The ocean's most beautiful creatures
Coconut octopus:
The coconut octopus appears as if its tentacles are studded with sparkling rhinestone.
Flying gurnard:
When the flying gurnard gets excited, perhaps at the prospect of a snack or a shindig with its buddies, the fish spreads its "wings.
Brittle star:
Closely related to starfish but infinitely more ornamental in appearance, are possessed of five long, slender whip-like arms loosely coordinated by a nerve ring in the animal's core.
Mantis shrimp:
The psychedelic mantis shrimp may look cute, but believe it or not this crustacean packs the strongest punch of any creature in the animal kingdom.
Clownfish:
This banded superstar is also known as the clown anemonefish for its clever arrangement with sea anemones, which protect it from predators.
Flower hat jelly:
Flower hat jellies only live a few months, so catching a glimpse of one these guys is a treat indeed.
Blue tang:
Tang fish have a deadly weapon—a pair of razor-sharp, venomous spines on either side of their tails that they raise when in danger of being gobbled up by predators.
Leafy seadragon:
These fragile and delicate creatures resemble the dragons of medieval fairy tales.
Nudibranch:
Nudibranch, marine mollusks commonly known as sea slugs, rank among some of the most colorful critters in the ocean.
Christmas tree worms:
Christmas tree worm is the common and rather apt name for a marine worm that lives on coral reefs all over the world.