Hermissenda opalescens nudibranch in the Channel Islands.
Squid larva feeding on a larval mantis shrimp. Solomon Islands.
Nudibranch on a tunicate. Indonesia.
Blue starfish and soft coral reef scene. Indonesia.
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.
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.
Yellow crinoid shrimp. Indonesia.
Squid (Cephalapod sp.) under rain drops. Palau.
A bobtail squid near the surface at night in Truk Lagoon.
Coral pattern. Palau.
Pelagic nudibranch (about 3/4") on a blackwater dive off Oahu, Hawaii
Juvenile Hawaiian Saron shrimp (Saron marmoratus) collected as postlarva, raised in my aquarium and photographed in the studio. Hawaii.
Two fairy crabs (Lauriea siagiani). Papua New Guinea.
Chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius). Papua New Guinea.
Squat lobster in a crinoid. Indonesia.
Spider crab (Hyastenus bispinosus) on gorgonian. Fiji.
Nudibranch (Chromodoris michaeli). Philippines.
Peacock mantis shrimp (Hemisquilla ensiger). Papua New Guinea.
A reef squid on a bonfire dive in the Solomon Islands.
Flabellina iodinea - a common nudibranch in the Channel Islands.
A salp (pelagic tunicate)(about 2") in the open ocean at night.
An emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator ) on a serpentine sea cucumber. Indonesia.
Juvenile squid schooling at night. Florida.
Head on shot of peacock mantis shrimp (Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis) carrying a large clutch of eggs. Philippines.
Brain coral (Leptoria phrygia) pattern. Bahamas.
Blue boxer shrimp (Stenopus tenuirostris). Indonesia.
A spotted cleaner shrimp (Periclimenes yucatanicus) in a pink-tipped anemone. Bahamas
Head shot of a pelagic shrimp. Hawaii.
Chromodoris kuniei nudibranch. Indonesia.
A banded coral shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) in the Bahamas.
Mantis shrimp larva - 65.0 mm TL. Papua New Guinea.
Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) on a sea cucumber. Indonesia.
Anemone hermit crab (Dardanus pedunculatus). Indonesia.
A flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) lifts off from the muck in search of food. Indonesia.
Squid (Cephalapod sp.) at night. Palau.
A mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) peers out of its den. Indonesia.
A crinoid (Crinoid sp) looking stylish at night. Indonesia.
Humpback shrimp (Saron sp.). Fiji.
Lobster larva near settlement. Indonesia.
Starfish. Papua New Guinea.
Collected pink jellyfish (Pelagia species). Hawaii.
Head on shot of spiny tiger shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophthalmus). Indonesia.
Over-under scene of jellyfish under mangroves in Palau.
Bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana). Philippines.
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.
Flabellina iodinea nudibranch. California.
Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) out and about on a colorful reef. Indonesia.
Ctenophore gleaming in iridescence at night in the open ocean.
Dozens of starfish cover a sand bed at Cocos Island. Costa Rica.
Two giant basket stars (Astrophyton muricatum) at night. Indonesia.
Collected pelagic copepod (Sapphirina sp.) - 4.5 mm TL. Hawaii.
Squid larva - 12.6 mm TL. Papua New Guinea.
Decorator crab. Indonesia.
Juvenile banded mantis shrimp (Lysiosquilla maculata) reflecting off the surface on a blackwater dive in Palau.
Harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera elegans). Philippines.
Truk's wrecks are covered in orange sun corals that feed at night.
Head on shot of painted spiny lobster (P. versicolor). Fiji.
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.
Two soft corals attached to a giant giant clam (Tridachna gigas) in Palau.
Crab on a softcoral. Papua New Guinea.
Head on shot of a shrimp's eyes. Philippines.
Juvenile octopus reflects off the surface (Octopus sp.) in Papua New Guinea.
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.
Soft coral crab (Hoplophrys oatesi). Indonesia.
A cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) at dusk.
Collected unidentifed pelagic crustacean larva. Hawaii.
Flabellina nudibranch. Indonesia.
Swimming pelagic marine copepod (5.7 mm). Hawaii.
Bristle star and crabs on a soft coral. Papua New Guinea.
Saw blade shrimp (Tozeuma armatum) carrying eggs. Philippines.
Two-spot lizardfish (Synodus binotatus) with four stages of parasitic isopods. Tonga.
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.
Octopus larva - 9.5 mm TL. Papua New Guinea.
Portuguese man-of-war reeling in a damselfish larva at night in the open ocean.
