quinacridone

Main image, Pikachu Nudibranch - Thecacera pacifica, by Rafi Amar

Thecacera pacifica is a species of Dorid nudibranch, It is also known as the Pikachu nudibranch!

Above, Photo by Connie Chen

It is found on the African coast of the Indian Ocean (Mozambique), Indonesia and Vanuatu. It has also been found on the Gulf of Mexico!

Above, Photo by Brian Mayes

They grow to around 2-3cm in length, and live underneath loose rock and sand!

A video of one wobbling around in the sea!

They also seem to have some variety in colour and patterning....!

Above, Photo by Francis Lau

Above, Photo by Ludovic

Info via wikipedia, and seaslugforum

edit- Once again I forgot to do the pop out image thing

Main image, While Gotham sleeps........ by Michael Gerber

RED...

Above, Pseudoceros ferrugineus, by Benjamin Naden

PINK...

Above, Protheceraeus roseus, by João Pedro Silva

YELLOW...

Above, Eurylepta sp. by Karen Honeycutt

ORANGE...

Above, Pseudoceros sp. by Rafi Amar

BLUE...

Above, Racing Stripe Flatworm - Pseudoceros liparus, by Rafi Amar

PURPLE...

Above, Linda's Flatworm - Pseudoceros lindae, by Rafi Amar

BROWN...

Above, Photo by Nick Hobgood

TRANSPARENT...

Above, Paraplanocera sp. by Rafi Amar

SALAD...

Above, Cryptic Flatworm - Pseudobiceros kryptos, by Rafi Amar

GOTH...

Above, Photo by Bettydiver

NEON...

Above, Pseudoceros dimidiatus, by Richard Ling

STARRY...

Above, Thysanozoon nigropapillosum, by Patomarazul

TRIPPY...

Above, Persian Carpet Flatworm - Pseudobiceros bedfordi, by Rafi Amar

GLITTERY...

Above, Photo by eunice khoo

FRILLY...

Above, Glorious Flatworm - Pseudobiceros gloriosus, by Rafi Amar

STRIPEY...

Above, Pseudoceros zebra, by Marina Poddubetskaia

SPOTTY...

Above, Pseudoceros scintillatus, by ilan Lubitz

VEINY...

Above, Eurylepta californica, by Robin Gwen Agarwal

BRAINY...

Above, Maritigrella fuscopunctata, by Rafi Amar

SANDY...

Above, Pseudobiceros damawan, by Rafi Amar

CAKEY...

Above, Lizard Island Flatworm - Tytthosoceros lizardensis, by Rafi Amar

CAMOUFLAGEY...

Above, Flatworm - Paraplanocera sp. by Rafi Amar

HOLSTEIN-FRIESIANY...

Above, Eurylepta sp.1, by Rafi Amar

AMBUSH RUG...

Above, Photo by eunice khoo

GOODBYE, FLYING FLATWORM!

Above, Persian Carpet Flatworm - Pseudobiceros bedfordi, by Rafi Amar

edit- Forgot to do the thing that makes the image pop out when you click on it.....

adj_DSC7484 sparkly nudi, by Erwin Poliakoff

Main image, Oleander Hawk Moth Caterpillar (Daphnis nerii, Sphingidae), by itchydogimages

Startled? Alarmed? Did I hear you mutter "WTF?" under your breath?

Then evolution wins again. Imagine if you were confronted by the same sight if you were a bird or a praying mantis or a snake for that matter. Eyespots (markings that resemble vertebrate eyes) have evolved many times in Lepidopterans (butterflies and moths). The fact that this adaptation has arisen independently so often in this group indicates the general effectiveness of this anti-predator defence. itchydogimages

Above, Walking forest, by Gabriela F. Ruellan

Above, Moth Caterpillar - Cerura vinula, by Lukas Jonaitis

I took this photo last summer. This caterpillar is one of the most beautifull caterpillars in Lithuania. I think it is very photogenic caterpillar because of its green colour and red tails which are visible only when caterpillar is scared. He has very nice face. :) Lukas Jonaitis

Above, Saturnia Pyri, by Jano De Cesare

This is a beautiful larva of a Saturnia Pyri, a butterfly which is around 16cm in maximum dimension at its mature state. Jano De Cesare

Above, Stinging Nettle Slug Caterpillar (Cup Moth, Setora baibarana, Limacodidae) "The Jester" by itchydogimages

First-in-line to the throne of the brilliant Yunnan lineage of Limacodid caterpillars, together with its alternate colour form, "The Clown", "The Jester's" livery is almost fluorescent. itchydogimages

