Lunar Landscape

I have to admit, this was very strange!

Porcupine Ray

Image: Christa Rohrbach
Urogymnus asperrimus

HANDLE WITH CARE!

River Dolphin

Image: LNarimatsu

Ah, the magical dolphin! From the cheeky grin to that sensuously curved tail fin, they are truly made for the sea-faring life. We watch them with admiration and a twinge of envy as they effortlessly carve their way through the ocean and leap into the air from the wake of our bulky, steel ships.

High-spined Commensal Hydroid

Image: Seascapeza
Hydractinia altispina

The hydroid that makes a monkey orangutan of a mollusc!

Sand Bubbler Crab

Image: Donald Hobern

Sisyphus was that unfortunate Greek king noted for his cruelty and legendary deceitfulness. He was so good (at being bad) he even tricked Thanatos, or Death Himself as we may know him today, to chain himself up in the Underworld. Through such sly and wicked means did we all become immortal! For a while.

The Blues III

Image: JJ Harrison

It's the most mis'rable time of the year!
When your tears are upwelling
And everyone's telling you be of good cheer
It's the most mis'rable time of the year!

Red Slate Pencil Urchin

Image: Scott Roy Atwood
Heterocentrotus mamillatus

What on Earth? Is this what passes for spines these days? Someone's really let themselves go...

Battle of the Tiny Titans

Those famously epic battles between Sperm Whales and Giant Squid are cool and all but aren't they a little, shall we say, 20th century?

Mako Shark

Image: Patrick Doll

Ah, just what we need. Big, fast-moving sharks with big, sharp teeth and big, black eyes that are either soulless or full of other people's souls. Gaze into those orbs of darkness. Go on!

If you feel NOTHING and continue to feel NOTHING for the rest of your life (or "life"), then congratulations! You're a statistic on humanity's path to ever-increasing knowledge. If we remember your name, we'll put it on a certificate or something.

Edwardsiella andrillae

Image: Daly et al

Newly discovered Sea Anemone lives in glacial ice!

Donald Duck Shrimp

Image: Klaus Stiefel
Leander plumosus

Poor, old Donald Duck. Someone needs to tell that guy that blind rage and mean-spiritedness is not a good way of dealing with a speech impediment and an extraordinary lack of good fortune. I hope his shrimp learned that lesson because a shrimp's fury is more futile than most. Sad, but true.

Water Springtail

Image Christian Fischer
Podura aquatica

Rising from peaceful, still waters, a huge colony of living tyres placidly congregate at an undisclosed location. They are Michelin Maggots, one of the earliest and most delicate stages of the Michelin Man life cycle.

Tiny, Spiny Blennies

Image: prilfish
Roughhead Blenny, Acanthemblemaria aspera

These blennies are so cute they had to grow spikes all over their face to defend themselves from all the cootchie-cootchie-coos.

Coco Worm

Image: Bernard DUPONT
Protula bispiralis

Another year blossoms into being. Here in what we like to call Dear Old Blighty it's a reassuringly cold, grey and wet day. At least some of the old certainties still apply!