With its huge eyes, comical name and diminutive size, Mark R. Smith’s image of a baby Hawaiian bobtail squid can’t help but raise a smile. A curiously endearing creature, the cephalopod is just 1.5cm across, its mantle cavity bearing more than a passing resemblance to a rather natty shower cap. But it is also a beautiful example of symbiosis – nature’s version of “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” – for on the underside of the squid is a light organ which houses bioluminescent bacteria. The squid offers the bacteria protection and food, while the bacteria emit a glow – a handy trait that the squid uses to offset its silhouette, helping it to evade predators in the depths below. Mark R. Smith’s entry combines several images of a Hawaiian bobtail squid with different focus lengths to create a final picture with greater depth of field than normal. (Photo by Mark R. Smith/Wellcome Images/Macroscopic Solutions)

A brown bears cools off in a pool at the bear sanctuary near the village of Mramor, on August 18, 2020. The bear sanctuary was closed for visitors on August 18, as part of safety measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) disease. (Photo by Armend Nimani/AFP Photo)

A Palestinian youth throws a stone at an Israeli military vehicle during an Israeli army raid in the Balata refugee camp near the West Bank town of Nablus, Saturday, May 13, 2023. the Israeli military raided the Balata refugee camp in the northern city of Nablus, sparking a firefight that killed two Palestinians. (Photo by Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo)

A woman wears a “MAGA King” jacket at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, U.S., August 6, 2022. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)

An Indian villager braving strong winds and rain walk to a safer place, in village Podampeta, in Ganjam district about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the eastern Indian city Bhubaneswar, India, Saturday, October 12, 2013. Strong winds and heavy rains pounded India's eastern coastline Saturday, as hundreds of thousands of people took shelter from a massive, powerful Cyclone Phailin expected to reach land in a few hours. (Photo by Biswaranjan Rout/AP Photo)

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dances during the reception in honour of heads of the delegations at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi, Russia, May 19, 2016. (Photo by Host photo agency via Reuters)

Pigeons cool down at a public fountain on a hot summer day at University Plaza in downtown Bucharest, Romania, 10 June 2020. Temperatures in Bucharest reached 30 degrees Celsius. (Photo by Robert Ghement/EPA/EFE)

Musician Jerome Gamble plays guitar to accompany the recorded music as it is played to the city below on September 01, 2020 in Bristol, England. Created by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram and composer Dan Jones, “Sky Orchestra – A Moment in Time” was first performed at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta in 2003. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)