12 Unique and Intriguing Marine Animals

Here’s a variety of the most unusual and colorful sea creatures that are not commonly seen by ordinary people

like us.

Blue Button (Porpita porpita)

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This is not a wall décor or a kind of fern. This unique-looking creature is commonly called Blue Button. It is a

colony of hydroids which is often mistaken to be a kind of jellyfish. It is usually found in topical waters of the

Pacific. This organism is well known for its bright blue or turquoise color.

Spurilla caerulescens

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The colorful and beautiful Spurilla caerulescens is a species of sea slug. It is an aeolid nudibranch, a marine

opisthobranch gastropod mollusk.

Blue Glaucus (Glaucus atlanticus)

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Blue Glaucus, a peculiar species of nudibranch that is found worldwide, is also commonly known as Blue Sea Slug

and Blue Ocean Slug. This creature that is closely related to Glaucilla marginata typically grows to 6 cm in length

and is dark blue in color. It floats upside down on the surface tension of the ocean water. It had been observed

that individual Glaucus will sometime cannibalize each other if given the opportunity.

Clown Nudibranch (Ceratosoma amoenum)

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This is not a specially designed birthday cake. It is not a palette too – it is called Clown Nudibranch. This bright

and uniquely colored sea slug can be found in the intertidal zones of temperate southern Australia and northern

New Zealand.

Zebra Crab (Zebrida adamsii)

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The Zebra Crab which resembles the unique stripes of zebra is usually found hanging in a Fire Urchin. It is a small

crab with a typical brown and white zebra color pattern. It has a smooth carapace with spiny legs and claws. Zebra

Crab’s carapace usually measures 2 cm in length.

Rainbow Starfish

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Starfish or Sea stars are among the most peculiar and popular sea creatures usually found on shallow waters

from all the oceans of the world. Of all the starfish, the Rainbow Starfish is the most beautiful and intriguing

species because of its unusually beautiful and attractive colors.

Glaucilla marginata

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Glaucilla marginata is a small, floating, blue sea slug that is related to the Glaucus atlanticus and can be found

worldwide. These odd-looking nudibranch floats upside down in temperate and tropical seas. This creature is dark

blue, and in many ways it resembles a smaller version of Glaucus atlanticus. However, in this species the cerata

(saw teeth on the skin) are arranged in a single row in each arch, while in Glaucilla there are multiple rows.

Nembrotha chamberlaini

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Nudibranchs are among the most colorful water creatures. Nembrotha chamberlaini is a colorful sea slug that

occurs in the Philippines and Indonesia. I simply love the unique color combination of this shell less sea snail.

By-the-wind Sailor (Velella velella)

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By-the-wind Sailor is a free-floating Hydrozoan that lives on the surface of the open ocean, worldwide. It is also

commonly known by the names Purple Sail, Little Sail or simply Velella. Each Velella is a hydroid colony and most

are less than about 7 cm long. It is usually deep blue in color but its most obvious feature is a small stiff sail that

catches the wind and propels it over the surface of the sea. Under certain wind conditions, they can become

stranded on beaches in the thousands.

Lettuce Sea Slug (Elysia crispata)

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The large and colorful Lettuce Sea Slug resembles a nudibranch but it is not closely related to that order of

gastropods. It can be found in the tropical parts of the Atlantic Oceans and the Caribbean Sea. It is called the

Lettuce Slug because it is often green in color and it always has a very frilly edge to its parapodia.

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This makes the slug resemble the curly kinds of lettuce, such as the lollo rosso variety. It grows to a length of

about 50 mm. and is extremely variable in color: it can also be blue, or very pale with red lines or yellow lines.

Common Purple Snail (Janthina janthina)

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The Common Purple Snail is a snail with the most unusual color among snails. It is also known as Violet Snail or

Purple Storm Snails can be found worldwide in the warm waters of tropical and temperate seas. They are often

found in large groups and sometimes become stranded on beaches where they are blown ashore by strong

winds.

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This large and unique snail is pelagic, drifting on the surface of the ocean, where it feeds upon pelagic

hydrozoans, especially the By-the-wind Sail and the Portuguese Man o’ War.

Turritriton tabulatus exaratus 

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One of the most beautiful and peculiar sea snails is the Turritriton tabulatus exaratus. This creature is also known

as Cymatium tabulatus exaratus. It is a kind of triton.

Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you!

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