Mollusks, Worms, Sponges, Starfish

“There’s all sorts of reasons they shouldn’t be there,” says British Antarctic Survey biologist Huw Griffiths

Mysterious Sponges Live on a Boulder Under 3,000 Feet of Antarctic Ice

When scientists aiming to collect a sediment sample were stopped by a boulder, they found unexpected life instead

The worms that burrowed in these tunnels may have been the ancestors of modern Bobbit worms, Eunice aphtoditois, and is the earliest known fossil of an ambush predator

Enormous Prehistoric Marine Worms' Lair Discovered Along Sea Floor

Trace fossils suggest that sand strikers drilled these underground tunnels

This year's top ten titles explore the cosmos, fear and cleanliness alongside narratives about owls, fish and eels.

The Ten Best Science Books of 2020

New titles explore the mysterious lives of eels, the science of fear and our connections to the stars

Dr. Frederieke Kroon looking at a crown-of-thorns starfish on the Great Barrier Reef.

What Eats the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish? The Evidence Is in the Poop

The sea creatures are the second-biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef after tropical cyclones

These 'Elvis Worms' Shimmer and Sparkle—and Fight Rough

New research describes four species of iridescent deep-sea creatures that sparkle like bedazzled Elvis Presley jumpsuits

Comb jelly larvae, highlighted by red arrows, shown inside an adult.

Invasive Comb Jellies Might Overproduce Babies in Summer to Eat Them in Winter

Comb jellies might have evolved to eat their young when prey runs out, but some experts are skeptical of the strategy

The full fossil with the body of the squid on the left and the fish to the right.

200-Million-Year-Old Fossil Captures Squid Viciously Entangled With Its Prey

The specimen may be the earliest known example of a squid-like creature on the attack

Researchers have discovered an unexpected way that larger bits of plastic are transformed into microplastics in the sea: lobsters. (The study involved Norway lobsters, pictured here.)

Norway Lobsters Crush Ocean Plastic Into Even Smaller Pieces—and That's Bad

The crustaceans' guts pulverize plastics into tiny bits that can be consumed by even smaller creatures at the base of the ocean food chain

Sushi anyone?

This Parasitic Worm Is Thriving in Nature, but May Affect Your Sushi Dinner

The worms are 283-times more abundant than they were in the 1970s, which might be a sign of healthy marine ecosystems

An Asian trampsnail on a coffee leaf infected with coffee leaf rust.

Invasive Snails Might Save Coffee Crops From Fungus, but Experts Advise Caution

The snails are an invasive crop pest that are known to eat more than just coffee rust

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Watch This Deep-Sea Sponge Sneeze in Slow Motion

The glass sponge can take up to a month to finish a sneeze

A two-month-old filefish collected in the survey surrounded by plastic bits.

Newly Identified Fish Nurseries Are Choked With Plastic

Larval fish congregate in surface slicks, which contain plankton—and 126 times more plastic than surrounding waters

This is a European shore crab in the wild. Crabs like this were used in the study to complete mazes.

Crabs Can Learn to Navigate Mazes, Too

A new study highlights the cognitive abilities of an understudied animal

These Newly Discovered Shrimp Call a Whale Shark's Mouth Home

Found in a whale shark off Okinawa, hundred of amphipods were living it up in the giant fish's gills

California’s Saltiest Lake Is Home to This Arsenic-Resistant, Three-Sexed Worm

Prior to their discovery, only two species could survive in the super-salty, highly alkaline lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains

A geoduck shell found scatted among other shells discarded by the Tseshaht peoples 500 to 1000 years ago suggests that the community had been harvesting and eating geoduck for centuries.

This Centuries-Old Geoduck Shell May Rewrite the Rules About Who Can Harvest the Fancy Clam

A remnant from a meal long gone, the find in British Columbia could give the region's indigenous communities an important legal claim

Lithoredo abatanica, the rock-eating shipworm.

These Two Newly Described Worms Have Really Strange, Yet Marvelous Butts

One worm species has eyes on its behind and another eats rock then poops sand

The study's authors outline three possible scenarios for the unusual fossil's formation

This 100-Million-Year-Old Squid Relative Was Entrapped in Amber

The ancient ammonite was preserved alongside the remains of at least 40 other marine and terrestrial creatures

The Key to Biodiversity in Antarctica Is Penguin Poop

A new study shows nitrogen from penguin and elephant seal dung powers a diversity of arthropods and nematodes in surrounding areas

Ocean-Dwelling Species Are Disappearing Twice as Quickly as Land Animals

Researchers point toward marine creatures' inability to adapt to changing water temperatures, lack of adequate shelter

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