My favourite organisms!

ANIMALIA

Invertebrates

Acoelomorph (marine worm): Symsagittifera roscoffensis, shilly-shally worm - a marine worm with a symbiotic relationship with an algae, making it look like a green noodle.

Cnidaria (jellyfish): Stygiomedusa gigantea, giant phantom jellyfish - a massive denizen of the depths of the oceans.

Decapodiformes (squid): Histioteuthis heteropsis, strawberry squid - an unusual squid with two differently-sized, specialized eyes - their small eye faces up, and it looks for the shadows of predators swimming above them, against the light from the sun at the surface. Their large eye faces down, and it looks for the faint bioluminescent glowing of their prey in the depths below.

Octopodiformes (octopodes): Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis, vent octopus - the only octopus to make its home in the harsh conditions near hydrothermal vents.

Isopoda (isopod): Armadillidium klugii, clown isopod - specifically, the Dubrovnik variety. This species is believed to mimic a local species of venomous spider.

Zygoptera (damselfly): Calopteryx maculata, ebony jewelwing - the males have a strikingly iridescent blue-green metallic body, and pitch-black wings that make them look like flashing shadows when they fly.

Anisoptera (dragonfly): Libellula pulchella, twelve-spotted skimmer - with an apt specific name, this beautiful species can also be a bit intimidating because of its size. In my experience, though, they're apt fliers, and very good at avoiding crashes.

Sphingidae (sphinx moth): Hemaris thysbe, hummingbird clearwing - an amazing lepidopteran. I once had the privilege of being within a meter of one as it buzzed around a thistle.

Papilionoidea (butterflies): Trogonoptera brookiana, Rajah Brooke's birdwing - a species I learned through the Animal Crossing video game series; it has beautiful bright green and red markings set against black.

Coleoptera (beetle): Chrysina resplendens - a Costa Rican scarab beetle with a beautiful golden colour.

Araneidae (orb weaver [spider]): Mecynogea lemniscata, basilica orbweaver - an orbweaver named after the elaborate, cylindrical, domed webs they create.

Theraphosidae (tarantula [spider]): Dolichothele diamantinensis, blue dwarf beauty - a recently-described species that has made its way into the pet trade, probably for its iridescent blue males.

Vertebrates

Boidae (boa [snake]): Eryx colubrinus, Kenyan sand boa - a small, goofy-looking, mostly fossorial snake. They look like delightful sentient sausages. I'm lucky enough to care for one: my baby Buddy! He's such a goofball.

Pythonidae (python [snake]): Aspidites melanocephalus, black-headed python - a stunner from northern Australia.

Viperidae (viper [snake]): Protobothrops mangshanensis, Mangshan pit viper - a beautiful and endangered venomous snake, found only on one mountain in China.

Elapidae (elapid [snake]): Naja haje, Egyptian cobra - the cobras in Morocco are dark and handsome, with an intimidating stare.

Colubridae (colubrid [snake]): Xenodon pulcher, tricolor hognose - a stunning beauty from South America, not closely related to the North American Heterodon hognose snakes.

Dendrobatidae (dart frog): Oophaga pumilio - a common name for this species is difficult, because they have up to 30 naturally-occurring color morphs. When females lay their eggs, they lay some extra unfertilized eggs to nourish their tadpole young - hence the name Oophaga, which means egg-eating.

Carcharhinidae (requiem shark): Carcharhinus longimanus, oceanic whitetip shark - a large, opportunistic beast with somewhat silly-looking paddle fins.

Pinnipedia (seal): Hydrurga leptonyx, leopard seal - a fast and lethal predator, though they manage to look more adorable than a domestic dog.

PLANTAE

Asterids (flowering plant): Monotropa uniflora, ghost pipe - a plant lacking in chlorophyll; it is a parasite, and it steals nutrients from the mychorrizae of nearby fungi.

Bryophyta (moss): Plagiomnium cuspidatum, thyme moss - a North American native, with a beautiful, delicate, leafy look.

FUNGI

Flammulina filiformis, enoki - a mushroom common in East Asian cuisine, and one of the only mushrooms I can stomach.

BACTERIA

Mycobacterium tuberculosis - the pathogen responsible for tuberculosis in humans. It is spread by an aerosol of bodily fluids from an infected person. Tuberculosis has co-evolved with humans over the course of thousands of years, and it has even developed antibiotic resistance in modern times.

ARCHAEA

Ferroplasma thermophilum - a member of a largely poorly-studied family of iron-oxidizing archaea. This species was identified in a chalcopyrite mine in China (chalcopyrite is an iron-containing copper ore).

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More fun creature lists!

SNAKES

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