A bright orange bristle star on a soft coral. Tonga.
Two bubble coral shrimp (Vir philippinensis) in an anemone. Papua New Guinea.
A swimming bristle worm at night. Indonesia.
Colorful shrimp doing yoga on a blackwater dive in Truk Lagoon.
Barred wire coral shrimp (Pontonides sp.). Fiji.
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.
Nudibranch (Chromidoris sp.). Philippines.
Hyperiid amphipods riding a jellyfish (hydromedusa) at night in the open ocean.
Crab on dendronephthya soft coral. Indonesia.
Crab close up. Indonesia.
Nudibranch (Nembrotha kubaryana). Papua New Guinea.
A sea cucumber (Holothuroidea sp.) extends off the reef and releases gametes in the current.
Nudibranch (Chromodoris willani). Indonesia.
Anenome shrimp (Periclemens sp.). Indonesia.
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.
Saron shrimp (Saron sp.) in a crevice. Papua New Guinea.
Jewel anemone (Corynactis virids).
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.
Spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus). Bahamas.
Anenome shrimp (Periclemenes sp.). Indonesia.
Collected blue pelagic shrimp. Hawaii.
Shrimp hitching a ride on a colonial radiolarian at night in the open ocean off Oahu, Hawaii.
Reef squid (Cephalapod sp.). Palau.
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.
Crab megalopa collected in an egg tow. Hawaii.
A close-up of the of the red pencil urchin's (Heterocentrotus mammillatus) spines and skeleton (test). Hawaii.
Nudibranchs (Chromodoris willani) at night. Philippines.
Pram bug (Phronima sedentaria) in the barrel of salp.
Collected sea swallow (Glaucus atlanticus), a pelagic aeolid nudibranch. Hawaii.
Fairy crab (Lauriea siagiani). Papua New Guinea.
A pair of harlequin shrimps (Hymenocera elegans) feeding on a starfish (Linkia sp.) in Indonesia.
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.
Reef squid in defense posture on a blackwater dive. Solomon Islands.
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.
Odd looking donald duck shrimp (Leander plumosus) on a coral. Indonesia.
Nudibranch (Flabellina sp.). Indonesia.
Nudibranch (Chromodoris lochi). Philippines.
A spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus). Bahamas.
Emperor shrimp or Imperial shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) lives commensally on a number of hosts, including this sea slug: Hexabranchus. Philippines.
Bird's eye view of painted spiny lobster (Panulirus vesicolor). Indonesia.
Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) lives commensally on a number of hosts, including this sea slug: Hexabranchus. Philippines.
Juvenile cuttlefish. Papua New Guinea.
Ctenophore (about 2") feeding on a bristle worm on a blackwater dive off Oahu.
A Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) on a blackwater dive off Oahu.
Crinoid shrimp (Hippolyte catagrapha). Philippines.
Giant marine hermit crab (Petrochirus diogenes ) on a wreck in the Bahamas.
Mating nudibranchs (Nembrotha lineolata). Indonesia.
California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus). California.
Porcelain anemone crab (Neopetrolisthes maculosus) on a carpet anemone. Indonesia.
A sea elephant (Pterotrachea coronata) at night in the open ocean.
Yellow spotted guard crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) collected as postlarva, raised in my aquarium and photographed in the studio. Hawaii.
Bobtail squid postures to defend itself against the bright beam of my focus light.
Nudibranch (Nembrotha sp.) on a tunicate. Indonesia.
Flabellina nudibranch. Philippines.
Octopus larva - 9.5 mm TL. Papua New Guinea.
Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator). Philippines.
Larval squid releasing ink. Papua New Guinea.
Juvenile saron shrimp near the surface at night in Truk Lagoon.
An octopus larva hitches a ride on a leaf on a blackwater dive in the Solomon Islands.
Green-eye dancing shrimp (Cinetorhynchus sp.). Fiji.
Crinoid shrimp (Hippolyte catagrapha). Philippines.
Crinoid squat lobster (Allogalathea elegans). Indonesia.
Blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) juvenile on Halimeda algae. Papua New Guinea.
Nudibranch (Nembrotha purpureolineata). Papua New Guinea.
Harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera elegans) feeding on a sea star (Linkia sp.). Indonesia.
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.
Pyrosome at night. Pyrosomes are actually free-floating colonial tunicates made up of hundreds to thousands of individuals, known as zooids. California.
Hyperiid amphipod frequently parasitize hydromedusa and other gelatinous animals.
