Hoplostethus mediterraneus – the Mediterranean slimehead (Trachichthyidae). Remarkably, slimeheads have been documented to live for over 230 years. This specimen is KU 42748 from the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum.

New urchin, who dis?

New addition to the aquarium! A Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus). Loves the camera more than any other fish I’ve had.

Just clown’in around

Happy Monday from these three amigos

Just a few more pieces left to glue — the monkfish is nearly complete!

Bellator militaris — the horned searobin. Just like other armored searobins, they possess modified pectoral fin rays used to walk and detect food on the seafloor. This specimen is TCWC 6818.17 available on MorphoSource. morphosource.org/concern/biolog…

Why are some species smaller than a paperclip & others grow longer than a bus? How is body size evolution governed in animals? Out now in PNASNews we tackle these questions through a genetic lens using my favorite group of fishes as our model system. pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

Happy Halloween! 🎃 #halloween #bats

We didn't carve pumpkins this year, but here are some deep-sea fish jack-o'-lanterns l've made in prior years!

Our annual fundraiser is officially open from Nov. 3–Dec. 3, 2025! These funds directly support our grad students and their amazing work in the lab, the community, and beyond! To support our students, find us at Launch KU or follow the link below! launchku.org/campaigns/2025…

Snail radula in action

Our mini snail aquarium for this week’s lab on gastropods!

POV you’re in a crabby mood

Snack time on the reef

Watching the world go by

When life puts a rock in the way, carry it around like an urchin

If you hold it like this, it’s a hat!

Snack time

An urchin a day keeps the bad vibes away