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)

People take part in the Million Mask March anti-establishment protest at Trafalgar Square in London on November 5, 2020, on the first day of a four week national lockdown for England. (Photo by Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)

A poster of former President Donald Trump sits in the lobby as guests arrive for the Oakland County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner on June 25, 2023 in Novi, Michigan. Trump is scheduled to speak at the dinner. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Actress Morena Baccarin poses for a portrait backstage at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 15, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

People walk in the Old City of Damascus, Syria, decorated for the upcoming Christmas holidays, Tuesday, December 14, 2021. (Photo by Omar Sanadiki/AP Photo)

A resident uses face shields made from used mineral water containers while working on the streets of Yogyakarta City, Indonesia on April 16, 2020. This face shield aims to prevent contracting from coronavirus while working outside the home. (Photo by Nuryanto/Opn Images/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Fireworks go off while the beetle goes up in flames after being set on fire during the 11th annual Burning Beetle event on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at Pageant Park in Custer, S.D. The event was created in response to the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation a few years ago and continues to bring awareness to the impact of the beetles. (Photo by Matt Gade/Rapid City Journal via AP Photo)

Underwater photographer of the year – winner. Dancing Octopus by Gabriel Barathieu (France). Location: Island of Mayotte, off the coast of south-east Africa. “Balletic and malevolent”, one judge said of this octopus, hunting in a lagoon. Barathieu waited until spring tides when there was just 30cm of water on the flats and plenty of light in the shallows. (Photo by Gabriel Barathieu/UPY2017)