heck out these animals, although you’ll have to look closely. Why? Because they’re invisible! Well ok, maybe not, but they are transparent. Want to know why many of the animals featured below are sea-dwelling creatures? The answer is all about self-preservation. As pointed out by Scientific American’s Sönke Johnsen, “almost all open ocean animals not otherwise protected by teeth, toxins, speed or small size have some degree of invisibility.”
Check out this list of transparent animals compiled by Bored Panda, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite!
#1 Translucent Pharaoh Ants Eating Colored Liquids
The pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis) is a small (2 mm) yellow or light brown, almost transparent ant notorious for being a major indoor nuisance pest, especially in hospitals.[1] The pharaoh ant, whose origins are unknown, has now been introduced to virtually every area of the world, including Europe, the Americas, Australasia and Southeast Asia. (source: wikipedia)
#2 Tortoise Shell Beetle
The tortoise shell beetle is not completely transparent, but it does have a carapace that is nearly invisible. The purpose of the transparent outer shell is to fool potential predators, as it reveals markings on its back that act as a warning. Tortoise beetles come in many different varieties, and the design under their clear shells can be distinct and beautiful. (source: mnn)
#3 A Juvenile Octopus
This juvenile octopus is just 2 centimetres wide, and its internal organs can be seen through its transparent body. This one was spotted at night in the deep water off the coast of Tahiti. The orange spots on its tentacles change color and are used for camouflage. (source: ibttimes)
#4 Transparent Butterfly
#5 Transparent Immortal Jellyfish
Turritopsis dohrnii, otherwise known as the immortal jellyfish, is a species of small, biologically immortal jellyfish found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the waters of Japan. It is one of the known cases of animals capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary individual. (source: wikipedia)
#6 Costa Rican Tadpoles
These are Costa Rican Tadpoles. The swirls you can see on their bellies aren’t actually patterns – they’re neatly coiled intestines! (source: national geographic)
#7 Transparent Flatfish
#8 Snail With Semi-Transparent Shell
This snail with a transparent shell is a recently discovered species called Zospeum tholussum. It was found at a depth of 980 metres by Dr Alexander Weigand in the Lukina Jama–Trojama, the deepest cave system in Croatia. (source: wikipedia)
#9 Deep Sea Anglerfish
The larvae of the Deep Sea Anglerfish has a transparent, almost jelly-like skin. It only gets its color when it grows up. That’s also when it develops the “lure” at the front of its head and the fang-like teeth that Anglerfish are famous for.
#10 Clear Slug
Gaeotis flavolineata is a gastropod whose bright green shell has evolved to become too small for it to retract into fully — making it something in between a land snail and a slug. (source: pulptastic)
#11 Transparent Fish
#12 A Translucent Shrimp Living On The Skin Of A Large Sea Cucumber
#13 Juvenile Cowfish
#14 Ghost Shrimp
Ghost shrimp is a name applied to at least three different kinds of crustacean: Thalassinidea, crustaceans which live in deep burrows in the intertidal zone’ Palaemonetes, small mostly transparent shrimp commonly sold for use in freshwater aquaria; and Caprellidae, amphipods with slender bodies more commonly known as “skeleton shrimps.” Ghost shrimp are sometimes targeted as prey even by fish smaller than them. (source: wikipedia)
