Flabellina nudibranch. Indonesia.
Nudibranch
Giant marine hermit crab (Petrochirus diogenes ) on a wreck in the Bahamas.
Hermit crab
Squat lobster on a sponge. These decapod crustaceans are not lobsters at all, but are more closely related to porcelain crabs, hermit crabs and then, more distantly, true crabs. Halmahera, Indonesia.
Squat lobster
Emperor shrimp or Imperial shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) lives commensally on a number of hosts, including this sea slug: Hexabranchus. Philippines.
Imperial shrimp
Collected unidentifed pelagic crustacean larva. Hawaii.
Unidentified crustacean larva.
Crab on dendronephthya soft coral. Indonesia.
Crab on soft coral
A salp (pelagic tunicate)(about 2") in the open ocean at night.
Salp
Head on shot of painted spiny lobster (P. versicolor). Fiji.
Painted spiny lobster
Anenome shrimp (Periclemenes sp.). Indonesia.
Anenome shrimp
Yellow spotted guard crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) collected as postlarva, raised in my aquarium and photographed in the studio. Hawaii.
Yellow spotted guard crab
Two-spot lizardfish (Synodus binotatus) with four stages of parasitic isopods. Tonga.
Parasitic isopods
Jewel anemone (Corynactis virids).
Jewel anemone
Mating nudibranchs (Nembrotha lineolata). Indonesia.
Nudibranchs mating
Squid larva feeding on a larval mantis shrimp. Solomon Islands.
Larval squid
Nudibranch (Nembrotha purpureolineata). Papua New Guinea.
Nudibranch
Two soft corals attached to a giant giant clam (Tridachna gigas) in Palau.
Giant giant clam
Pelagic nudibranch (about 3/4") on a blackwater dive off Oahu, Hawaii
Pelagic nudibranch
Nudibranch (Chromodoris michaeli). Philippines.
Nudibranch
A bright orange bristle star on a soft coral. Tonga.
Bristle star
Pyrosome at night. Pyrosomes are actually free-floating colonial tunicates made up of hundreds to thousands of individuals, known as zooids. California.
Pyrosome
Colorful shrimp doing yoga on a blackwater dive in Truk Lagoon.
Shrimp yogi
A reef squid (Sepioteuthis sp.) in full irridescence. Cephalopods create this amazing camouflage using specialized color changing cells (chromatophores) and reflecting cells (iridocytes) in the skin. Indonesia.
Reef Squid at night
Hyperiid amphipod frequently parasitize hydromedusa and other gelatinous animals.
Hydromedusa with hyperiid amphipod
Octopus larva - 9.5 mm TL. Papua New Guinea.
Octopus larva
Crinoid squat lobster (Allogalathea elegans). Indonesia.
Crinoid squat lobster
Lobster larva near settlement. Indonesia.
Lobster larva
Soft coral crab (Hoplophrys oatesi). Indonesia.
Soft coral crab
Decorator crab. Indonesia.
Crab
Bird's eye view of painted spiny lobster (Panulirus vesicolor). Indonesia.
Spiny lobster
A cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) at dusk.
Cuttlefish
Juvenile cuttlefish. Papua New Guinea.
Juvenile cuttlefish
Juvenile squid schooling at night. Florida.
Juvenile squid
A spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus). Bahamas.
Spotted spiny lobster
Nudibranch (Chromidoris sp.). Philippines.
Nudibranch
Chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius). Papua New Guinea.
Chambered nautilus
Reef squid (Cephalapod sp.). Palau.
Squid
Blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) juvenile on Halimeda algae. Papua New Guinea.
Juvenile blue-ringed octopus
A mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) peers out of its den. Indonesia.
Mantis shrimp
Juvenile Hawaiian Saron shrimp (Saron marmoratus) collected as postlarva, raised in my aquarium and photographed in the studio. Hawaii.
Saron shrimp
Porcelain anemone crab (Neopetrolisthes maculosus) on a carpet anemone. Indonesia.
Porcelain anemone crab
A pair of harlequin shrimps (Hymenocera elegans) feeding on a starfish (Linkia sp.) in Indonesia.
Harlequin shrimp pair feeding
Nudibranch on a tunicate. Indonesia.
Nudibranch
Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) out and about on a colorful reef. Indonesia.
Common octopus
Odd looking donald duck shrimp (Leander plumosus) on a coral. Indonesia.
Donald duck shrimp
Flabellina nudibranch. Philippines.
Nudibranch
Hermissenda opalescens nudibranch in the Channel Islands.
Hermissenda opalescens nudibranch
Two bubble coral shrimp (Vir philippinensis) in an anemone. Papua New Guinea.
Bubble coral shrimp
A Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) on a blackwater dive off Oahu.
Hawaiian bobtail squid
Crab close up. Indonesia.
Crab
A crinoid (Crinoid sp) looking stylish at night. Indonesia.
Crinoid elegance
Barred wire coral shrimp (Pontonides sp.). Fiji.
