Critter of the Month

Critter of the Month gives a peek into the lives of Puget Sound’s least-known inhabitants – mud-dwelling invertebrates collected by the Marine Sediment Monitoring Team. Each month we feature a different species or group, giving information on identification, habitat, and life history.
Critter of the Month gives a peek into the lives of Puget Sound’s least-known inhabitants – mud-dwelling invertebrates collected by the Marine Sediment Monitoring Team. Each month we feature a different species or group, giving information on identification, habitat, and life history.

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Brighten your holiday season with the northern opalescent nudibranch
This month’s aquatic critter looks like a luminous holiday spirit carrying dozens of flickering candles. Definitely don’t try this at home, no matter how festive the effect might be!
This creeping pedal sea cucumber might just give you the creeps!
Move over, bats and spiders! With its blood-red tentacles and scaly body, the creeping pedal sea cucumber might just be the next creature to haunt your Halloween nightmares.
The spiny pink scallop is ready for sweater weather
This particular scallop is known for its bright color and the prominent spines that adorn the ribs running down its shell.
The striped nudibranch: Don’t mess with this ferocious sea slug!
Nudibranchs, or sea slugs, are the elegant, marine-dwelling cousins of the slimy brown slugs you find in your garden.
Celebrate Pride! The ornate tube worm sports all the colors of the rainbow
Our benthic taxonomists share details on critters in sediment habitats, including life history, and the role each critter plays in the community. This month's focus is the Ornate Tube Worm.
Moss animals: Animals in plant disguises!
Bryozoans take on many different growth forms that provide habitat and shelter for juvenile fish and invertebrates. Some resemble fans or lace, while others appear more geometric.
My heart will go on: the humble heart cockle lives long and prospers
The heart cockle is a bivalve named for its heart-shaped profile. They are the largest cockles on the west coast, reaching almost 6 inches in length.
The dove snails bring peace and good shell to all
Dove snails don't look much like their avian namesake – except for the teardrop shape of their shells.
Bad to the bone: The skeleton shrimps are drop-dead cool
If you can put aside their alien appearance, skeleton shrimp are fascinating creatures.
Think pink: bloodworms rule the beaches of South Sound
Bloodworms are a type of polychaete, or marine segmented worm, in the family Glyceridae.