A young lionfish photographed during a dive in Palm Beach, Florida. (Credit: Steven Kovacs)

Descending into pitch-black open ocean under the cover of inky skies can unnerve even experienced divers, but for underwater photographer Steven Kovacs, it’s a surprisingly addictive activity. “It’s like a treasure hunt. You never know what amazing creature will drift by or come up from the depths.”

While Kovacs has documented the strange and beautiful larval forms of many species during such dive