Above, Stinging Nettle Slug Caterpillar, Limacodidae, by Andreas Kay

Above, 3rd Instar Cecropia, by Barb Sendelbach

Above, Big Foot (Cecropia), by MaggieDu

Above, Photo by Frank Starmer

Above, Dalceridae moth caterpillar, by Gerardo Aizpuru

Dubbed the 'jewel caterpillar', this lovely, translucent larva belongs to a family of moths known as Dalceridae. Although scientists are still unsure about the exact function of the caterpillar's translucent, gooey attributes, the leading theory is that the slimy stickiness helps to deter predators. According to Scientific American, the jelly-like 'cones' that cover the body break off easily (sort of like a lizard's tail), helping the caterpillar slip out of a predator's clutches. source

Above, Flannel moth caterpillar, by Drriss & Marrionn found here

It may look like Donald Trump's misplaced toupee (it's actually been dubbed the 'Donald Trump caterpillar'), but this flannel moth larva is actually not covered with hair at all. Those silky-looking threads are actually venomous spines that can cause intense, burning pain when touched, making the caterpillar one of the most venomous in the US. source

Facelina rhodopos, by Rafi Amar

European Paper Wasp - Polistes dominula, by Heath McDonald

Whilst looking for the Bee Flies I came across a solitary male Paper Wasp on a dead leaf, it wasn’t the best angle, whilst moving the camera gear it started to be aware of me and moved to this position which looked even more awkward side one but from the front, gave a great position for a portrait, managed a few shots before it started moving again so left it alone at that point.

Best viewed very large

Antiopella cristata, by Jose Salmerón

It is a gift from the sea to find it, for me the most beautiful nudibranch in the Mediterranean.

I like to investigate the origin of the names of the species and I especially liked the one of this nudi price:

"Antiopella" the fact that it is a marine animal and in particular a nudibranch suggests that it is Antiope, the daughter of the guardian of the winds Aeolus and Enarete, lover of Poseidon, there it is😊😉

cristata: from Latin [cristatus, a, um] = crested, crested, related to the caruncle among the rhinophores.

Janolus by Sergi Garcia

Nudibranchs in particular are especially popular with divers and underwater photographers because of their often vibrant and beautiful color patterns. The coloration is useful for more than just a pretty photo, however. Bright colors warn predators that these nudibranchs would make a bad meal because they are armed with toxins and other defenses Smithsonian

edit- had to re-upload the photo

Main Image of....

....three species of tunicates ("sea squirts") - Polycarpa aurata is purple and orange, Atriolum robustum is green, and the blue is from the genus Rhopalaea. (Nick Hobgood)

There are around 3000 species of Sea Squirts aka Tunicates!

Above, Corella parallelogramma by Mark N Thomas

They are found in salt water throughout the world!

They are our closest invertebrate relatives!

Above, Photo by Chas Anderson

They are called Sea Squirts because if they are touched or alarmed the muscle will suddenly contract forcing the water inside to shoot out!

Sea Squirt larvae look like frog tadpoles!

Above-

A deep-water larvacean (aka “sea tadpole”) inside its mucous “house,” which concentrates food from the water prior to reaching the animal’s mouth. (Hidden Ocean 2005, NOAA)

As larvae they swim around in the ocean current, and when they find a food rich environment they use sucker to attach to a rock, dead coral, boat dock, or mollusk shell!

Above, Photo by prilfish

Then they begin metamorphosis!

Above-

Tunicate larvae resemble tadpoles (developing frogs). (Van Name, 1945)

Their notochord begins to shrink and is absorbed into the body, the tunic forms as the transformation continues and finally it becomes an adult Sea Squirt!

As an adult it will now feed on tiny particles found in the water, primarily bacteria!

Above, Blue Bell Sea Squirt (or Tunicate) - Perophora namei by Jim Greenfield

There are two types of sea squirts- solitary and colonial!

Both have 2 siphons. The Oral Siphon receives the nutrient content in the water, and the Atrial siphon excretes the waste!

Colonies are formed when a newly settled larvae changes into an adult. It then splits or 'buds' producing new individuals!

Above, Clavelina sp. by Jim Greenfield

Colonies can range from a few centimetres to several metres depending on food supply and predation!

Colonial Sea Squirts share a common tunic and sometimes and also sometimes share the atrial siphon!

They have a digestive system similar to ours, complete with an esophagus, stomach, intestines and a rectum!

Sea Squirts act as ocean purifiers, as they consume bacteria. They can also absorb zinc and vanadium, indicating heavy metal presence within their ecosystem!

Above [An obligatory Nudibranch!], Striped sea slug snacks while strolling on a sea squirt by Nick Hobgood

All photos and info found here, except where indicated!

And as always my usual disclaimer- I'm not an expert in anything, I just enjoying finding and sharing interesting things.... Any mistakes are mine and I'll correct them if you let me know in the comments 👍

edit re-uploaded main image as it wasn't showing

edit 2 changed 'ancestors' to 'relatives' in the title

Blue Dragon by Bill Kuiper

Blue Dragon nudibranchs are very common to the southeast coast of Australia and have a few color variations. Juveniles are white with blue rhinophores, and adults vary from dark purple to lavender to golden brown. I have seen these grow to a length of approximately 4 inches...

