Animal

Exoskeleton ❯ Many invertebrates have a Animals
hard outer casing called an exoskeleton. It Invertebrates
supports their internal organs, helps them
move around, and provides protection. The Features

exoskeleton does not stretch, so the •Do not have
creature has to shed its skin as it grows. backbones or
a bony skeleton
Mexican red-kneed taran
•Often have
a hard outer
coating
(exoskeleton)

•Often hatch
out from eggs

• Often hatch as
larvae, changing
shape to
become adults

tula

Spiny hairs ❯ Small animals such as
invertebrates make tasty morsels for larger

predators, so many have evolved defence
systems. This tarantula can release stinging

hairs from its legs, which stick into its
attacker’s skin, causing pain and itching.

Sponges 1 Red
ee sponge
tr

Invertebrates ❯ Sponges SCALE

Leuconia nive a Niphates alba dcrumb sponge
2 Lemon sponge
urse spong thrus3 Brea Water is pumped
nge out through volcano-
P 5 Boring sponge
4 Yellow finger sponge shaped holes
e Clath
rina cla

Perforated
surface

6 Red purse spo

Found mainly in the sea, sponges are some red tree sponge 1 , grow upwards like underwater plants.

of the world’s simplest animals. They don’t have heads, Others, such as the lemon sponge 2 , are almost spherical,

tails, eyes, or even mouths. Instead of moving about, they while some, such as the breadcrumb sponge 3 , grow as

pump water through pores in their bodies and filter out tiny a crust on rocks. The yellow finger sponge 4 grows in

particles of food. Sponges don’t have bones, but their bodies upright columns, peppered with pores. The European boring

are often reinforced by mineral crystals and fibres, which give sponge 5 uses acids to tunnel through shells and solid rock.

50 them a crunchy or spongy feel. Some sponges, such as the Growing on shallow reefs in Malaysia and Indonesia, the

Ridged surface

8 Pink vase sponge

7 Azure vase sponge Elk horn
sponge

11 Deep-sea glass spongeLong, thin
10 Venus’s flower basketstalk

ephant hide spoOrange puffball spongenge
El
9 Mediterranean bath sponge

Golf ball sponge

red purse sponge 6 resembles a miniature balloon. 100 years. The Mediterranean bath sponge 9 lives 51
Water flows in through its sides and out through the narrow on the shallow seabed. Its extra-springy skeleton makes it
opening at the top. Vase sponges work in the same way, perfect for washing with, once it has been cleaned. Most
but are much larger. The azure vase sponge 7 and pink sponges grow near the surface of the sea, but Venus’s
vase sponge 8 , both from the Caribbean, can be up to flower basket 10 lives deep down. Like the deep-sea
45 cm (11⁄2 ft) high, but the world’s tallest vase sponges grow glass sponge 11 , it has an intricate skeleton made of silica,
bigger than a fridge, and are known to live for more than which lasts long after the sponge has died.

Jellyfish, anemones,

Invertebrates ❯ Jellyfish, anemones, and corals and corals

SCALE Flexible stalks
appear like

underwater bushes

Blue jellyfish 1 White-spotted jellyfish

2 Sea wasp

Box-shaped
body

Hula skirt siphonophore

coPruarlp”lheyldacroe i Gas-filled float blown
“ Upside-d along by the wind
d
3 Moon jellyfi 4

sh Por

own jellyfish ea strawber tuguese
S K
ry
idney sea p man
en
Long, transparent
tentacles o’w ar

Armed with stinging tentacles, jellyfish and and stings continue to work even when the tentacles are

their relatives catch and kill prey. All of them are soft-bodied, pulled away. The moon jellyfish 3 lives close to coasts

although many corals protect themselves by building hard all over the world. It is quite compact, but the Portuguese

cases or tubes. Most kinds, including the white-spotted man o’war 4 has tentacles up to 50 m (164 ft) long, almost

jellyfish 1 , have mild venom, but the deadly sea wasp 2 the length of four buses. Its powerful venom makes it nearly

from Australia and Southeast Asia can kill humans who as dangerous as the sea wasp. The red coral 5 has a

52 brush against its tentacles. The poison acts within seconds, brightly coloured skeleton, which is sometimes made into

Tentacles armed 6 Mag ushroom cora
with stings
5 Red coral l moneM
on dead-man’s f nificent sea anemone Snak
elocks ane
7 Red sea whip ingers 8 Common sea fan
Comm

Comm on tube an emone

Parallel Ca 10 Organ pipe coral
chalky tubes

9 Orange sea pen rnation co
ral

Flat mesh
of branches

jewellery. Sea anemones have extra-thick tentacles, with right-angles to the current. This maximizes water flow 53
stings that work like harpoons. The magnificent sea towards the sea fan and allows it to get the most food. The
anemone 6 is one of the biggest, growing up to 1 m (3 ft) orange sea pen 9 has two food-collecting lobes and a
wide. It lives on coral reefs and its tentacles often shelter swollen “root” that anchors it in the seabed. When touched,
brightly coloured clownfish, which are immune to its stings. it vanishes into a burrow in the sand. The organ pipe coral
The red sea whip 7 has thin stalks that bend in the current, 10 gets its name from its bright red, pipe-shaped tubes. It is
while the common sea fan 8 has large flaps held at found in shallow waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

PACIFIC SEA NETTLE With their soft, golden bells and fine, trailing
tentacles, these jellyfish look harmless. But
they are carnivores. Their tentacles are equipped with millions of tiny barbs which inject poison into
anything they touch. The venom paralyzes prey, which is fed into a mouth under the sea nettle’s bell.
Although it can give humans a painful sting, this jellyfish is rarely dangerous to us.

