1 / 10 Best Visual Effects

<b>Nominees</b>: The glowing squid <i>Taningia danae</i>; the toothy and luminous Blackdragon fish; and the amazing <a href="http://www.livescience.com/16976-transparent-octopus-opaque-camouflage.html">transparent octopus</a> <i>Japetella heathi</i>. <b>And the winner is...</b> <i>Japetella heathi</i>. This deep-sea octopus possesses the amazing ability to switch from transparent to opaque and back again. In regular conditions, the octopuses are see-through, perhaps to prevent themselves as being seen as a dark silhouette against the ocean surface. But when bioluminescent light hits them, they instantaneously become pigmented, preventing a mirror-like glare from alerting potential predators to their existence. Well-played, <i>J. heathi</i>. Please limit your acceptance speech to 45 seconds.

Sarah Zylinski