Invertebrate encyclopaedia

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Octopus cyanea, also known as the big blue octopus or day octopus, is an octopus in the family Octopodidae. It occurs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Hawaii to the eastern coast of Africa. O. cyanea grows to 16 cm in mantle length with arms to at least 80 cm. This octopus was described initially by the British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1849; the type specimen was collected off Australia and is at the Natural History Museum in London.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

The pharaoh cuttlefish is a large cuttlefish species, growing to 42 cm in mantle length and 5 kg in weight.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Chromodoris annae, also known as Anna's magnificent sea slug, is a species of sea slug in the family Chromodorididae.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Phyllidia varicosa is a conspicuous nudibranch with blue-black tubercles on a yellow background; toxic to many predators.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Conus textile, the textile cone or the cloth of gold cone is a venomous species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones. Textile cone snails live mostly in the Indian Ocean, along the eastern coast of Africa and around Australia.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Tridacna maxima, also known as the maxima clam or the small giant clam, is a species of bivalve mollusc found throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

The crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps (Scleractinia). The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from venomous, thornlike spines that cover its upper surface, resembling the biblical crown of thorns. It is one of the largest starfish in the world.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Linckia laevigata, sometimes called the "blue Linckia" or blue star, is a species of sea star commonly found in the shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Diadema setosum is a species of long-spined sea urchin belonging to the family Diadematidae. It is a typical sea urchin, with extremely long, hollow spines that are mildly venomous. D. setosum differs from other Diadema with five, characteristic white dots that can be found on its body. The species can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, from Australia and Africa to Japan and the Red Sea. Despite being capable of causing painful stings when stepped upon, the urchin is only slightly venomous and does not pose a serious threat to humans.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Holothuria (Microthele) nobilis, the black teatfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the genus Holothuria. The sea cucumber is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean. It was first described by Emil Selenka in 1867.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Odontodactylus scyllarus, commonly known as the peacock mantis shrimp, harlequin mantis shrimp, painted mantis shrimp, clown mantis shrimp, rainbow mantis shrimp, peacock odontodactyl, thumb splitter, or simply mantis shrimp, is a large odontodactylid stomatopod native to the epipelagic seabed across the Indo-Pacific, ranging from the Marianas to East Africa, and as far South as Northern KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. It is one of roughly 480 species of mantis shrimp, which are well known for their raptorial claws, exceptional vision, and their unique way of interacting with other marine speci

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Panulirus penicillatus is a species of spiny lobster that lives on shallow rocky and coral reefs in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Common names for this spiny lobster include variegated crayfish, tufted spiny lobster, spiny lobster, Socorro spiny lobster, red lobster, pronghorn spiny lobster, golden rock lobster, double spined rock lobster and coral cray. It has a very wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Lysmata amboinensis is an omnivorous shrimp species known by several common names including the Pacific cleaner shrimp. It is considered a cleaner shrimp as eating parasites and dead tissue from fish makes up a large part of its diet. The species is a natural part of the coral reef ecosystem and is widespread across the tropics typically living at depths of 5–40 metres (16–131 ft).

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Aurelia aurita is a species of true jellyfish in the family Ulmaridae and the type species of its genus, Aurelia. Before the 2020s, the species was considered cosmopolitan, but the taxon has since been split into at least 28 species. The species now identified as A. aurita is only found in the north Atlantic and in Argentina, and is not dangerous to humans.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

The spotted jelly, lagoon jelly, golden medusa, or Papuan jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish from the Indo-Pacific oceans. Like corals, sea anemones, and other sea jellies, it belongs to the phylum Cnidaria, which possess stinging cells called cnidocytes. Mastigias papua is one of the numerous marine animals living in symbiosis with zooxanthellae, photosynthetic algae within the animal's tissues.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Stenopus hispidus is a shrimp-like decapod crustacean belonging to the infraorder Stenopodidea. Common names include coral banded shrimp and banded cleaner shrimp.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Dardanus megistos, the white-spotted hermit crab or spotted hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab belonging to the family Diogenidae.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Portunus pelagicus, also known as the blue crab, blue swimmer crab, blue manna crab and flower crab is a species of large crab found in the Indo-Pacific, including off the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam; and in the intertidal estuaries around most of Australia and east to New Caledonia.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Charonia tritonis, common name the Triton's trumpet, the giant triton or pū is a species of very large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Charoniidae, the tritons. Reaching up to two feet in shell length this is one of the biggest mollusks in the coral reef.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Lambis lambis, common name the spider conch, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Fromia monilis, common name necklace starfish or tiled starfish, is a species of starfish belonging to the family Goniasteridae.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Echinometra mathaei, the burrowing urchin, is a species of sea urchin in the family Echinometridae. It occurs in shallow waters in the Indo-Pacific region. The type locality is Mauritius.

English scientific description (Wikipedia)

Bohadschia argus, the leopard sea cucumber, leopardfish, or tigerfish, is a species of sea cucumber in the family Holothuriidae. It is native to the tropical Western Indo-Pacific region.