A man wearing a face mask walks his dog as he pulls a trolley after shopping in Beijing on February 13, 2020. The number of deaths and new cases from China's COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak spiked dramatically on February 13 after authorities changed the way they count infections in a move that will likely fuel speculation that the severity of the outbreak has been under-reported. (Photo by AFP Photo/China Stringer Network)

A celebrant takes part in the ninth Hong Kong Buddha Sunning Festival at the Tai Mo Shan lookout on February 18, 2020 in Hong Kong, China. The global death toll from the coronavirus epidemic rose above 200, with all but five of those and the vast majority of the more-than 75,000 cases occurring on mainland China. (Photo by Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images)

Medical personnel jump in the COVID-19 unit at the CHR Centre Hospitalier Regional de la Citadelle Hospital, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Liege, Belgium, April 22, 2020. (Photo by Yves Herman/Reuters)

Youths cover their faces with plastic bags while pushing a handcart during rainfall in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, July 12, 2020. (Photo by Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo)

A demonstrator wearing a mask is seen during a protest against the government's restrictions amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Berlin, Germany, August 1, 2020. (Photo by Christian Mang/Reuters)

A man waits with his camel to take part in a camel decoration competition at the Nagaur Cattle Fair, where animals like camels, cows, horses, and bulls are brought to be sold or traded, in Nagaur, in the desert state of Rajasthan, India February 2, 2017. (Photo by Himanshu Sharma/Reuters)

A woman wears a face mask in the part of the city near neighbourhoods known for burning coal for heating in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia January 26, 2017. Not many people in Ulaanbaatar wear masks to protect themselves against pollution. (Photo by B. Rentsendorj/Reuters)

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)