Size ❯ Bell up to 45 cm (18 in) across; tentacles and arms hatch into larvae. These grow into stationary structures
up to 4.6 m (15 ft) long Habitat ❯ Surface waters of the called polyps, from which new jellyfish grow. Lifespan ❯
Up to a year in the wild and up to 18 months in captivity.
Pacific Ocean in autumn and winter, deeper waters in Predators ❯ Sea turtles and fish. Conservation status ❯
spring and summer. Distribution ❯ West coast of Canada, The species is not under threat. In fact, in some areas
the USA, and Mexico. Also found around Japan. Diet ❯ they swarm in large numbers.
Small fish, crustaceans, and other jellyfish. Breeding ❯ Eggs

Worms -headed land flatworm l roundworm
Shovel
Invertebrates ❯ Worms Flat segments 1 Tapeworm Large intestina
containing eggs

New Zealand land f latworm nd yellow flatworm
Black a
Backward-pointing
bristles

Yellow-tipped, pimply
swellings on surface

Gold-speckled flatworm 2 Giant intestinal fluke
ristmas tree tube worm
Paper-thin body Suckers cling
ripples to move to host’s body
through the water

3 Common liver fluke 5 Ch

4 Flowers’ flatworm

Candy stripe f latworm

The word “worms” describes many different intestines of animals such as cats, pigs, and humans, and can

kinds of creatures. Most of them have flat or round bodies grow to many metres in length. Several leaf-shaped flatworms,

with a head and tail. While some are smaller than a full stop, such as the giant intestinal fluke 2 and liver fluke 3 , also

worms also include the world’s longest and skinniest animals, infect people, sometimes causing serious diseases and even

stretching further than an Olympic-size swimming pool. death. Fortunately, most other worms are harmless, although

Worms usually live in water or wet places, but many are their bright colours warn predators that they have a nasty

56 parasites of other creatures. Tapeworms 1 feed inside the taste. Flowers’ flatworm 4 lives on coral reefs and ripples

SCALE 6 Southern African velvet worm bean velvet worm

7 Carib Invertebrates ❯ Worms

Tiger worm Food-collecting umber scaSea cucle worm
tentacles Pacific feathe
8 Lugworm
Stream f latworm rduster worm

Segmented
body

9 Sea mouse earthworm gwo
12 King ra
Bristly
rmlegs
10 Common 11 Fire worm

its body as it swims. The Christmas tree tube worm 5 Poisonous bristles 57
stays in the safety of a burrow. It collects food with a spiral used for defence
tuft of tentacles, which instantly fold up and disappear if a and movement
predator comes nearby. Southern African velvet worms 6
and Caribbean velvet worms 7 have short, stumpy legs. on beaches and mud-flats. The sea mouse 9 has a bristly
They creep along the forest floor, and capture their prey by body for digging through sand. Best known of all worms, the
spraying it with sticky threads. Lugworms 8 live in burrows common earthworm 10 helps to make the soil fertile by
burrowing through it and eating dead leaves and other waste.
The fire worm 11 has poisonous bristles that help it to crawl
over rocks and coral reefs. The king ragworm 12 eats
seaweed and carrion using its two pincer-like teeth.

Molluscs burst carrier shell

Pebbles in
spiral of shell

owrie shell
Invertebrates ❯ Molluscs 2 Tiger c 1 Sun
g whelk shell
SCALE
Fool’s cap Shell is covered Do
ap shell by skin when

cowrie is active

Pr upe 5 Trumpet triton shell
3 Precio
us wentletr ickly Pacific dr

4 Pink conch shell Tightly coiled
spiral

Poli’sBanded tulip shellmon northern whelk
Com Tent olive shell shell shellnecklace

Slit-shaped
opening

Molluscs are amazingly varied animals, house. The sunburst carrier 1 , a sea snail, fastens pebbles

ranging from fast-moving squid, to clams, slugs, and snails. to its shell, using them as camouflage. The tiger cowrie 2

Most of them live in water and have shells. Clams and their has an egg-shaped shell with a beautiful pattern and glossy

relatives have two-part shells joined by a hinge. If danger sheen. The precious wentletrap 3 has a ribbed shell. It

strikes, the shell snaps shut, protecting the animal inside. preys on anemones and corals, using cutting jaws. Found in

Snails and their relatives have spiral shells. Like clam shells, tropical oceans, the pink conch 4 and trumpet triton 5

58 they keep growing, so their owners never have to move are two of the largest sea snails. The pink conch grazes on

Great screw shellEu ropean bittersw Noah’s ark Invertebrates ❯ Molluscs
West Indian worm shell6 Channelled apple snail 8 Common pelican’s foot shell

ll 7 Common mussel
Ca
Long tentacles
eet
9 Edible oyster she

ts’s tongue oyster shell

Spired shell 10 Great scal lop shell

Subulate auger shell Shell covered
in spines
seagrass and seaweed, while the triton is a predator,
attacking starfish and other slow-moving prey. It hunts at common pelican’s foot 8 creeps across mud and sand
night and paralyzes its victims with poisonous saliva before
beginning to feed. Like most apple snails, the channelled on the seabed. Its shell has extensions that resemble webbed
apple snail 6 has gills, and lives in fresh water. The
common mussel 7 lives just below the waterline on rocky feet. The edible oyster 9 and the great scallop 10 are
shores, using its gills to filter out small particles of food. The
often harvested to eat. Mussels and oysters glue themselves

to rocks using sticky threads. Scallops lie on the seabed. If

a predator tries to creep up on them, they swim away by

clapping their shells open and shut. 59

SCALE

Invertebrates ❯ Molluscs 11 Philippine watering pot Chalky, Giant top shell 12 Red abalone shell
grit-covered
tube 15 Varicose sea slug sea slug

Common limp et k-margined s Variable neon
14 Blac ea slug
13

16 Spanish dancer mon sea angel

Com

Gills for Red callista
breathing

Some molluscs, such as the Philippine watering Opalescent sea slug

pot 11 , do not need to move, because they sieve their common limpet 13 is much smaller, but just as tough. It
food out of the water. But many others, including the red clings to wave-battered rocks and can withstand the fiercest
abalone 12 , creep about on a muscle-packed sucker that winter storms. Sea slugs, or nudibranchs, have a foot but no
works like a foot. The red abalone grazes on algae, and shell. They are famous for their brilliant colours. Many kinds,
its grip is incredibly strong. When threatened, it clamps its such as the black-margined sea slug 14 , have a tuft of gills
60 shell to the rock and is almost impossible to dislodge. The on their backs and a pair of tentacles that look like miniature
horns. The black-margined sea slug feeds on sponges. So do

Great ramshorn 17 Pac ug
18 European black sl
Silveific banana sl This species
ug has black or
snail orange skin Invertebrates ❯ Molluscs

