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Habitat: Midwater

Gossamer worm

Instead of crawling along the seafloor, the gossamer worm swims gracefully through the midwater.

Octopus squid

With eight arms instead of 10, the octopus squid breaks the rules, but eight arms are not the only thing that stands out about this species.

Pigbutt worm

The pigbutt worm is an unusual little worm discovered by MBARI researchers.

Woolly siphonophore

Sprawling tentacles help a wooly siphonophore snag a meal of jellies and other gelatinous animals.

Glass squid

Transparency keeps glass squids safe in the twilight zone.

Silky jelly

When danger approaches, the silky jelly uses speed and clever tricks to make a quick escape.

Abyssal comb jelly

This predator’s pretty pink color is clever camouflage.

Barrel amphipod

The midwater is a vast expanse of water between the surface and the seafloor.

Common siphonophore

The common siphonophore is a sit-and-wait predator that casts stinging tentacles to capture krill and other plankton.

Deep-sea squid

The deep-sea squid (Bathyteuthis sp.) is unusual among squids. Instead of laying egg cases on the seafloor or releasing a drifting egg mass, females brood their developing offspring.