Prickly Dogfish

Fish > Sharks & Rays

The Prickly Dogfish (Oxynotus bruniensis) is one of the most bizarre and prehistoric-looking deep-sea chondrichthyans swimming in Earth’s southern oceans. Inhabiting the bathyal depths off the continental shelves of Australia and New Zealand, this humped,...

Red Pumpkin Toadlet

Amphibians > Frogs & Toads

The Red Pumpkin Toadlet (Brachycephalus pitanga) is one of the smallest and most extraordinary terrestrial vertebrates on Earth. Endemic to the high-elevation, cloud-draped Atlantic Rainforests of southeastern Brazil, this miniature jewel of an amphibian measures...

Ant-mimic Treehopper

Invertebrates > Insects

The Ant-mimic Treehopper (Cyphonia clavata) is one of the most astonishing masterpieces of evolutionary mimicry in the insect kingdom. Inhabiting the sun-dappled rainforest canopies and lush understories of Central and South America, this miniature member of the...

Green Puffball-in-Aspic

Fungi > Boletales

The Green Puffball-in-Aspic (Calostoma aeruginosum) is an extraordinary, jewel-like macrofungus native to the mist-shrouded montane oak and evergreen forests of East and Southeast Asia. Belonging to the specialized family Calostomataceae within the order Boletales,...

Dead Horse Arum Lily

Plants > Arums

The Dead Horse Arum Lily (Helicodiceros muscivorus) is one of the most astonishing, macabre, and botanically ingenious plants in the plant kingdom. Endemic strictly to the windswept coastal cliffs of Corsica, Sardinia, and the Balearic Islands, this Mediterranean...