West African tellin Brown garden snail 19 Giant African snail r mouth turbanshell
Sword razor clam shell

Spotted Royal comb venus
Commo n piddo
sea hare

ck

Growth rings

20 Swan mussel
Sof
t shell clam
21 Fluted giant clam
the varicose sea slug 15 and the Spanish dancer 16 , 61
a giant sea slug that swims by rippling its body, making world because of its large appetite and fast breeding. Back
it look like a dancer wearing a skirt. Molluscs are also in the water, clams are molluscs with hinged shells. A few,
common on land, particularly in damp areas. The Pacific such as the swan mussel 20 , grow in rivers and streams,
banana slug 17 and the European black slug 18 live in but most, including the fluted giant clam 21 , live in the sea.
cool climates but the giant African snail 19 is a tropical Like its big brother the giant clam, it contains microscopic
species that has become a major pest in warm parts of the algae that live in its flesh. These algae produce nutrients,
which contribute to the clam's food supply.

GIANT CLAM The giant clam is the world’s heaviest shelled animal, and possibly
the largest species that has ever lived. It has a huge, thick shell
formed of two parts, with a deeply folded edge. The edges of the inner body, or mantle, are often a
beautiful iridescent blue-green or gold, and can be seen when the shell opens to feed. It is a myth that
a giant clam can catch and swallow people, because a clam will only close, slowly, if it is attacked.

Size ❯ Shell up to 1.5 m (5 ft) long Weight ❯ Up to 200 kg called zooxanthellae that live inside their mantle tissues.
(440 lb) Habitat ❯ The clams anchor themselves on sand Breeding ❯ Giant clams expel sperm and eggs into the
or coral rubble in reefs or in lagoons. Distribution ❯ Tropical ocean. The eggs develop into larvae called veligers, which
areas of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans and South swim freely and hunt for food. Predators ❯ Sea stars, snails,
China Sea. Diet ❯ Giant clams filter plankton out of the sea some fish, and humans. Conservation status ❯ Vulnerable
using their gills. They also get nutrients from plant-like algae due to harvesting for food and the aquarium trade.

Squid, octopuses,

and cuttlefish
Invertebrates ❯ Squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish
Broadclub cuttlefiSCALEsh
Dumbo octopus

Horizontal,
slit-shaped pupil

North Pacific giant octopus

1

n reef squid e-ringed oc
2 Blu topus

Ca ribbea Cup-like
Common suckers
3
squid

Unlike other molluscs, squid and their relatives octopuses, it can squirt clouds of black pigment into the water

are fast-moving hunters with keen senses and big brains. to confuse predators. Fully spread out, its legs can measure

Octopuses have eight arms covered in suckers. Squid and over 4 m (13 ft) from tip to tip. Far smaller, but much more

cuttlefish also have eight arms, plus two long tentacles which dangerous, the blue-ringed octopus 2 has a highly toxic

shoot out to catch their prey. Many of these animals can bite. It can kill humans, although it usually swims away. The

change colour in seconds, helping them to hide. The North common squid 3 has a streamlined body with prominent

64 Pacific giant octopus 1 hunts on the seabed. Like many side fins, and lives in the open sea. Like other squid, it zooms

Prey-snatching 4 Whip-lash squid pus
tentacles

Day octo

6 Invertebrates ❯ Squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish8 Common cuttlef ish

5 Chambered nautilus Bigfin reef squid
us Atlantic octop

an giant cuttlefish
7 Australi

9 Mimic octopus Long,
muscular arms

Common octopus

backwards by sucking in water and squirting it out in a jet. lairs and hunts after dark. The Australian giant cuttlefish 7 65
Jet propulsion is also important for octopuses when they need and common cuttlefish 8 cruise over the shallow seabed
to make a quick getaway. The whip-lash squid 4 hovers in looking for crabs and other prey. The extraordinary mimic
deep water, waiting for prey with its long tentacles extended. octopus 9 is one of the few octopuses that hunt while the
The chambered nautilus 5 has a spiral shell and about sun is up. As well as changing colour, it can disguise itself
90 tentacles which tightly grip its prey. Mostly found in shallow to resemble more than a dozen different animals, making
waters, the Atlantic octopus 6 spends the daytime in rocky it look more dangerous than it really is.

Starfish, urchins,

Invertebrates ❯ Starfish, urchins, and sea cucumbersand sea cucumbers

SCALE Red sea urchin on star

1 Common brittl ody Henry starfi 5 Indo-Pacific cushi

shBlo Vermif
e star

Purple sunstar
orm sea cucumber

2 Ochre starfish Coarse, spiny
upper surface
4 Pr ickly redfish 3 Sea apple cucumber

Yellow sea cucumber

Fleshy spikes

Found only in salt water, starfish and their The ochre starfish 2 feeds on mussels and other molluscs,

relatives are unique in many ways. Most of these slow-moving using the tubes to grip its prey. Sea cucumbers collect food

creatures have five arms branching out from the centre of using a ring of tentacles around their mouths. The sea apple

their bodies. They have skeletons or cases made of hard, cucumber 3 is a highly poisonous reef-dweller. It has bright

chalky plates. The common brittle star 1 moves by colours warning predators not to attack. Other species, such

snaking its arms, but most animals in this group move as the sausage-shaped prickly redfish 4 , are coloured to

66 around using hundreds of little tubes, which act as feet. match the sand. The Indo-Pacific cushion star 5 becomes

6 Crown of thorns starfish
Invertebrates ❯ Starfish, urchins, and sea cucumbersYellow feather star

orgon’s head brittle sta 10 BlVenomousRows of
rspines for red tubercles
protection
Red general starfish

G Icon starfish
Red cushion
7 Edible sea urchin
Fire
8 Purple urchin
urchin

9 Sea potato

Smooth,
spineless surface

star

ue starfish Short, venomous
spines can deliver

painful sting

short-armed as it gets bigger, eventually maturing into case, while the purple urchin 8 has extra-long spines that 67
a dumpy cushion shape. It often grazes on coral. The easily break off. The sea potato 9 burrows into seabed
notorious crown of thorns starfish 6 is a large species mud, and has bristly spines and a streamlined shape. Sea
with venomous, thorny arms. It can devastate reefs with its urchins use their spines for self-defence, while sea cucumbers
voracious appetite for coral. Sea urchins creep over rocks and squirt out a mass of sticky threads. The blue starfish 10 and
reefs, scraping up food with their downward-pointing mouths. its relatives have a different kind of protection: if any of their
The edible sea urchin 7 has short spines and a rounded legs are bitten off, they slowly grow back.