Text from here

Lovely story from The Guardian

It was September 2014. I’d just started working front of house in a fancy hotel in Edinburgh. I spent most of my shifts with a paper napkin pressed to my nostril, as I had been getting lots of nosebleeds. I would soon find out why.

A few weeks earlier, I’d been travelling in Vietnam. I had rented a moped and had the time of my life driving around. I soon crashed but luckily was wearing a helmet, so only got a small bump on my head.

A few days afterwards, I started to intermittently spot blood from my right nostril. I assumed it was from the crash and didn’t think too much of it. I was 24 and too busy partying to take anything like that seriously. I danced the nights away while ignoring the persistent blockage in my nose.

Reality came flooding back after returning to cold Glasgow. Nothing had changed with my nose, so I went to the GP. The doctor told me that it didn’t sound like anything to worry about. I was advised to use Vaseline on the area to keep the nostril lubricated and was sent on my way.

A week later, I moved to Edinburgh for my job. That’s when I started to feel frustrated with my constantly stuffy nose. I wasn’t in pain, but sleeping was difficult. I would blow my nose to try to clear the blockage, but it would only lead to nosebleeds. Things started to get particularly weird when I was having showers. Through all the humidity, I could feel a thick, slimy thing moving down my nose.

I had a day off work; it had been a month since I returned from abroad. My friend Jenny was coming from Glasgow to meet me for dinner. I was in the shower when I felt the all-too-familiar feeling, but this time I glimpsed something hanging out of my nostril. I jumped out and raced to the mirror, frantically wiping off the steam. I saw a clot hanging out – then recoiled in horror when I saw ridges running along a thick black body.

I rushed out of the house to see my friend, screaming, “It’s a full-on worm!” Jenny knew about the problems I’d been having with my nose, but she didn’t believe me at first. I stuck my nose in the air so that she could see for herself. Her mouth hung wide as she gaped and said: “Yep, there really is a worm in there.”

At first, it was the most hysterical thing that had ever happened to us. We couldn’t stop laughing. Because it had been in there for so long, I felt very blase about the whole thing. We rang the NHS helpline. The call adviser was crying tears of laughter over the phone, as it was the most bizarre thing she’d heard.

We went to A&E. Doctors were bewildered and didn’t take me too seriously at first. But once the nurse looked up my nose, she gasped. I was placed on a gurney as they stretched my nostril open with forceps. The doctors spent 30 minutes using different tools to try to prise the leech away. Leeches release an anaesthetic when they bite so they can stay on a body for longer, which is why I couldn’t feel the pain before – but it was agony when the doctors tried to pull it out. When they finally succeeded, I felt a wave of cold air shooting through the blocked nostril. It was like being in a nightmare, seeing the leech held up high, squirming. It was longer than my finger.

I’d swum a lot on holiday, so we guessed that it most likely came from there rather than having anything to do with the motorcycle accident. The leech was put in a jar and sent to a specialist hospital in London for further testing – they were worried that it may have passed on further diseases to me. Suddenly, something that was so funny seemed much more serious.

Luckily, all of my tests came back clear, and I had no side-effects. I was given the leech back in a pot and told to dispose of it. The leech was rock hard because it had so much of my blood inside. It made me squirm just looking at it.

Now, a decade later, the story of the leech and me has become a go-to anecdote whenever I meet someone new. I even had someone message me on LinkedIn recently asking about it. So while the leech was attached to me in a very physical sense, I guess we’re still attached metaphorically. But I’m very glad it’s out.

Main image, Glossodoris Sedna by Cajo Producciones

Above Glossodoris stellatus by digidiverdeb

Above Glossodoris angasi by Brian Mayes

Above Glossodoris acosti by Rafi Amar

Above Glossodoris hikuerensis by @halimeda

Above Glossodoris atromarginata by Wisnu Purwanto

Above Glossodoris sedna by Guillem Mas

Above Colemans Glossodoris by Steve Gillespie

Above Glossodoris cincta by Luc L. Legrand (thanks for 7 M views)

Above Glossodoris rufomarginata by divemecressi

Above Gossodoris cincta by jack pokoj

Above Glossodoris atromarginata by divemecressi

Above Glossodoris rufomarginata mating by Ludovic

Above Glossodoris cruenta by Tavistock

Above Averns Glossodoris with a Colemans Glossodoris by Steve Gillespie

Above Glossodoris sp. 16

Above Glossodoris sibogae by Thomas Vignaud

Above Glossodoris sp. 10

Above Glossodoris electra

Above Glossodoris rubroannulata

Above Glossodoris buko by Bernard Picton