The Wellcome image awards 2017: the shortlist of the year’s best science visions
With its huge eyes, comical name and diminutive size, Mark R Smith's image of a baby Hawaiian bobtail squid can't help but raise a smile. A curiously endearing creature, the cephalopod is just 1.5cm across, its mantle cavity bearing more than a passing resemblance to a rather natty shower cap. But it is also a beautiful example of symbiosis - nature's version of "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine"- for on the underside of the squid is a light organ which houses bioluminescent bacteria. The squid offers the bacteria protection and food, while the bacteria emit a glow - a handy trait that the squid uses to offset its silhouette, helping it to evade predators in the depths below.
One of the winners in this year's Wellcome Image Awards, the bobtail squid strikes a cheery note. But others scooping a gong evoke quite different emotions.
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