Centipedes Eastern flat-backed m

and millipedes illipede

Invertebrates ❯ Centipedes and millipedes w earth centipede giant centipede
2 Tiger
SCALE 1 Yello
Brown stone centipede merican giant millip

3A ede Megarian banded centipede
Brow
4 Black giant pill millipede pede Banded stone centipedeAmerican
d millipede
Flat body can sho r t-he ad e
fit under stones n snake milli Sonoran tiger ce ed millipede

ntipede Tanzanian flat-back

Centipedes and millipedes belong to a group up, they quickly wriggle away. The Indian tiger giant
centipede 2 is one of the biggest, growing up to 25 cm
of animals called arthropods, which have legs with joints (10 in) long. It can easily kill small rodents and can give
and a hard body case. Millipedes are slow-moving humans an extremely painful bite. Centipedes have two legs
vegetarians, but centipedes are agile predators, with keen on each segment of their body, but millipedes have four. The
senses and poisonous fangs. Yellow earth centipedes 1 American giant millipede 3 can have more than 200 legs.
hunt underground. With their bendy bodies and short legs, Like other millipedes, it grows extra pairs every time it moults,
68 they squeeze between particles of soil. If they are dug

5 White-rimmed pill milliped Invertebrates ❯ Centipedes and millipedes
de
Boring millipe Yellow-spotted millipedeBlack snake millipede

e Extra-long legs
7 House centipede for swift movement

6 Brown giant pill milliped

e

8 African giant millipede

Legs move in a
wave-like motion

or sheds its skin. Pill millipedes are short and stubby, and the size of a golf ball. Most centipedes hunt outside, but the 69
often have 50 legs or fewer. They get their name because house centipede 7 often comes indoors. With its long legs,
they can tuck in their legs and roll up into a ball. The black it is an amazingly fast sprinter, scuttling up walls and ceilings
giant pill millipede 4 comes from Madagascar, while to catch spiders and other prey. With over 300 legs, the
the white-rimmed pill millipede 5 is found in Europe. The African giant millipede 8 is one of the largest millipedes.
brown giant pill millipede 6 from the forests of Borneo If threatened by predators, it releases a foul-smelling liquid
is one of the biggest pill millipedes. Fully rolled up, it is about to persuade them it is not nice to eat.

Spiders and
relatives

rantula
Invertebrates ❯ Spiders and relatives American sun spider
spider
1 Chaco ta
ider
3 Goldtic huntsmanStinging hairs can
2MHorned harvestmanbe fired at enemies

4 Audo arbled orb we
spider
L Euroenrod crab

DomesSay’s har vestman aver
spider
uin’s trapdoor pean wolf sp
Whip spider
Pear-shaped adybird spid
body and
small head

er

SCALE

Long front legs
used as feelers

Many people are scared of spiders, but the and comes out to feed after dark. Like all spiders, it kills its

world would be very different without them. These eight- prey by injecting venom through a pair of fangs. The

legged animals are super-efficient hunters. Out of many marbled orb weaver 2 catches flying insects by spinning

thousands, scientists have found only one kind that feeds on wheel-shaped webs, but the goldenrod crab spider 3 sits

plants. Close relatives of spiders include sun spiders, whip on top of flowers where it ambushes bees and butterflies.

spiders, and harvestmen, as well as ticks, mites, and Audouin’s trapdoor spider 4 lurks in a silk-lined burrow,

70 scorpions. The chaco tarantula 1 lives in a burrow by day equipped with trip-lines and a camouflaged lid. If anything

Legs end in 6 Southern black wid
retractable dy long-legs

claws

5 Metxaircaanntrulead-kneed ow
7 Dad
Europ
spider
spider ean garden

Eight small eyes

St. Andrews cross spider 8 Giant house spider umping spid
pider
J 10 Goliath tarantula er

9 Raft spider Elega
nt jumping s
n jumping s
Brow pider

touches a trip-line, the spider flings open the lid and grabs its lives indoors, and so does the giant house spider 8 , a 71
prey. The Mexican red-kneed tarantula 5 is a forest- species that spins funnel-shaped webs. Raft spiders 9 lie
dwelling spider, and a popular pet. It grows slowly and can in wait by the edges of ponds and pools where they catch
live for more than 20 years. The southern black widow 6 tadpoles and small fish. The enormous goliath tarantula 10
from North America is far smaller but more dangerous. from South America eats insects, rodents, frogs, and even
Females are much bigger than males, and they can give bats. It is one of the biggest spiders in the world, with a
people a fatal bite. The daddy long-legs spider 7 often leg span as big as a dinner plate.

ilian wandering spider
11 Braz
Invertebrates ❯ Spiders and relatives Crab-lik e spiny orb
-weaver
SCALE
12 Sydneyspfuidnenrel-web Sac spider Eight
walking legs
Silk egg sac
carried by female oodlouse sp
eb spider 13 W
14 Nursery w ider

Four pairs
of eyes

star tick lk orb-weaver Pincer-like
Lone mouthparts
16 American golden si
Whip scorpion
Wal
15 Cave spider nut orb-weaver

Tufts of
hair on legs

All spiders make silk, but only some species hazardous to humans. Females live in burrows, but males

spin webs to catch their prey. Many other kinds hunt on sometimes stray into backyards, and will bite humans if they

the ground. The Brazilian wandering spider 11 is one feel threatened. The woodlouse spider 13 is much smaller,

of the most dangerous of these prowling predators. It but it has extra-strong fangs for biting into the hard body cases

roams through forests after dark, and sometimes wanders of woodlice. Nursery web spiders 14 and cave spiders 15

into urban areas where it clambers over people as they sleep. make silk sacs to carry their eggs, while the American golden