Wire coral shrimp
A swimming bristle worm at night. Indonesia.
Bristle worm
Saw blade shrimp (Tozeuma armatum) carrying eggs. Philippines.
Saw blade shrimp
California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus). California.
Spiny lobster
Chromodoris kuniei nudibranch. Indonesia.
Nudibranch
Squid (Cephalapod sp.) at night. Palau.
Squid
Mantis shrimp larva - 65.0 mm TL. Papua New Guinea.
Mantis shrimp larva
Crab on a softcoral. Papua New Guinea.
Crab
Squid (Cephalapod sp.) under rain drops. Palau.
Squid on surface
Collected sea swallow (Glaucus atlanticus), a pelagic aeolid nudibranch. Hawaii.
Aeolid
Spider crab (Hyastenus bispinosus) on gorgonian. Fiji.
Spider crab
Harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera elegans). Philippines.
Harlequin shrimp
Collected pink jellyfish (Pelagia species). Hawaii.
Jellyfish
Humpback shrimp (Saron sp.). Fiji.
Humpback shrimp
I found a large aggregation of several hundred moon jellyfish in the lee of a small island in open ocean. Moon jellyfish aggregate under favorable (slack current) conditions to reproduce sexually. Solomon Islands.
Moon jellyfish aggregation
An emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator ) on a serpentine sea cucumber. Indonesia.
Emperor shrimp
Two juvenile jacks swim above a barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo) at night in Truk Lagoon. Barrel jellyfish are very common in Truk Lagoon during the late summer months.
Jellyfish and jacks
Atlantic triton's trumpet (Charonia variegata) feeding on a cushion sea star (Oreaster reticulatus). Sea stars are the triton’s primary prey item. A trumpet snail paralizes its prey with an injection of toxic saliva, and then bores through the body with its strong teeth. Adult trumpets are heavily collected for their beautiful shells, which has allowed sea star populations to proliferate in recent years. Bahamas.
Atlantic triton's trumpet feeding on starfish
A close-up of the of the red pencil urchin's (Heterocentrotus mammillatus) spines and skeleton (test). Hawaii.
Pencil urchin close-up.
Nudibranch (Nembrotha kubaryana). Papua New Guinea.
Nudibranch
Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) on a sea cucumber. Indonesia.
Emperor shrimp
Spiny brittle stars (Ophiothrix spiculata) became dominant on deeper California kelp beds after the 1998 El Nino and may cover nearly 100% of the bottom in some areas. They are filter feeders and require clean, oxygen-rich water, which makes them a good indicator species for a healthy ecosystem.
Spiny brittle stars
A reef squid on a bonfire dive in the Solomon Islands.
Reef squid
Head on shot of a shrimp's eyes. Philippines.
Shrimp eyes
Over-under scene of jellyfish under mangroves in Palau.
Jellyfish below mangroves
Ctenophore gleaming in iridescence at night in the open ocean.
Ctenophore
Swimming pelagic marine copepod (5.7 mm). Hawaii.
Copepod swmming under microscope
Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) lives commensally on a number of hosts, including this sea slug: Hexabranchus. Philippines.
Emperor shrimp on nudibranch
Head shot of a pelagic shrimp. Hawaii.
Pelagic shrimp close up
Collected pelagic copepod (Sapphirina sp.) - 4.5 mm TL. Hawaii.
Sapphirina
Dozens of starfish cover a sand bed at Cocos Island. Costa Rica.
Starfish
Head on shot of spiny tiger shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophthalmus). Indonesia.
Spiny tiger shrimp
Blue boxer shrimp (Stenopus tenuirostris). Indonesia.
Blue boxer shrimp
Bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana). Philippines.
Bigfin reef squid
Collected blue pelagic shrimp. Hawaii.
Blue shrimp close up
An octopus larva hitches a ride on a leaf on a blackwater dive in the Solomon Islands.
Larval octopus
Pram bug (Phronima sedentaria) in the barrel of salp.
Phronima in salp
Shrimp hitching a ride on a colonial radiolarian at night in the open ocean off Oahu, Hawaii.
Shrimp on radiolarian
The rare sight of a slipper lobster puerulus on a blackwater dive off Oahu. The puerulus stage is the transitional form from pelagic larva (phyllosoma) to benthic juvenile in lobsters.
Slipper lobster puerulus
Nudibranch (Nembrotha sp.) on a tunicate. Indonesia.
Nudibranch
Crown jellyfish (Cephea cephea) off Oahu, Hawaii. Crown jellyfish have a deep groove running around the bell, giving them the crown shape from which they take their name. Hawaii.
Crown jellyfish
California mussel and purple sea urchins in the lower intertidal zone of Santa Cruz island, California. Purple urchins usually feed on plant matter, such as kelp, but, in tough times when algae is depleted, can also use their heavy-duty teeth to grind through barnacle and mussel shells. With their ability to withstand a wide range of ocean temperatures. purple sea urchins may well be among the ocean’s ultimate survivors. Areas dominated by purple urchins are increasing throughout the Channel Islands.
