as romantic AND faithful fish.

Hong Kong butterflyfishes pairs are lifelong. They protect each other against predators, find their food together and offer us the opportunity to take beautiful pictures of beautiful little couples.

There are other more amazing life forms like sea cucumber.

credit: Amada44 et chaloklum-diving.com

I have seen several varieties on the seabed. At first, I wondered if it was a plant or an animal. It's that it doesn't move very quickly,... one or two centimeters per hour, not enough to compete with a cheetah.

Its slowness is only one of its characteristics. Cousin of starfish and sea urchins, it breathes by the anus. Yes, yes, through the fart hole.

To breathe well, she has to leave it wide open and then...some fish come in to make it their home. Even worse, or better depending on your point of view, these fish make it their pantry by munching on the inside of the sea cucumber which... regenerates as it goes.

credit: ssaft.com

Still, it's rather unpleasant to be eaten from the inside, so some sea cucumbers have developed teeth around their anus in an attempt to defend themselves.