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

    Spineless-p6-7

    __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

    Spineless-p47

    __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

    Spineless-p43

    __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

    Spineless-p40

    __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

    Spineless-p256

    __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

    Spineless-p209

    __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.
Read More
OpenAI’s Rogue AI Agent Hacked More Than Just Hugging Face
In a new disclosure, OpenAI says its agent used exposed logins to gain access to at least four “publicly available services” in its unhinged quest to solve a test.
Dell Cameron
A Typo Landed an Innocent Gamer in Prison for 18 Months
How much could a single underscore in a username really matter? Just ask Brandon Klayme, who served 18 months in prison before realizing how authorities arrested, charged, and convicted the wrong man.
Nate Anderson, Ars Technica
Ebay Has to Pay $55.7 Million in Settlement for Its Unhinged Harassment Campaign
For months on end, eBay employees and contractors made life hell for a couple that had criticized the company. Six years later, the company is finally paying up.
Lauren Goode
Laura Loomer’s Reversal on Ukraine Stirs Up the MAGA Civil War
Donald Trump’s base has been increasingly spilt. Laura Loomer’s sudden embrace of Ukraine has only widened that divide.
David Gilbert
Is the Electric Trike the Next Big Thing in Shared Micromobility?
Veo is launching accessibility-focused electric tricycles in Denver, with plans to put its e-trikes on the streets nationwide.
Boone Ashworth
What WIRED Writers Would Actually Give Their Moms
Your mom never gets you a thoughtless gift, so you shouldn’t get her one, either. Here’s every cool gift WIRED writers would give their mothers.
Nena Farrell
Which Apple Watch Should You Buy?
Should you splurge on the new Series 11, or will the SE 3 do? Let us help you figure out which version to get (and which to avoid).
Boutayna Chokrane
12 Adventurous Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, and Outdoorsy People
Let them pick out their own hiking boots. Instead, try gifting a useful blade or a nature journal to delight your outdoorsy friend.
Scott Gilbertson
A Two-Person Startup Has Fixed One of the Most Hated Sounds in Modern Life
Beeeep. Beeeep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Jeremy White
Can the New York Times Save Journalism From Our AI Overlords?
In 2023, the Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. They’ve since spent more than $20 million on the case, and publisher A.G. Sulzberger has no plans to stop fighting it.
Katie Drummond
Silicon Valley’s Next IPO Billionaires Are Coming. Nonprofits Are Ready for Them
Anthropic and OpenAI employees are expected to give generously after their companies go public. “It’s going to be a wild ride,” says one nonprofit leader.
Paresh Dave
The Dyson V16 Piston Animal Can Do It All
Dyson’s new stick vacuum can vacuum and mop in a single cordless device—if you’re willing to really splurge.
Nena Farrell