Chan’s Megastick
This is the largest, or at least the longest, insect in the living world. It can grow to 22 inches long if you count the legs as well (Its body is still a whopping 14 inches!). It is extremely long and...
View ArticleMonarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are some of the most famous butterflies in the world. They are textbook examples of warning coloration; their brilliant colors are used to warn predators of their...
View ArticleWestern Black Widow
The black widow spider is a group of spiders which includes the southern black widow (Latrodectus mactans), the northern black widow (Latrodectus variolus), and the western black widow (Latrodectus...
View ArticlePortuguese Man-of-War
Anyone who has spent time walking along the seashore looking for shells and enjoying the ocean will surely have seen the Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis). It goes by several names including...
View ArticleBrittle Star
A. filiformis is a small brittle star that lives in soft bottom sediment. These brittle stars burrow down into the sediment and extend their arms into the water column to collect food particles. The...
View ArticlePurple Sea Urchin
An Abundant Kelp Forest Herbivore Along the western coastline of North America, a coldwater current flows down the coast. The water is nutrient-rich and supports large forests of kelp and other algae....
View ArticleColossal Squid
The World’s Largest Squid! The Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni), lives in the deep, cold waters of the Antarctic. It is also known as the Antarctic Squid or the Giant Cranch Squid. As of...
View ArticleSpanish Dancer
The Spanish dancer is typically red (indicated by its species name, sanguineus) and sometimes yellow and it is one of the largest nudibranchs, many over 40 cm in length. These brightly colored,...
View ArticleTextile Cone Snail
Conus textile is a species of cone snail known as the “cloth of gold.” It lives in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, Australia, the Indian Ocean from eastern Africa to Hawaii, and French Polynesia....
View ArticleYellow Fever Mosquito
Aedes aegypti is a vector for transmitting several tropical fevers. Only the female bites for blood, which she needs to mature her eggs. To find a host, these mosquitoes are attracted to chemical...
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