Mussels and sea urchins
Ctenophore (about 2") feeding on a bristle worm on a blackwater dive off Oahu.
Ctenophore
Nudibranch (Chromodoris willani). Indonesia.
Nudibranch
Two fairy crabs (Lauriea siagiani). Papua New Guinea.
Fairy crabs
Anemone hermit crab (Dardanus pedunculatus). Indonesia.
Anemone hermit crab
A flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) lifts off from the muck in search of food. Indonesia.
Flamboyant cuttlefish
Flabellina iodinea nudibranch. California.
Nudibranch
Fairy crab (Lauriea siagiani). Papua New Guinea.
Fairy crab
Crown jellyfish (Cephea cephea) on a night dive. Crown jellyfish have a deep groove running around the bell, giving them the crown shape from which they take their name. Hawaii.
Crown jellyfish
Bobtail squid postures to defend itself against the bright beam of my focus light.
Bobtail squid in defense posture
Reef squid in defense posture on a blackwater dive. Solomon Islands.
Reef squid
Starfish. Papua New Guinea.
Starfish
Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis sp.). Like all cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and eight arms. There are around 300 species of squid. Indonesia.
Reef squid
Nudibranch (Flabellina sp.). Indonesia.
Nudibranch
Larval squid releasing ink. Papua New Guinea.
Larval squid
Green-eye dancing shrimp (Cinetorhynchus sp.). Fiji.
Dancing shrimp
Crinoid shrimp (Hippolyte catagrapha). Philippines.
Crinoid shrimp
A banded coral shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) in the Bahamas.
Banded coral shrimp
Yellow crinoid shrimp. Indonesia.
Crinoid shrimp
Spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus). Bahamas.
Spotted spiny lobster
Crinoid shrimp (Hippolyte catagrapha). Philippines.
Crinoid shrimp
Bristle worm epitoke in the open ocean at night. An epitoke is posterior sexual part of a bristle worm (and other polychaetes) that develops from the anterior asexual part. Epitokes swim to ocean surface and release sperm and eggs during their breeding season.
Bristle worm epitoke
Coral pattern. Palau.
Coral pattern
Octopus larva - 9.5 mm TL. Papua New Guinea.
Octopus larva
Portuguese man-of-war reeling in a damselfish larva at night in the open ocean.
Portuguese man-of-war fishing
Saron shrimp (Saron marmoratus). Saron shrimps are quite variable in color and pattern. They may have greenish, brown, or even red, purple or blue markings. Ambon, Indonesia.
Saron shrimp
Peacock mantis shrimp (Hemisquilla ensiger). Papua New Guinea.
Mantis shrimp
A sea elephant (Pterotrachea coronata) at night in the open ocean.
Sea elephant
Juvenile saron shrimp near the surface at night in Truk Lagoon.
Juvenile saron shrimp
Flabellina iodinea - a common nudibranch in the Channel Islands.
Flabellina iodinea
Blue starfish and soft coral reef scene. Indonesia.
Sea star
Brain coral (Leptoria phrygia) pattern. Bahamas.
Brain coral
Squid larva - 12.6 mm TL. Papua New Guinea.
Squid larva
Juvenile octopus reflects off the surface (Octopus sp.) in Papua New Guinea.
Juvenile octopus on surface
Squat lobster in a crinoid. Indonesia.
Squat lobster
A sea cucumber (Holothuroidea sp.) extends off the reef and releases gametes in the current.
Spawning sea cucumber
Hyperiid amphipods riding a jellyfish (hydromedusa) at night in the open ocean.
Jellyfish with hyperiid amphipod
Two giant basket stars (Astrophyton muricatum) at night. Indonesia.
Basket stars
A spotted cleaner shrimp (Periclimenes yucatanicus) in a pink-tipped anemone. Bahamas
Cleaner shrimp
A bobtail squid near the surface at night in Truk Lagoon.
Bobtail squid
Nudibranch (Chromodoris lochi). Philippines.
Nudibranch
Crab megalopa collected in an egg tow. Hawaii.
Crab megalopa
Head on shot of peacock mantis shrimp (Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis) carrying a large clutch of eggs. Philippines.
Mantis Shrimp with eggs
Anenome shrimp (Periclemens sp.). Indonesia.
Anenome shrimp
Nudibranchs (Chromodoris willani) at night. Philippines.
Nudibranchs
Bristle star and crabs on a soft coral. Papua New Guinea.
Brittle star and crab
Saron shrimp (Saron sp.) in a crevice. Papua New Guinea.
Saron shrimp
Truk's wrecks are covered in orange sun corals that feed at night.
Orange sun coral
Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator). Philippines.
Emperor shrimp
Harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera elegans) feeding on a sea star (Linkia sp.). Indonesia.
Harlequin shrimp feeding
Juvenile banded mantis shrimp (Lysiosquilla maculata) reflecting off the surface on a blackwater dive in Palau.
Mantis shrimp
