Spineless: Portraits of Marine Invertebrates

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Orange-Rimmed Flatworm cf. Maiazoon orsaki
Orange-Rimmed Flatworm cf. Maiazoon orsaki© 2014 Susan Middleton

A tendril-tastic array of spineless creatures, masterfully captured by Susan Middleton, form this week's wobbly Happy Monday

Invertebrates make up over 98 percent of the known animal species inhabiting our seas; they are the foundation of all life on Earth; they exist in a huge array of shapes, patterns, textures and colours but they are, without exception, extraordinary-looking. Indeed, it was the remarkable and diverse appearances of these spineless creatures that caught the attention of photographer Susan Middleton, who has spent the past seven years trawling the Pacific Ocean, perfecting the photographic techniques required to document these often-fragile phenomena. The resulting portraits – now available in book form – are breathtakingly detailed and bizarrely beautiful, from the Orange-Rimmed Flatworm, which looks like the underside of a ruffled skirt, to the Stubby Squid Rossia pacifica whose intricate rust patterning resembles marbled surfacing. Here we present our selection of our favourites for your Monday delectation.

Happy Monday #anotherhappymonday

Spineless: Portraits of Marine Invertebrates, the Backbone of Life by Susan Middleton is published by Abrams and is available now.