The tube worm is an immobile, segmented worm with a head of spiral-like (mostly) orange, brown and white tentacles, used for feeding on plankton, protruding from the tube. They can reach up to 60 cm in length and can be up to 25 mm wide. The tube is made of a combination of mud, pieces of shell and sand. Tube worms can be found on soft ocean soil, particularly in intertidal areas.
Weighing in at over 200 kg in some instances, measuring over 1 m across and often reaching ages of over 100 years in the wild, the giant clam is the biggest living mollusc found today. Endemic to the South Pacific and initially mobile, giant clams become sessile in adulthood and will remain in the same spot they attached themselves to for the rest of their lives – particularly in the warmer water of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Cherry head red foot tortoise
Indigenous to South America, in particular the Brazilian Rain Forest, cherry head red foot tortoises are medium-sized tortoises with scales on their heads and legs that are bright red or orange in colour. Their back shells are dark with a notable lighter/brighter golden patch on the scales of the shell and can grow up to 40 cm in length.
Panther chameleons are native to a tropical forest biome in Madagascar, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the island, but they can also be found on the islands of Mauritius and Réunion. During courtship or confrontation, the male chameleons’ striking colours, which vary depending on the region they are from, become more pronounced, while the females’ colours are generally duller.
Romanesco broccoli is a fractal, or self-similar, vegetable (when removing one floret it will look identical to the bigger plant and contain its own little florets) with a spiralling head arranged in a pattern that mimics a Fibonacci series. Although it looks similar to cauliflower, it tastes nuttier and has a more crunchy texture.
Red Sea fire urchin
Named after the location where it is most commonly found at depths of around 90 m (and after the pain it can cause when its spines are touched) Red Sea fire urchins, sometimes also called toxic leather sea urchins, are sessile urchins that have quite flexible shells as a result of articulated plates. They are active during the night, feed on, amongst others, algae and provide shelter to certain species of shrimp.