Underwater photography - Invertebrates and other critters
Underwater photography - Invertebrates and other critters

 
Orange Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria miniata), feeding by stuffing plankton into its mouth. San Juan Islands, Washington, USA.
 
An Emperor Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius). Chambered Nautilus are virtual "living fossils", little changed for over 200 million years. Today, they are found only in tropical waters of the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
image reference code: seacucsj 3   image reference code: naut 1

 
This tiny Tiger Ovulid (Crenavolva tigris) is a sea snail that lives and feeds exclusively on Gorgonian corals. If disturbed, it withdraws its brilliantly colored mantle, revealing a rather plain looking shell. Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.
 
These Nudibranchs (Hypseodoris bullockii) are a fairly common, yet exceptionally beautiful species. Nudibranchs (the name means "naked gills") are marine snails that lack shells. Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.
image reference code: cowrie 35   image reference code: nb 135

 
These Harlequin Shrimp (Hymenocera elegans) feed exclusively on sea stars, often keeping them as live captives, consuming them over a period of a week or more. Mergui Archipelago, Andaman Sea, Myanmar.
  
This tiny Imperial Shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) lives in harmony with its host, a Sea Cucumber (Thelenota ananas). Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.
image reference code: shrimp 49   image reference code: shrimp 18

 
This Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyallarus) is a fearsome predator. It uses advanced eyesight to locate prey, then smashes open its victims with lightning-like speed using calcified, fist-like appendages. Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.
 
A Porcelain Crab (Neopetrolisthes maculata) perches on the base of its host, a Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica). Richelieu Rock, Andaman Sea, Thailand.
image reference code: mantis 1   image reference code: crab 16

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