Aquatic Life
Get flash to fully experience Pearltrees
U.S. researchers find that different forms of picoplankton react as one to environmental changes Although as different as humans and fungi, the creatures' behaviour was linked Findings could help researchers understand why some species are impossible to grow in isolation By Damien Gayle PUBLISHED: 16:36 GMT, 13 February 2013 | UPDATED: 17:56 GMT, 13 February 2013 Vastly different species of sea microbes work together to respond as one to their surroundings as if they have one 'megamind', new research has revealed. U.S. researchers have discovered communities of infinitesimal creatures in our oceans react in unison to changes in their environment.
Could the sea be conscious? Research reveals how tiny plankton behave like marine microbial 'megamind'
Japanese scientists discover sea slugs RE-GROW their penis after old one drops off after sex
Chromodoris reticulata slugs have a 'penis-in-waiting' that grows after sex First known creature that can detach its used penis before growing another Japanese experts' findings revealed in Royal Society journal Biology Letters By Harriet Arkell PUBLISHED: 09:54 GMT, 13 February 2013 | UPDATED: 16:26 GMT, 13 February 2013 The first known instance of creatures growing their own 'disposable penises' has been discovered by researchers after studying the mating habits of sea slugs. Researchers in Japan were astonished when they realised that a group of sea slugs called Chromodoris reticulata would lose their penises after sex but then grow another one a few hours later. Marine invertebrate expert Bernard Picton, of National Museums Northern Ireland, said: 'I've never seen anything like this before.'
The mesmerising patterns of life underwater: Amazing close-up photos show starfish as you've never seen them
Pictures taken by Russian marine biologist Alexander Semenov in the White Sea, the Red Sea and the Sea of Japan They show starfish skin magnified between 2:1 and 2.5:1 and illuminated by underwater strobe flash There are over 1,800 living species of starfish, also known as sea stars, occurring in all the oceans of the world By Damien Gayle PUBLISHED: 11:01 GMT, 7 February 2013 | UPDATED: 11:03 GMT, 12 February 2013 The subjects of these mesmerising photos seem to glow with an ethereal inner luminescence that is almost out of this world.By Nina Golgowski PUBLISHED: 00:54 GMT, 26 January 2013 | UPDATED: 11:19 GMT, 26 January 2013 For the first time video footage of a giant squid in its natural habitat has been captured by scientists hundreds of meters below the waves after a daring mission previously coursed only by failure.
Monster Squid: How Discovery scientists captured the elusive Kraken on film for the very first time
Unique animal spotted on the ocean floor near Wakatobi in Indonesia Effect caused by reflective cells on its body By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 11:03 GMT, 17 January 2013 | UPDATED: 13:40 GMT, 17 January 2013 A 'disco clam' has been caught on camera partying on the ocean floor near Wakatobi in Indonesia. It can be seen rolling the edge of its mantle - a layer of muscle and tissue that acts like a cloak over the mollusc's body - and producing a strobe-light effect.
Disco clam creates built-in strobe light show from mantle but California researchers don't know the reasons why
Biologists putting together ambitious register of sea life say a third of marine species are still unknown to science
Massive survey of marine species suggests there may as many as a different creatures living in our planet's oceans So far only 226,000 of those have been described by biologists, with another 65,000 in specimen collections awaiting description Scientists expect that most of the remainder are smaller crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and sponges and will be identified by the century's end By Damien Gayle PUBLISHED: 17:22 GMT, 15 November 2012 | UPDATED: 11:39 GMT, 16 November 2012 A third of the species that inhabit the world’s oceans may still be unknown to science, a new study suggests. And that’s despite the fact more species have been described in the last decade than in any previous one, the new report says.Give us a kiss! The turtle that urinates through its mouth... and is a delicacy in Chinese restaurants
Chinese soft-shelled turtle is the only creature to excrete through its mouth Researchers say it evolved like this to survive in brackish swamp waters By Damien Gayle PUBLISHED: 11:26 GMT, 11 October 2012 | UPDATED: 12:35 GMT, 12 October 2012
By Eddie Wrenn PUBLISHED: 10:00 GMT, 26 September 2012 | UPDATED: 11:39 GMT, 27 September 2012 A research ship has discovered more than one million new species after trawling through the Atlantic, Pacific, Southern and Indian oceans. The Tara Expedition took a 70,000-mile trek across the oceans over 36 months to discover the new creatures - many of which the French-based team credit with giving humanity the gift of oxygen, as the billions of tiny plankton present in our oceans provide much of the oxygen in our atmosphere. The creatures will be unveiled tonight at a special exhibition at the Science Museum in London, after the ship docked back into London last week. The team say the discoveries could change our understanding of climate change's impact on the world's oceans - and said their journey showed just how vulnerable the sea is due to man's actions.