72 The Sydney funnel-web spider 12 from Australia is also silk orb-weaver 16 uses its silk to build some of the world’s

Ch ilean burrowing scorpion Sting raised to
17 Giant desert hairy scorpion 18 Yellow t threaten enemies

hick-tail scorpion

20 Imperia l scorpion

Pincers
grip prey

19Gold scorpion

ite
Comm
on European scorpion d velvet m
Re
Pincers covered
with sensitive hairs

biggest webs. Shaped like cartwheels, and more than 1 m (3 ft) yellow thick-tail scorpion 18 is smaller, but its venom 73
across, the webs are strong enough to catch hummingbirds is much more powerful. It comes from the Sahara Desert and
and even frogs. Like spiders, scorpions have eight legs, but the Middle East. Gold scorpions 19 also live in the same part
they also have a pair of pincers and a poisonous sting in their of the world, but the imperial scorpion 20 is a forest species
tails. The giant desert hairy scorpion 17 is the largest kind from tropical Africa. It is one of the biggest scorpions,
in North America. Like other scorpions, it uses its pincers to measuring up to 25 cm (10 in) long. Although it looks
tear apart its prey, while its sting is mainly for self-defence. The menacing, its sting is not much stronger than that of a wasp.

SEA SPIDER Sea spiders belong belong to a group of marine animals called
Pantopoda, meaning “all legs”. Their legs are so long compared
to their tiny bodies that they have to keep some of their internal organs inside them. This strikingly
coloured yellow-kneed sea spider comes from coral reefs off the coast of Australia. It is only a few
centimetres across, but larger specimens can grow up to 90 cm (35 in) from tip to tip.

Size ❯ 1 mm–90 cm (1⁄25 in–35 in) Habitat ❯ Seabed; proboscis, to extract fluids from the prey, or breaks off
smaller species live in shallow water, while larger sea pieces and puts them in its mouth. Breeding ❯ The eggs
spiders live in the deep waters of the Antarctic Ocean. hatch into larvae. In most species the larvae float around
Distribution ❯ Seas and oceans worldwide Diet ❯ Soft- freely as they grow. In some they live on their father’s front
bodied animals such as sea sponges, anemones, and coral legs, while in others the larvae live as parasites in animals
polyps. The sea spider uses its sucking mouthpart, or such as coral polyps or clams.

Crustaceans 3 White-spotted hermit crab

1 Edib

Invertebrates ❯ Crustaceans le crab

2 Red reef hermit crab Abdomen hidden
inside shell
Thick carapace
4 Blue swimming crab
Wide, flattened
carapace

Pincers used for Freshwater crab
catching prey

crab 5 Warty box crab
Pa
Ane inted pebble cr
mone porcelain ab
Velvet swimming crab Legs with a
single claw
6 Christmas Island red crab

Crustaceans are not common on land, but they human fingers, too. The red reef hermit crab 2 and

flourish in fresh water and the sea. They include lobsters, white-spotted hermit crab 3 have small pincers, and live

shrimps, and prawns, and also hundreds of different kinds in shells borrowed from other animals. Like other hermit

of crabs. Some crustaceans swim in gigantic swarms, but crabs, they change shells as they grow. Each time these crabs

crabs usually roam the seabed or scuttle over the shore. The move home, they carefully check their new shell to make

edible crab 1 has an extra-tough shield, or carapace. Its sure that it is exactly the right fit. Blue swimming crabs 4

76 powerful pincers can crack open mollusc shells, and crush have back legs that work like paddles. These crabs like

Sponge crab

SCALE Invertebrates ❯ Crustaceans
Spotted coral
Short hind legs crab

7 Orange f iddler crab Pear-shaped
body

ow crab
8 Panamic arr

9 Japanese spider crab

Heavily armoured
legs and body

spending time on sandy or muddy coastlines. Warty box Orange fiddler crabs 7 make burrows in mangrove 77
crabs 5 burrow in seabed sand. They shield their faces swamps. Males have a tiny claw for feeding and a giant
with their claws, giving them the alternative name, the one for signalling to females across the mud. The Panamic
shame-face crab. Christmas Island red crabs 6 live arrow crab 8 lives on reefs, while the Japanese spider
in tropical forests, surrounded by the Indian Ocean. During crab 9 prowls the seabed. Measuring up to 4 m (13 ft)
the breeding season, millions of them emerge from the forest across, this amazingly leggy animal is the world’s biggest
and march to the coast, where they mate and lay their eggs. crustacean, with a lifespan of up to 100 years.

10 Norway lobster triped squat lobster

Invertebrates ❯ Crustaceans Two pairs of 11 Blue-s
antennae, or feelers

Red, thread-like
antennae

Flexible body ending White-clawed crayfish
in a broad tail fan

Long pincers

12 R eef lobster

Black Aesop shrimp 13 Stripe -leg spiny lobster
“tiger” stripes Tiger prawn

Paddles at end 15 Sculpture d slipper lobster
of abdomen

14 Antarctic krill

Regal slipper lobster

Giant acorn barnacle

Lobsters, shrimps, and prawns are crustaceans aquarium pets. The stripe-leg spiny lobster 13 has extra-

with long bodies and lots of legs. The Norway lobster 10 long antennae that can make a creaky, clicking sound to scare

lives in a burrow, and feeds at night on live animals and dead predators away. If it is cornered, it swims backwards at high

remains. Blue-striped squat lobsters 11 are close relatives speed. Antarctic krill 14 live in the icy Southern Ocean,

of crabs. Like other squat lobsters, they have 10 legs, but the in swarms that can stretch for kilometres in every direction.

last leg pair is small, and tucked away under their tails. Reef These finger-sized crustaceans are a vital food for penguins,

78 lobsters 12 are brightly coloured, which makes them popular seals, and whales, including the blue whale, which can

Singapore bamboo shrim p SCALE
rimp
16 Peacock mantis shrimp Legs specially designed Invertebrates ❯ Crustaceans
for smashing prey opod
Domed carapace
can curl up 17 Giant deepsea is
into a ball

Common prawn

Eyes spaced far
apart on the head

Common shrim Long, thick,
18 Ve spiny antennae
terPink squat lobs
p Natal spiny lobster

rnal tadpole sh

19 Common marble shrimp

swallow more than 4 tonnes of krill per day. The sculptured light is extremely faint in deep sea, this isopod has large 79
slipper lobster 15 has a rounded shape, and blends in antennae to help it feel its way around. Vernal tadpole
against seabed sand. The peacock mantis shrimp 16 shrimps 18 from California breed in short-lived freshwater
is a predator with a knockout punch. Using its front legs, it pools. The adult shrimp die when the pools dry up, but their
smashes open snail shells and crabs, and can even shatter the eggs can survive for up to 10 years, hatching when it rains.
glass of aquariums. The giant deepsea isopod 17 scavenges The common marble shrimp 19 is brown with green
food on the sea floor, occasionally feeding on live prey. Since spots during the day, but turns red at night.

