It seems it’s all the rage to get members of the public to name species that are otherwise stuck with boring scientific epithets. Latest is the UK’s Guardian who are running a name-that-species contest on their website today, including a bunch of critters than inhabit British seas.
My favourite is this orange sea spider – it looks creepy, and it acts kind of creepy too, sucking the juices out of its prey with a pointy straw. I haven’t thought up any cool names for it yet, but it did get me thinking if you’re scared of seaspiders do you have Picnogonophobia instead of Arachnophobia?
You’ve also got the chance to name a brittlestar, a beautiful sea slug, and Britain’s largest sea squirt.
Photo by Jim Greenfield/oceaneyephoto.com/Natural England
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