This baby Bobtail Squid came quite close, investigating the Alien intruders, visiting his world. Did you know that a Bobtail Squid is emitting just enough bio-luminescence towards the sea-floor to make him invisible against the surface?

Look at me! The eye of a John Dori, looking at his reflection in the lens. The JD actually stopped and stayed motionless, staring at his reflection for about a minute...

This is Oceanic Art - the tail of a juvenile Slipper-lobster glows in beautiful colors, just before he propels himself out of sight with a couple of contractions.

A Mediterranean Bobtail Squid in its near-perfect stealth mode. They use their arms and suckers to cover themselves with sand and debris. When their pray gets close, they shoot up and catch it. Did u know that they emit bio-luminescence?

This is probably what a crab sees when it looks down its arms... Did you know that these hairs can pick up water movement as small as the equivalent of the energy of a few photons (much like the body-hair on spiders). :o
Shortlisted!

An unknown species of plankton. I actually found this by chance, since it could only be seen when lit from the side or from behind - as it is fully see-through and only 2cm long...

Graphic lines, Branchiomma sp.

Pederson cleaner shrimp in corkscrew anemone. Took a few shots to get the correct angle of this little guy, head on and back into his anemone. Shot with +15 Subsee diopters at 42mm (4/3rds)

Pontohi pygmy seahorse. Nikon D300S, Nikkor 105 +TC14+ Subsee 5

Graphic lines

Goby in a bottle

Saron(Marble eyed) shrimp. Bunaken.

file clams upclose

A Blenny in Bunaken.

A cuttelfish's eye.

mediterranean seahorse

One of the very few anemones that settled in Malta harbors a translucent shrimp in a wonderful symbiotic relationship...
Shortlisted!

Not only are these embryonic squid (Loligo vulgaris) protected by their see-through eggs, but these translucent walls also allow their developing vision to be stimulated constantly,- a sense that squid use intensely when hunting...

Through to 2014 awards final round judging

1-2mm long red critters on soft coral

Algae Shrimp about less than 1cm

blenie
Shortlisted!

blenie

It's all over for this little bugger... Caught by an Anemone, he will be digested right there, in that see-through stomach...
Shortlisted!

With a size of just over 4mm, this Skeleton Shrimp is nearly invisible to the naked eye. As you can see in this picture, it is not hard to see where Hollywood get their inspirations for Alien movies...

With a size of just over 4mm, this Skeleton Shrimp is nearly invisible to the naked eye. These amazing creatures pack a mighty punch, when they use their razor-sharp blades to catch prey.
Shortlisted!

Like a butterfly of the deep, a tiny flatworm takes flight and climbs towards the surface in a mesmerizing dance.

Like a precious gem, the eye of the Lizard Fish glows in the light of the torch in the most beautiful of colors.