Colorful Sea Creatures

White Anemone and Sea Star

Photograph by Jens Troeger, My Shot

The
creatures that inhabit the world’s oceans run the full spectrum of
colors—often in intricate patterns, advanced camouflage, and varying
degrees of transparency.

Here, a white sea anemone keeps company
with a sea star in the waters off British Columbia. There are more than a
thousand sea anemone species. The invertebrate takes its name from the
equally flashy terrestrial anemone flower.

Blue Tang

Photograph by Jeff Haines, My Shot

Adult
blue tangs swim close to the ocean floor near Mexico. A species of
surgeonfish, the blue tang is abundant in the waters of the Caribbean,
often schooling around coral reefs. As they mature, the tangs' color
progresses from bright yellow to a deep bluish-gray or purple.

Clownfish and Anemone

Photograph by Wolcott Henry

A
clownfish is at home between the stinging tentacles of an anemone,
which protects the boldly colored reef dweller and its eggs from
intruders. Bound in an alliance of mutual benefit, clownfish spend their
entire lives with their host anemones, rarely straying more than a few
yards from them.

Mantis Shrimp

Photograph by Glen Weierbach, My Shot

This
otherworldly creature, a mantis shrimp, was photographed in the waters
of Indonesia's Lembeh Strait. The shrimp feeds by smashing open its prey
with a force that can break a pane of glass, and its darting bulbous
eyes are thought to be the most complex in nature.

 Regal Angelfish

Photograph by Tim Laman

A
regal angelfish attracts the eye with alternating bands of striking
color on its body and fins. The solitary reef fish often travels alone
or in pairs and favors a diet of sponges and sea squirts.

 Flower Hat Jelly

Photograph by e-Photography/Chijimatsu/SeaPics.com

It
might be alluring, but a rare flower hat jelly’s lilac-tipped fringe
can deliver a painful sting. Found off Brazil, Argentina, and southern
Japan, the jelly’s tentacles can coil and uncoil and are used to
capture small fish and other food.

 Sea Anemone

Photograph by Oriana Poindexter, My Shot

Resembling
a sunflower, a sea anemone appears deceptively benign. A close
relative of coral and jellyfish, anemones are stinging polyps that
spend most of their time waiting for fish to pass close enough to get
ensnared in their venom-filled tentacles.

 Sea Stars

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

Popularly
known as starfish, sea stars are actually echinoderms, closely related
to sea urchins and sand dollars. There are some 2,000 species of sea
stars living in the world’s oceans, and many wear striking colors that
provide camouflage or warn off predators.

 

Christmas Tree Worms

Photograph by Jean Kunzelman, My Shot

Christmas
tree worms shelter a goby (at left) in their coral reef habitat. Coral
reefs thrive in the clear, shallow coastal waters of tropical seas.

 Lined Chiton

Photograph by George Grall

A
type of mollusk, the lined chiton has colorful lines on its valves and
white or yellow spots or bands on its girdle. The chiton’s pink
background camouflages it from predators as it feeds on coralline
algae.

 Parrotfish

Photograph by Mike Theiss

Abundant
in and around the world’s tropical reefs, the parrotfish is known to
change its shape, color, and even gender during its lifetime.

 

Mating Nudibranchs

The
bright, contrasting hues of mating nudibranchs—sea slugs found in
reefs and the deep ocean—warn potential predators of their venomous,
unpalatable flesh. Equipped with both male and female reproductive
organs, each nudibranch fertilizes the other, and both produce eggs.