Most Likely To

A quick guide to the standouts of the National Museum of Natural History’s “Ocean Hall Class of 2008”

September 2008

sea spiders — Sea spiders (*pycnogonids*) were found on the slope and base habitats of Davidson Seamount, California. NOAA / Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

In the Ocean Hall some 100 sea creatures reside preserved in glass jars. Each specimen has its own unique traits, and together the collection represents the vast diversity of sea life. Here is a quick guide to the standouts of the "Ocean Hall Class of 2008."

Most Likely to Get Ahead
The monkfish, whose head makes up 75 percent of its body.

Most Likely to Stick it to the Man
Cone shells. These mollusks inject their unsuspecting prey with a fast-acting poison.

Best Accessorized
The Johnson's black anglerfish, which lures prey into its mouth with a small phosphorescent light that dangles from its forehead.

Most Likely to Go Places
The purple bubble raft snail, which drifts on a dinghy of self-created bubbles.

Most Down and Dirty
Acorn worms, which burrow in sand, sediment and mud. Some are as long as eight feet.

Most Likely to Star in a Horror Movie
The giant sea spider, whose long mouthpart sucks the tissue out of its invertebrate prey.

Best Holiday Spirit
The Christmas tree worm, which extends pine-tree-like plumes to eat and breathe.

Most Colorful Character
Flatworms. These sluglike invertebrates come in a host of brilliant hues and patterns.

Walrus in Cape Lee, Edge Island Ralph Lee Hopkins

Jellyfish in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia Yeang Ch’ng

Humpback Whale in the Silver Bank Marine Mammal Sanctuary, Dominican Republic Wyland

Moon Jellyfish off Boston Harbor, Boston, Mass. Wayne J. Dudley

Boulders on Beach in Island Hoy, Orkney Islands, Scotland Verena and Georg Popp

Sea Otter in Prince William Sound, Alaska Tom and Pat Leeson

Harbor Seal in LeConte Glacier, Alaska Tom and Pat Leeson

Spine-cheek Anemonefish in Raja Ampat, Indonesia Todd Mintz

Florida Manatees in Three Sisters Spring, Crystal River, Fla. Todd Essick

Wailau Beach rainbow near North Shore Molokai, Hawaii Jon Cornforth

Ocean Views, a photography exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History spotlights the ocean’s vast wildlife and environment. Nature’s Best Photography and the museum invited photographers of all skill levels to submit their photos of the sea. Over 10,000 photos were submitted and Ocean Views showcases the very best. The exhibit complements the museum’s Ocean Hall, opening September 27, 2008... Hawksbill Turtle off the coast of French Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands Christopher Guglielmo

Western Clown Anemonefish in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia Takako Uno

John Hopkins Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska Jon Cornforth

Orca Whales off Vancouver Island, British Columbia Ralph Lee Hopkins

California Sea Lion in Monterey Bay, California Kevin Schafer

Tripletail Wrasse in Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia Keri Wilk

Iceberg in fog off Quirpon Island, Newfoundland John Sylvester

Sperm Whale off Pico Island, Azores, Portugal Franco Banfi

Goliath Grouper and Cigar Minnows offshore Jupiter, Fla. Douglas David Seifert

Gentoo Penguins in Neko Harbour, Antarctica Cynthia Walpole

Anika Gupta | | Read More

Anika Gupta’s writing has appeared in India and the United States, including in Business Today magazine, where she served as its first digital content editor, the Hindustan Times newspaper and Smithsonian magazine. Currently, she is a Master's student at MIT, where she studies user-generated content and mainstream media culture. She's also a science writer, media blogger, and essayist.

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