Research ship discovers 1.5 MILLION new species during 'health check-up' of the world's oceans
Monsters of the deep revealed! Sealife that live in almost complete darkness shown in crystal clear images
By Sara Malm PUBLISHED: 17:05 GMT, 7 October 2012 | UPDATED: 08:48 GMT, 8 October 2012 The fangtooth fish, dog-faced witch eel and the deep sea lobster larva may not have the most appealing names, but as these pictures show, they are real beauties in the flesh. Rarely seen by humans, these creatures are normally found thousands of feet below sea level where they live in complete darkness. The photographs were taken as Californian biologists prepared to examine them at an aquarium in the state.
Strange sea creature uses two long filaments to trap debris falling to the ocean floor Unique animal can turn itself inside out when threatened By Mark Prigg PUBLISHED: 11:36 GMT, 27 September 2012 | UPDATED: 16:15 GMT, 27 September 2012 Despite being discovered over 100 years ago, the vampire squid has remained one of the ocean's most mysterious animals.
The 'vampire squid from hell' that refuses to kill: Scientists find bizarre animal feeds on plankton and the rotting remains of dead fish
Baby Opalescent Squid – A Beautiful Start to the Week | PsiVid
Photo by Jonathan Wong, Vancouver Aquarium In March of this year, staff at the Vancouver Aquarium became the proud ‘parents’ of 400 tiny opalescent squid. These tiny cephalopods (a taxonomic group including squid, octopus and cuttlefish) will eventually reach an adult size of 1 foot; however, they are currently no bigger than a grain of rice. The video footage shows the squid babies eating and undertaking some rudimentary jet-propulsive movement – but the most spectacular part of the video is the showcasing of the chromatophores. Chromatophores are the pigment-containing cells of all cephalopods, and they allow these creatures to become camouflaged in almost any environment.By Rob Waugh PUBLISHED: 13:46 GMT, 27 June 2012 | UPDATED: 13:46 GMT, 27 June 2012 Thanks for all the fish: Bottlenose dolphins are born to be intelligent - and share many of the genes that make them brainy with us
Why dolphins can recognise themselves in a mirror (and do tricks for fish) - they share 'brainy' genes with humans
By Mark Prigg PUBLISHED: 11:07 GMT, 30 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:17 GMT, 30 August 2012 One of the most unique looking fish on the planet, the 'unicorn fish' has a very human feature - an unusually large nose. In fact, its entire head looks uncannily like a disgruntled human face.
The bizarre 'unicorn fish,' with a nose, that looks almost human
That is definitely a bizarre looking fish--interesting though. by Aug 31
British scientists create artificial 'muscles' that can copy squid's ability to instantly change colour
Military experts are very interest in fabric that could camouflage vehicles or troops at the flick of a switch Tests copy two types of marine optical effects By Daily Mail Reporter UPDATED: 08:56 GMT, 3 May 2012 Researchers from the University of Bristol have created artificial muscles that transform at the flick of a switch to mimic the instant camouflaging abilities of sea creatures.Scientists unravel why giant squids have eyes the size of basketballs
Animals evolved huge eyes to pick out sperm whales - their predators - in the dark Eyes the size of basketballs - out of proportion even on creatures 27ft long By Rob Waugh PUBLISHED: 15:59 GMT, 15 March 2012 | UPDATED: 16:48 GMT, 15 March 2012Image Galleries