Jungle nymphInsects

From beautiful butterflies to
buzzing mosquitoes, insects are
the most successful creatures on
Earth. Their bodies have a hard
outer casing and are divided into
three sections: the head, thorax,
and abdomen. Most adult insects
have wings and many kinds can
fly. Scientists believe there are
still millions of new species
left to discover.

Wings ❯ Most insects have two
pairs. One pair may be adapted
into another form, such as a beetle’s
wing-cases. This female jungle
nymph cannot fly, but can shake its
wings, producing a hissing sound
to scare off attackers.

Head ❯ The first section of the
body carries the brain, sense
organs, and mouth. Insects’
mouths are adapted to suit
their diet. This jungle nymph
chews leaves, while butterfly

mouths are suited for drinking
nectar from flowers.

Abdomen ❯ The last section of Animals
the body contains the digestive Insects

and reproductive organs. Features

Thorax ❯ The middle •Have six
section supports three jointed legs
pairs of legs and two
• Have
pairs of wings. compound eyes

• Mostly have
wings

• Mostly have a
body divided
into three
sections

• Have antennae
to sense their
surroundings

Antennae ❯ These sense organs
can pick up scents from the air,
a bit like a human nose. Some
insects also use them to feel
their way around.

Insects ❯ Dragonf lies and damself liesDragonf lies
and damselflies
SCALE
1 Common green darner

Tetracanthagyna plagiata Large wings
Illinois river cruiser for speedy flight

2 Southern hawker dragonf ly

3

All four wings Blue and 5 Az 4 Flame skimmer
almost equal black markings
in size Distinctive ure damsel Wingspan is larger
stripes on on male
Gdrreaegno-nefyleyd f ly than body length
body

Club-shaped end
of abdomen

Speeding through the air on transparent wings, use stealth and camouflage to catch their prey. The common

dragonflies and damselflies chase insects for food. Dragonflies green darner 1 flies over streams in North America. Its

are robust with rounded heads, whereas damselflies are more stiff wings stick out sideways when it rests. The southern

slender with broader heads. Both have extra-large eyes for hawker dragonfly 2 , from Europe, breeds in small ponds.

spotting anything that moves and can zoom sideways and It hunts away from water, and approaches people that come

even backwards as they close in for a kill. Their young, known nearby. The Illinois river cruiser 3 patrols rocky streams

82 as nymphs, are also hunters. They grow up underwater, and and rivers, while the flame skimmer 4 prefers warm water,

Colourful markings
to attract a mate

Prince baskettail 6 Emperor dragonf ly Insects ❯ Dragonf lies and damselfliesBright colouring makes
Wdhaitmes-lelef lgygedStalk-winged damselflyit easily recognizable
Large eyes
to spot prey Plains clubtail

7 Comet darner

8 Broad-bodied chasere
9 Banded demoisell
10 Grey petaltail Twin-spotted spiketail

Male has
scarlet abdomen

sometimes hunting over hot springs. The azure damselfly 5 of its time on the wing. The broad-bodied chaser 8 rests 83
breeds in small ponds and streams. Like other damselflies, it on plant stems and rushes out to grab passing insects from its
has a very slender body, with widely spaced eyes, and wings perch. The banded demoiselle 9 has a flitting, butterfly-like
that fold back when it lands. The emperor dragonfly 6 is flight. The grey petaltail 10 hunts over swamps and often
one of Europe’s largest insects, but it looks small compared stops to settle on trees. Its young are ferocious predators,
to the giant comet darner 7 from North America. This crawling over the surface of swamps on damp nights and
dragonfly can outpace an Olympic sprinter and spends much catching other insects in their fast-moving jaws.

STICK INSECT Masters of disguise, stick insects sit quietly on tree branches,
looking exactly like dead twigs or green shoots so that
predators don’t notice them. There are thought to be more than 3,000 species across the world,
ranging from tiny leaf and twig shapes up to “branches” 55 cm (22 in) long. This stick insect from
Madagascar resembles a thorny bramble shoot, a very unappetizing prospect for predators.

Size ❯ 2.5–55 cm (1–22 in) Weight ❯ Up to 65 grams (21⁄4 oz) Breeding ❯ Females lay live eggs on their own or by mating
Habitat ❯ Rainforests and jungles. Distribution ❯ Tropical with males. The eggs hatch into nymphs, which moult several
and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia and Australia, also times as they grow into adults. Lifespan ❯ From a few months
Madagascar, South and Central America, and southern USA. to a few years. Predators ❯ Birds, small reptiles, and rodents.
Some species also found in mainland Europe as well as the Defences include camouflage, sharp spines, flashing wings,
British Isles. Diet ❯ Leaves of trees and shrubs and berries.
hissing, or spraying bad-smelling or burning liquid.

