All creatures under the sea

Atolla wyvillei. Deep-sea jellyfish. When attacked by a predator, it uses bioluminescence to \"scream\" for help. This amazing light show is known as a burglar alarm display. East of Izu-Oshina Island, 805 m depth by ROV Hyper Dolphin.

Branchiocerianthus imperator, a solitary hydroid. Sagami Bay, 670 m depth, photo by HOV Shinkai 2000.

Asteronyx loveni. A brittle star often associated with sea pens. Off Sanriku, 1265 m depth.

Lambis chiragra, Spider conch.

large root in the bone hosts heterotrophic symbionts. All Osedax males are dwarfs and live on the trunks of females.

Hydatinidae gen. sp. (red-lined paper bubble) Off Cape Nomamisaki, Kagoshima Whale Fall. This new species of hydatinid gastropod was discovered from a sperm whale carcass in the deep sea. Its tiny eyes are protected by cephalic shields.

Condylactis gigantea. Giant Caribbean Anemone

Hermodice carunculata. The bearded fireworm is a type of bristleworm, with groups of white bristles along each side. The bristles are hollow, venom-filled chaeta which easily penetrate the flesh and break off if this worm is handled. They produce an intense burning irritation in the area of contact, hence the common name of the species.

Ophiothrix suensonii. These nocturnal echinoderms are called Sponge Brittle Stars. They are very common in the Caribbean. They are so-named because they are found exclusively either inside or outside living sponges.

The Sargassum Fish (Histrio histrio) is a member of the frogfish family (Antennariidae), a group of small, globular fishes with stalked, grasping, limb-like pectoral fins with small gill openings behind the base, a trapdoor-like mouth high on the head, and a \"fishing lure\" (formed by the first dorsal spine) on the snout. It typically lives in open waters in close association with floating Sargassum Weed (Sargassum natans and S. fluitans), but is frequently blown into nearshore and bay waters during storms. Although the Sargassum Fish is capable of swimming quite rapidly, it often crawls through the Sargassum Weed, using its pectoral fins like arms.

The males of Leptocheliidae are characterized by dimorphic chelipeds, larger than those of the females, in some cases significantly exceeding the body length. While normally held folded, the chelipeds are extended fully-forward during swimming. The extremely slender chelipeds found in the Leptochelia minuta group are unlikely to be capable of any feeding or locomotory function. Collected at Lizard Island and Ningaloo.

Elpidia belyaevi, a new species of sea cucumber from the Arctic deep sea.