Creepy Creatures for Halloween!

Halloween will be here soon!  Check out some of the creepy and cool creatures we see exploring the marine environment with students.

1) Moon snail - Slime!

2) Blood worm - It bites! This worm shoots out a proboscis that has four teeth on the end, causing lots of shrieks on the beach!

3) Sea mouse - Feels like a mouse, but its a worm...creepy!

4) Toad crab - This crab will let sponge, algae, and other organisms grow on it to act as camouflage making it great at hiding.

5) Planktonic worms - Look at those crazy mouth parts and antennae!  They are found floating in the ocean.

6) Wolffish - They have big teeth and often lay on their side making them look dead.  Creepy!

7) Clam worm - A swimming worm with two black fangs.

8) Ribbon worm - They can be 4 feet long!

9) Sea spiders - Spider-like but not arachnids. I am sure those with arachnophobia won't believe me.

10) Ocean sunfish (Mola mola) - An odd looking, very large fish with a tiny mouth, one large fin on the top and one large fin on the the bottom and appears to have no tail.  The second picture shows the sunfish bones, which feel and look like paper or wood strips.  Odd indeed!