Insects ❯ Crickets and grasshoppers Crickets and
grasshoppers

1 Green milkweed locust

Antennae longer
than body

Speckled bush-cricket

Large eyes Pygmy locust Calliptamus italicus

2 Desert locust

House cricket
3 Foaming grasshopper

per
Common macrotona grasshop

With their powerful back legs, crickets and locust 2 holds the record for numbers. Some of its swarms

grasshoppers are some of the best jumpers in the insect contain more than 30 billion insects, which is four times

world. They are also some of the loudest, rubbing their the number of people on Earth. Most grasshoppers rely on

legs or wings to make high-pitched sounds. Many live on camouflage for protection. The foaming grasshopper 3 ,

their own, but locusts are famous for migrating in enormous however, oozes poisonous froth from behind its head, while

swarms. The African green milkweed locust 1 is one its day-glow colours warn that it is dangerous to eat. Adult

86 of the biggest of these insect travellers, while the desert grasshoppers usually have two pairs of wings, but some

SCALE

Common black cricket Insects ❯ Crickets and grasshoppers

Wellington tree weta 5 Mole cricket

n
C

4
ook Strait gia Shovel-like front legs,
t weta developed for burrowing

6 Oak bush cricket

Powerful jaws

7 African cave cricket

Spines on
back legs
deter attackers

Brown mountain grasshopper Common field grasshopper

8 Violet-winged gr

asshopper

crickets are wingless and cannot fly. The biggest of these underground burrows, feeding on worms, roots, and grasses. 87
include wetas from New Zealand. The Cook Strait giant Like real moles, it has massive front legs that work as shovels.
weta 4 is almost as large as a mouse. If it is threatened, it The oak bush cricket 6 is a hunter, while the African
raises its spiny back legs over its head, making it look ready cave cricket 7 feeds on almost anything, from bat droppings
for a fight. Most crickets and grasshoppers feed on plants, but to carrion. The huge violet-winged grasshopper 8
some species are predators and scavengers. Some others even comes from South America. Measuring up to 12 cm (5 in)
feed on their own kind. The mole cricket 5 spends its life in long, it is even bigger than some birds.

True bugs and

treehoppers
Insects ❯ True bugs and treehoppers rt-headed bug
rer T ater scorpi
4 Spittle on
bug
horn bug

1

Toad bug
W
2 Wa

Nut-shaped
head

Comm
5 Peanut-headed bug

Wa
3 Common Brightly
green shield bug coloured
ter measu hindwings

on greencapsid

Large eye spots g
to keep away 6 Bed bu
predators

True bugs are a special group of insects that such as the wart-headed bug 2 , can be bigger than some
butterflies. This bug has brightly coloured hindwings to
live in fresh water as well as on land. They have sharp startle enemies that get too close. The green colour of the
mouthparts for sucking up liquids. Some feed on plant sap, common green shield bug 3 helps it to blend in among
while others eat blood or fluids from their partly digested leaves. Young spittle bugs 4 shelter inside nests of foam,
prey. Sap-sucking bugs feed in the open, and often use which protect them from hungry birds. The peanut-headed
camouflage to hide. The thorn bug 1 has an amazingly bug 5 , another tropical species, has large eye spots on its
88 realistic spike that looks just like a thorn. Tropical species,

Strong claws to
overpower large prey

wthorn shield bug Insects ❯ True bugs and treehoppers

gr bug White-spotted assassin bu
Ha
7

Comm
on f lowe

8 Common
pond skater

f-footed bug 9 Giant water bug
Lea e bug

Fire bug 10 Himalayan cicada
Euro
Bir pean tortois

ch bark bug

SCALE

hindwings to confuse predators. The bed bug 6 is a land. A strong swimmer, the giant water bug 9 is big 89
flightless parasite, which emerges after dark to suck human enough to prey on frogs and fish. It can even give humans a
blood. Many predatory bugs ambush their prey. On land they painful bite. Most bugs are silent, but some make amazingly
include the white-spotted assassin bug 7 and its many loud sounds. Male Himalayan cicadas 10 attract females
relatives. In fresh water, predatory bugs are even more by making a deafening courtship song. Like other cicadas,
common. Some, such as the common pond skater 8 , they sing when they are adult, but the rest of their lives is
live on the water’s surface, attacking other insects that crash spent feeding on roots underground.

PRAYING MANTIS With strange angular features and triangular heads,
praying mantises look almost like creatures from
another planet. They are instantly recognizable by their long, folded front legs, held up together as if in
prayer. These can lash out with astonishing speed to catch hold of live prey. Some species, such as this
Thai boxer praying mantis, are brightly coloured, but most blend in with their surroundings.

Size ❯ 1.2–15 cm (1⁄2–6 in) Weight ❯ up to 10 g (1⁄3 oz) and other mantises. Females eat males after, or even during,
Habitat ❯ Rainforests and jungles. Distribution ❯ Tropical mating. Breeding ❯ Females lay hundreds of eggs in an
areas, especially Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Also egg case stuck to a plant or buried in the ground. Eggs
South and Central America and the southern USA. Some hatch into nymphs. Lifespan ❯ 10–12 months. Predators ❯
species are also found in Europe, Central Asia, and Japan. Large birds, frogs, chameleons, snakes, bats, and monkeys.
Diet ❯ Flying insects such as moths, grasshoppers, flies, Mantises protect themselves by camouflage.

Beetles Sexton beetle
4 Hercules beetle
Ts

1
Insects ❯ Beetles 3 Jewelled
2 Violin beetle frog beetle

wo
we nty-t ird
pot ladyb

5 Seve n-spot la

dybird

Eupholus linnei

Flat body
squeezes into
tight spaces

Emus hirtus

6

Wal

la ardinal beet

C
ce’s
haneus demo acris candidip
lelonghorn Crat
n ennis
Onym
damibeetle
Long, feathery osomus rod
antennae

P

With around 400,000 species, beetles make up lays eggs in these remains, so her grubs have their own
by far the largest group of insects. They start life as larvae, private food supply. The violin beetle 2 squeezes its flat

also known as grubs. Adults usually have two pairs of wings. body under tree bark, where it feeds on other insects and

Their front wings, called elytra, are specially hardened and snails. The grubs of the jewelled frog beetle 3 grow up

fit over the hindwings like a case. Beetles eat a huge range inside plant stems. Beetles vary greatly in size. While the

of different foods. The sexton beetle 1 buries the dead smallest could easily fit on the head of a pin, the biggest

92 bodies of small birds and rodents such as mice. The female kinds, such as the Hercules beetle 4 , can be more than

Jewel beetle Black oil beetle

Massive Shiny shell Insects ❯ Beetles
jaws to fight appears oily
other males

Gold beetle Scarlet lily be
Thick-le
tlegged flowe
etlePol
Stag beetl r beetle len bee
Neptunides polychrous
7 e

il Giraffe-necked weev Phosphorus jansoni

8 Great diving beetle Ant beetle

SCALE 10 Click beetle

9 Goliath beetle

15 cm (6 in) long. The seven-spot ladybird 5 feeds on in ponds and streams, where it swims with back legs that 93
aphids, making it a useful ally for farmers and gardeners. work like a pair of oars. It eats tadpoles and even small fish.
Wallace’s longhorn beetle 6 grubs bore into living trees, Measuring up to 10 cm (4 in) long, the goliath beetle 9 is
while stag beetle 7 grubs live in rotting wood. They stay the heaviest insect in the world. Its grubs can weigh up to
hidden for up to six years, before turning into adults. Adult 100 g (31⁄2 oz). Beneath the soil’s surface, click beetle 10
males fight with their antler-shaped jaws and the winner grubs, known as wireworms, chew their way through roots.
gets a chance to mate. The great diving beetle 8 is found They can cause serious damage to crops.

