Seabed/Benthic

Mudskipper

Fish that mastered the mud

White Sturgeon

Ancient armored giant of the Pacific rivers

Giant Trevally

The Indo-Pacific's powerhouse jack

Atlantic Cod

The barbel-chinned backbone of the Atlantic

Orange Roughy

Seamount elder of the deep

Urechis unicinctus (Penis Fish)

The mudflat innkeeper with a mucus net

Stonefish

Looks like a rock. Hits like a needle.

Bigfin Reef Squid

Big fins. Bright signals. Reef-speed life.

Nautilus

Ancient shell, living navigator.

Horse Mackerel

Rough-sided sprinters of the sea

Hallucigenia

Cambrian's spiky little evolution clue

Opabinia

Five eyes, one weird proboscis

Eider

Downy divers of the far north

King Eider

Crown of the Arctic pack ice

Albertonectes

Alberta's long-necked sea swimmer

Shastasaurus

Triassic titan of the open sea

Icadyptes

Eocene giant of Peru's seas

Mole Crab (Sand Flea)

Burrow fast. Filter the surf.

Hairy Frogfish

Hairy master of disguise-hook, lure, gulp

Oilfish

Deep-water predator with a waxy secret

Bearded Fireworm

Look, don't touch-the reef's fire-beard

Bass

Bass: many lineages, one big name

Smooth Hammerhead Shark

Smooth head, sharp hunter.

Horned Grebe

Golden horns, master of the dive