Pictures of Invertebrates

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Gooseneck Barnacles
Gooseneck barnacles are crustaceans that live in the intertidal zones of temperate and cold water oceans, particularly in areas of heavy surf. The hard-shelled portion of the gooseneck barnacle’s body, which contains the internal organs, is supported on a long muscular stalk. Gooseneck barnacles use this stalk to latch onto floating objects or rocks, where they cluster in dense groups.





Gray Snakelocks Anemone
The gray snakelocks anemone, sometimes called the pink-tip, is related to the jellyfish, corals, and hydroids. Although sea anemones can move, they do not actively pursue prey but rather capture fish, shrimp, or other invertebrates that swim past or fall on them from above. The sea anemone’s color results from the presence of a symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae, living in the anemone’s body tissues.





Great Gray Slug
All species of marine and terrestrial slugs are shelless mollusks. Terrestrial slugs, such as the great gray slug, generally feed on leaves and can cause considerable damage to trees and cultivated plants in gardens and greenhouses.







Green Hydra
The green hydra is the freshwater counterpart of the sea anemone, belonging to the same phylum as the sea anemone, coral, and jellyfish. Possessing six to ten tiny tentacles armed with potent stinging cells, the hydra captures small organisms from the surrounding water. It is often found in colonies of many individuals. The hydra is capable of regenerating lost body parts, even in cases where the injury has been extensive.




Hermit Crab
Hermit crabs are distinguished from other crabs by the lack of a shell on the abdomen. As a result, hermit crabs must find empty snail shells to temporarily inhabit. While walking or feeding, hermit crabs extend their antennae, claws, and two pairs of walking legs out of the shell opening. When threatened by predators, hermit crabs quickly withdraw their bodies back into the protection of the shell. The large claw, the last part of the body to be withdrawn, often acts as a door, closing off the interior of the shell from predators. As hermit crabs grow, they must continually find new, larger shells in which to live.


Human Head Louse
The human head louse, Pediculus humanus, is one of several kinds of lice with mouthparts specialized for sucking blood. The small, wingless insect has a flattened body about 3 mm long, with a claw on the end of each leg that helps it cling to the hair of its host. Females lay whitish eggs, called nits, once a day, attaching them to the hair with a sticky substance until they hatch in about a week. Head lice are unpleasant and undiscriminating guests. They infest people who bathe often as well as those who do not, leaving itchy red spots on their hosts’ scalps.


Millipede
The millipede is a segmented arthropod found in damp, moist habitats worldwide. The body of the millipede may have from 9 to over 100 individual segments, each of which bears a pair of legs. Millipedes feed on decaying vegetation and are generally harmless. When threatened or handled, they curl up in a tight ball. For defense against insect predators, millipedes rely on their stink glands, which secrete a noxious chemical substance that repels predators.



Murray River Crayfish
Although identical in shape to the marine lobster, the freshwater crayfish is more adaptable, being able to live in freshwater streams, ponds, and even terrestrial burrows. In some agricultural areas of Spain, crayfish are so abundant they are considered pests.






Portuguese Man-of-War
The Portuguese man-of-war is actually a colony of specialized polyps that all contribute to the well being of the colony by performing specific tasks, such as feeding or providing buoyancy control. The man-of-war has a relatively large, gas-filled bladder that provides flotation for the entire colony. A large collection of feeding polyps suspended from the underside of the float, each with a single, long tentacle, captures and digests food, which is then shared with the entire colony by means of interconnecting digestive cavities. Although the Portuguese man-of-war resembles a jellyfish, it belongs to Class Hydrozoa in the phylum Cnidaria, while true jellyfish belong to Class Scyphozoa in the same phylum.

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