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)

The tail of a stranded whale is pictured on the beach of De Haan, Belgium on October 25, 2018. (Photo by Francois Lenoi/Reuters)

An Indian man, Kalpesh Modi, performs stunts with his motorcycle during the rehearsal for the forthcoming Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, an annual Hindi festival, in Ahmedabad on June 23, 2019. The 142nd Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra festival in Ahmedabad is scheduled for July 4. (Photo by Sam Panthaky/AFP Photo)

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during his visit to a section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Otay Mesa, California, U.S. September 18, 2019. Trump threatened to do “dastardly things” to Iran in response to the drone attacks on the world’s largest oil plant in Saudi Arabia. The US President indicated he is wary of involving America in another war in the Middle East – but he did not rule out a military attack. (Photo by Tom Brenner/Reuters)

American supermodel Bella Hadid (R) holds onto her friend's leg for dear life in the second decade of January 2023. (Photo by bellahadid/Instagram)

American model Emily Ratajkowski are spotted arriving to the La Ligne dinner at the Hotel Barriere Fouquet in New York City on February 8, 2023. (Photo by The Image Direct)

A five-month-old cheetah seated in the back of a Land Cruiser growls at an outstretched hand after being taken from traffickers in Ethiopia and driven to Harirad, Somaliland, in 2020. This photo is part of the work of more than 100 artists in Why We Photograph Animals, a new collection of wildlife photography that aims to help understand why people have photographed animals at different points in history and what it means in the present. (Photo by Nichole Sobecki/Thames & Hudson)

A white yak sits on the lakeside of Namtso on May 19, 2024 in Lhasa, Xizang Autonomous Region of China. As temperature rises and ice melts, Lake Namtso is entering its tourism season. An event celebrating the melting of frozen water of Lake Namtso is held on May 19. (Photo by Jin Wei/VCG via Getty Images)