Butterf lies
and moths
Insects ❯ Butterflies and moths
Aust Garden tiger
oth
1 Wal Adonis blue Diva m
lich’s owl moth
Male has feathery
2 Queen cracker Snout moth antennae

Regent skippermoth e plume
ralian m agpie

Apollo
3

Blue triangle

Blue th
Oak eggar arops
Madagascansunset moth 5 Hercules moth Whit moth
Blue band on
4 upper side of
each wing
et
Si x-spot burn Copperydysphania Cleopatra

Unlike other insects, butterflies and moths are their wings when they fly as a way of marking their territory.

covered with thousands of tiny scales, which create vivid Apollo 3 butterflies often live in cold climates on mountains,

patterns. Butterflies are often brightly coloured, while moths but far more butterflies and moths come from warm parts

are usually drab. Most moths, including Wallich’s owl of the world. Often mistaken for a butterfly, the beautiful

moth 1 , fly by night and use their camouflaged markings Madagascan sunset moth 4 is a daytime flyer. The

to hide during the day, but some fly by day and have eye- Hercules moth 5 is one of the largest species, measuring

94 catching wings. Male queen cracker 2 butterflies click up to 34 cm (13 in) across. From Papua New Guinea,

Purple emperor n drago Insects ❯ Butterflies and moths
6 Queen Alexandra’s birdwing
ntail
H Small postma
h
Gree
Hornet colouring
deters predators

ornet mot

7 Monarch butterf ly Tiger pierid Clara’s satin moth
Big greasy butter f ly
Guava skipper

8 Indian leaf butterf ly n

9 Silk moth False eyes Polyphemus moth
frighten attackers
Narrow tail moon moth
mimics leaf stalk Small copper
itillary
Duke o 10 American
Rajah Brooke’s birdwing Long
hindwing tail

f Burgundy fr

Queen Alexandra’s birdwing 6 is the world’s biggest butterflies 8 are easy to spot with their wings open, but 95
butterfly with a wingspan of up to 31 cm (12 in). It flies high look just like dead leaves with them closed. Silk moths 9
up, and in the past collectors used shotguns to knock it out of have been bred in captivity for thousands of years. Silk is
the trees. The North American monarch butterfly 7 is the made by unwinding the cocoons that shelter their caterpillars.
greatest traveller, flying 4,500 km (2,800 miles) from Mexico The American moon moth 10 lives for less than a week as
as far north as Canada to breed. When winter comes, it flies an adult. Like many other moths, it only eats as a caterpillar.
all the way back again to escape the cold. Indian leaf Adults do not have working mouths.

11 Pur ple mort bleu rf ly
Blue night butte
S SCALE

Insects ❯ Butterflies and moths White admir ilver-spotted ghost moth

12 Acacia carpenter moth

al Bent-wing ghost moth Large emerald
13 Tiger swallowtail

Drinkermoth

mer’s mes Narrow tail
Cairns birdwingoth on hindwing
eneCra
Ilia underwing
Elep 14 Zebra swallow tail
hant hawk m
15 Swallowtail 16 Scarce swallowtail

California dog-face Black-veined white

Butterflies and moths live their lives in four The tiger swallowtail 13 from North America lays its

stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult. The caterpillar eggs on many kinds of plants, but the zebra swallowtail 14

stage is the main feeding period, and butterflies and moths always picks out pawpaw trees. The swallowtail 15 and

are often very choosy about their food. The purple mort scarce swallowtail 16 have caterpillars with inflatable

bleu 11 , from Central and South America, grows up on coloured “horns”. The horns suddenly appear if the caterpillar

bamboo leaves, while in Australia caterpillars of the acacia is touched, and they have a repulsive smell that helps to keep

96 carpenter moth 12 bore their way into wattle or acacia trees. predators away. The common morpho 17 , from Central

rown hairstrea
Pine-tree lappk Buf f-tip
17 Common morpho r
Lappet moth Metallic blue th 18 Atlas moth Insects ❯ Butterflies and moths
B upperwings
O le
Transparent Argent and sab
“windows” on
all four wings

19 Verdant sphinx

Long, oval-shaped
forewings

20 Owl butte Small white

range-barred sulphu rfly
21 Giant Agrippa
et

Spanish festoon

Forewings much Sonoran blue
longer than
hindwings

False eyes
on hindwings

Red patches on
forewings scare

off predators

Schulze’s agrias Orange tip Giant leopard mo

and South America, has striking, bright blue wings. The streamlined abdomens help these moths to attain top speeds 97
butterfly was once collected for use in jewellery because of more than 35 kph (22 mph). The owl butterfly 20 gets
its blue colour does not fade even after it has died. The huge its name from the huge eyespots on its hindwings. They
Atlas moth 18 , found in Southeast Asia, has the largest wing give it a scary “face”, making birds think twice before risking
area of any butterfly or moth. At over 400 cm2 (62 sq in), it is an attack. The giant Agrippa 21 has the biggest wingspan
the size of a dinner plate. The verdant sphinx 19 and its of any insect. The largest giant Agrippa moth on record
relatives are some of the fastest fliers. Narrow wings and measured 36 cm (14 in) from tip to tip.

SLUG MOTH CATERPILLAR Butterflies and moths begin
life as wingless larvae called
caterpillars. Some of these are hard to spot but others, such as this slug moth caterpillar from Papua
New Guinea, are brightly coloured and bizarrely shaped. You might expect such a colourful creature to
develop into an equally striking adult, but fully developed slug moths are often dull in colour.