For The Bigfin Reef Squid, Mating Is A Serious Business. 

its pride month pillowspace. you know what that means.

huh? what? do you want me to post like, gay sea slugs? what?

Deep Sea Brotula

During a dive to the Galapagos Rift Zone in 1988, scientists in Alvin saw this strange purple fish hanging out in the super-hot water gushing from hydrothermal vents at about 8,200 feet (2500 meters) depth. Pilot Ralph Hollis quickly netted the fish and brought it back to the surface for further examination. Scientists determined that it was in the genus Bythites, of which there are three Atlantic species, and promptly named it after Hollis: Bythites hollisi. They also found that it produces live young (as opposed to eggs) and is a relative of the better-known cusk eel. By 2002, more of these fish had been caught, and scientists decided that this Equatorial Eastern Pacific specimen was so different from the three Atlantic species that it warranted a new genus, Gerhardia. But a few years later, scientists wishing to avoid confusion with a beetle with the same moniker proposed another name, Thermichthys hollisi, referring to the fish’s preferred hangout, the hydrothermal vents of the Galapagos Rift Zone. So far, no other fish of this genus have been found.

via: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)

NEXT UP ON THE SEPTEMBER UPDATE

Glass animals!

These real animals have transluscent properties, where their skin is see through and you're able to see their skeleton and insides... of course I tried my best to cutify them for you all!

This is a series of charms that utilises the transparency of the acrylic to make these creatures pop out, and with the addition of double sided epoxy it gives the effect of holding a real animal (pretty weird to experience!)

With 8 designs I'm sure there's some which catch your eye 👀

17th of October 2024: Creseis virgula

Today we are returning back to the ocean to look at a critter without a common name: Creseis virgula. They’re a type of mollusc who can be found in tropical waters all around the world as well as in the Upper Atlantic [1]. Their species name derives from the latin for small rod [2].

They are indeed quite small, having a maximum length of 7 mm, with their shell being entirely transparent and characterised by a small curve at the top while the front is straight. The curve is a lot more prominent when they are still young. Their bodies meanwhile can be recognised by their small wing-like appendages [3].

They are most common during the late summer and autumn when the temperatures are still rather high. During this time they reproduce a lot [4]. Creseis virgula are protandric hermaphrodites, meaning they start off life as males who may change into females later on [3].

They feed on phytoplankton and protozoa, and have been described as a “clumsy swimmer” [3]. If they ever need to be the ones to escape, they may drop a feeding web made of mucous and sink down with the tip of their shell pointed downwards [5].

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [Image] 

I get so confused whenever I see an AI-generated sea slug of a species that doesn't even exist, like is the world not beautiful enough for you? Do you care not for Babakina anadoni...?

Nemesignis banyulensis?

Bornella anguilla?

Phyllodesmium poindimiei?

Sea angel??

Thank you dear Eurovision audience. Not only a black ocean but also booing but what did the tv station do? Fake cheering....but at least we know how it really went down. I am so not watching btw

Beetles 🪲🐞