Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Antarctic Echinoderms! Courtesy of the British Antarctic Survey

The British Antarctic Survey has recently put out a spread of cool Antarctic invertebrate images. These include this "sea pig" (a sea cucumber, Family Elpidiidae- probably related to the deep-sea Scotoplanes)
(photos by BAS photographer Peter Bucktrout)

What they are calling Gorgonocephalus, (an ophiuroid) apparently perched on an octocoral...
(photos by BAS photographer Peter Bucktrout)

The ubiquitous Antarctic crinoid Promachocrinus, which may be composed of a cryptic species complex
(photos by BAS photographer Peter Bucktrout)

....and this isnt an echinoderm (its an Antarctic amphipod)..but damn. Its cool, isn't it?
(photos by BAS photographer Peter Bucktrout)

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