Deep Sea Beauties

Sneaking out of the office early on a Friday like…

Deep-sea giant isopods use their 14 legs to tiptoe along the seafloor. When the need to move a little more quickly arises, they fan out their uropod and pleopods (their tail and swimming limbs) and paddle away. Either way, they’re getting a jumpstart on the weekend. 

Ocean Creatures Leftovers

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nudibranchs via seaslugs_n_stargazers on ig

Daily fish fact #276

Goblin shark!

This deep sea shark is able to rapidly extend its jaws, quickly engulfing prey!

The Growlers at Beach Goth, Santa Ana, CA

10.22.16

The Giant Pacific Octopus beanie is back!

Collab with the incredible @invertebabe, go to their shop here

Shares deeply appreciated, it's rough times y'all.

Let’s get carcinized.

With the crab facts advent calendar, you can scratch off the iridescence to reveal one crab fact every day! We dug deep into the facts vault to bring you some deep cuts. We know you'll love 'em.

Get a calendar here 👇🏻

Art by @franzanth

These calendars support Skype a scientist! We're a small science education nonprofit. We connect scientists with classrooms, scout troops, libraries and more! We offer our programming totally for free. We also run the squid facts hotline! Calendars support our work 🧬

Wasp-mimic clearwing moth, Euhagena emphytiformis, Sesiidae

Found in the United States

Photo 1 by ellen5

Meet the charming cephalopod that made headlines for cuteness—Opisthoteuthis spp.

The flapjack octopus Opisthoteuthis is a cirrate octopus. A small pair of fins on their mantle and webbed arms allow them to either drift or pulse like a jellyfish just above the seafloor. Scientists believe the finger-like cirri lining each arm are used to detect and capture prey such as small crustaceans, polychaetes, and molluscs living in the mud. 

Many cephalopods die shortly after they spawn, but Opisthoteuthis is able to continuously spawn throughout their lifetime. Their eggs require up to three years to develop and hatch. Given the length of time for egg development, it is thought this species may be relatively long-lived, but little is known about their natural history. 

In 2014, MBARI researchers collected flapjack octopuses in Monterey Bay for a collaborative exhibition at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Upon a closer look, they discovered that the individuals collected were actually an undescribed species. The scientists have started the process to formally describe and name this charismatic cephalopod, so stay tuned. Learn more about the fantastic flapjack on our website.