A beautiful cuckoo wrasse which are found in Atlantic waters. They intrigue scientists because the female has the ability to change sex - when allowing them to reproduce - when there are no males close byThese stunning creatures look like they belong in the warm seas of the Maldives or the Great Barrier Reef.
The multicoloured fish, violet sea slugs and purple urchins, however, inhabit the waters off the coast of Wales.
Amateur divers captured these amazing images in the clear blue sea of the Skomer Marine Reserve.
The reserve surrounds the 760-acre Skomer Island off the Pembrokeshire coast, itself an important breeding ground for Manx shearwaters and puffins.
A compass jellyfish. It has a saucer-shaped bell that can be up to 8in in diameter and 24 tentacles up to 24in long. They are found in temperate and tropical seas 
Gooseberry sea squirts also known as ctenophoras. These creatures are made up of a mass of jelly. They function using a 'nerve net' rather than a brain or central nervous systemMore than 40,000 divers have explored the depths since the reserve was created 20 years ago, swimming with seals and fishes, and the occasional basking shark.
Scientists at the reserve realised that many of the divers were taking cameras down with them and decided to record the results
These are some of their remarkable pictures, the results of a photographic competition set up by reserve managers.
Nearly 100 species of sponge and 67 species of sea slug have been recorded, including two species of slug scientists were unaware of.
Marine Conservation Officer Mark Burton said: 'People think that our native fish and marine life are colourless and dull.
'But the photographs show that many of our fish can match the beauty of the world's famous coral reefs.'
It is in these rich waters off West Wales that divers took the stunning pictures
The red gurnard can grow up to 16in long and lives in the North-East Atlantic. They are very distinctive bottom-living fish with large heads and eyes. 
Blue Ray limpets (Helcion pellucidum) have been found by marine biologists all around the British coastline
A 'fried egg' sea slug. It gets its name from the perfect yellow-and-white circles that line its back
Scientists have been surprised by the wealth of colour found at greater depth - where the human eye is incapable of seeing it.Mr Burton said: 'Once we get down to 30ft there's not much colour - if you cut yourself blood looks a dull grey green.
'But these pictures show that fish like wrasse are very bright ... which means they must be seeing things we aren't.'
One of the prize specimens to pose for the cameras is the cuckoo wrasse which has baffled scientists for years because they are all born female.
But the divers also snapped two species of sea slugs which the marine biologists were unaware of.
Mr Burton said: 'There is so much stuff down there - we found 1,000 different species living on the sea bed alone.
'The reserve benefits has a range of habitats and attracts creatures from colder waters in the north and warmer waters.
'Some people have questioned whether the photographs have been digitally enhanced - but they are genuine pictures of the marine life off our shores.
'It shows just how wonderful the waters of Britain really are if you look close enough.'
See-through: The lightbulb seasquirt appears to glow
Smile please: A tompot blenny gets up close
A violet sea slug also known as a nudibranch. They eat tiny stinging animals, related to corals, then they reuse those stinging cells 
Dahlia anenomes which are the largest of the common sea anemones found around the British Isles source: dailymail
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