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)

In this picture taken on Sunday, March 5, 2017, a Tehran's urban animal control worker catches a stray dog after being shot with his anesthetic dart on the outskirts of the capital Tehran, Iran. The shelter has been hired by the Tehran city government to take a new, more humane approach to deal with the burgeoning problem of stray dogs in the capital. It’s a sign of changing attitudes among officials in a country where Islamic authorities long saw dogs as “un-Islamic” and would at times confiscate them from people who kept them as pets. (Photo by Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)

Women pose for a picture at the entrance of the Carlton Hotel, in the government controlled area of Aleppo, Syria December 17, 2016. (Photo by Omar Sanadiki/Reuters)

Models prepare backstage before presenting a creation from the Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing on September 4, 2022. (Photo by Wang Zhao/AFP Photo)

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel patrol along the border fence during a cold foggy morning near India-Pakistan Wagah border about 40km from Amritsar on December 21, 2022. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

An English soccer fan kicks a ball as he gather with other fans ahead of a Group C match between England and Slovenia at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in the city center in Cologne, Germany, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Photo by Markus Schreiber/AP Photo)

A young lady poses for the camera as police steward boozers away from pubs and bars in Newcastle, United Kingdom on October 23, 2020. The extra restrictions which servely limits social mixing in hospitality venues will come into effect on October 23, 2020. (Photo by North News and Pictures/The Sun)

Kimono-clad women from Thailand take selfies among blooming cherry blossoms at Ueno Park in Tokyo, Japan on March 27, 2021. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)