Gallery: Striking Portraits Bring the Bizarre Beauty of Marine Invertebrates to Life

  • Image may contain Animal Sea Life Invertebrate and Jellyfish
    © Susan Middleton
    01

    Red-Eye MedusaPolyorchis penicillatusTaxon: cnidarian hydromedusa

    __Red-Eye Medusa__ Unlike most jellyfish, *Polyorchis penicillatus* spends most of its time on the ocean bottom during the day. It perches on its tentacles and feeds on animals crawling on the sand.
  • Image may contain Animal Invertebrate Sea Anemone Sea Life and Plant
    © Susan Middleton
    02

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    __Opalescent Nudibranch__ The orange-tipped tentacles of *Hermissenda crassicornis* are detachable, which helps the animal escape the grasping claws of hungry crabs.
  • Image may contain Jewelry Accessories Accessory Agate Ornament Gemstone Food and Egg
    © Susan Middleton
    03

    Orange-Rimmed Flatwormcf. Maiazoon orsakiTaxon: flatworm

    __Orange-Rimmed Flatworm__ This hemaphroditic flatwork (perhaps *Maiazoon orsaki*) has two penises and three to five female openings. No one knows why.
  • Image may contain Accessories Accessory Jewelry Plant Fruit Food Pineapple and Brooch
    © Susan Middleton
    04

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    __Frilled Anemone__ In nature, the stalk of this member of the *Phymanthus* genus would be buried in sediment. Only its tentacles would be exposed, and they blend in with the sand to fool unsuspecting prey.
  • Image may contain Animal Sea Life Reptile Lizard Food Seafood Snake and Squid
    © Susan Middleton
    05

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    __Stubby Squid__ *Rossia pacifica* is not a true squid. It buries itself in the sandy ocean bottom during the day and crawls out at night.
  • Image may contain Food Seafood Animal Sea Life and Crab
    © Susan Middleton
    06

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    __White Phantom Crab__ *Tanaoa distinctus* is named after a Polynesian god who was banished to the depths of the ocean.
  • Image may contain Animal Sea Life Invertebrate Seafood Food Lobster and Octopus
    © Susan Middleton
    07

    Pink Brittle StarOphiomyxa australisTaxon: brittle star

    __Pink Brittle Star__ Brittle stars, like this *Ophiomyxa australis* move by designating one of their five arms as the front and "rowing" with the other four to propel itself forward.
  • Image may contain Animal Sea Life Invertebrate and Insect
    © Susan Middleton
    08

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    __Gold-Banded Hermit Crab__ This crab's shell is also home to anemones, tubeworms, and barnacles.
  • Image may contain Animal Invertebrate Insect and Food
    © Susan Middleton
    09

    Squid (juvenile)Gonatus onyx

    __Black-eyed squid__ *Gonatus onyx* is the first squid species shown to take care of its young instead of releasing them en masse on the ocean floor. In 2000, biologists discovered black-eyed squid females holding large gelatinous masses of embryos in their arms.
  • Image may contain Animal Invertebrate Insect Seafood Food Sea Life and Crab
    © Susan Middleton
    10

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    __Widehand Hermit Crab__ *Elassochirus tenuimanus* inside the shell of a moon snail. Hermit crabs appropriate the shells of snails for protection, but at a price---they can never grow larger than their shell allows.
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