Underwater Ghost

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Underwater ghost: Russian marine biologist and deep-sea photographer Alexander Semenov captured this image of Caprella septentrionalis, also known as the “ghost” or “skeleton” shrimp. The species, which can grow up to 3.2 centimeters long, spends most of its time attached to sea grasses, filter feeding on the microscopic scraps that float by. But when it has to get somewhere, it moves with a measured, high-arching gait similar to that of an inchworm.

About Becky Crew

Bec Crew is a Sydney-based science writer and award-winning blogger. She is the author of 'Zombie Tits, Astronaut Fish and Other Weird Animals' (NewSouth Press).

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Scientific American Magazine Vol 307 Issue 4This article was published with the title “What is it?” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 307 No. 4 (), p. 23
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1012-23a

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