Sunday 29 May 2016

Cusk-eel

Image: NOAA/Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
I'd like to call this thing a "fish-shaped lump of flab" but it's scarcely even fish-shaped!

Friday 27 May 2016

Kinabalu Crested Dragon

Image: Bernard DUPONT
Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis
I love miniature dragons! So much more convenient than the full-sized ones, wouldn't you agree?

Wednesday 25 May 2016

Brain on Holiday


Some might claim this is Leuckartiara octona, a jellyfish widespread in chillier parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...

Sunday 22 May 2016

Stability, Prettily

Image: James Niland
Struts, braces, load-bearing walls... Our efforts at structural integrity are all very well for boring endeavours like holding up bridges, holding up houses and holding up random other stuff. You know, the actual 'structural integrity' part of it. But when it comes to aesthetics. When it comes to beauty. When it comes to looking like you have lightning coming out of your hands. There, the spiders emphatically win.

Or so it was once thought...

Friday 20 May 2016

Queen of the Andes

Image: inyucho
Puya raimondii
*pew pew*

Commander Humperdinck grimaced as he fired photon-rockets from his shoulder mounted, heavy light-bazooka. White trails arced over the carnage of the Andesian Royal Hall and exploded into multi-coloured sparks that sent vegetable men sprawling in all directions. The hall filled with the stench of vegetarian roast dinner.

Wednesday 18 May 2016

Phylliroe

Image: Fabien Michenet/nuditahiti.com
It's a sea slug that thinks it's a fish! And it's so good at being a fish you may well need a second look to decide if it's a weird-looking sea slug or a weird-looking fish.

Sunday 15 May 2016

Rat-tailed Maggot

Image: Biopix: N Sloth
Goodness me! Whatever next? Louse-headed mouse? Flea-legged parking inspector? Cockroach-winged PR guru?

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Big Stick Diplomacy


Walk softly...


Drag a big stick behind you.

Wednesday 4 May 2016

Hairy Shrimp

Phycocaris simulans
It's a tiny shrimp...