Amazing sea creatures

Transcript

00:00But he's bitten off more than he can chew.

00:09Nightfall.

00:10A dangerous time to be a small fish on a big reef.

00:15Only one inch long, this cardinal fish needs to avoid becoming next on the lionfish menu.

00:30But he must catch dinner too.

00:32Huge, light-sensitive eyes help pinpoint small prey in the dark.

00:38Ostracods, crustaceans the size of a grain of sand, should make a manageable meal.

00:49But he's bitten off more than he can chew.

00:54Ostracods store a volatile cocktail of chemicals inside their bodies.

00:59If attacked, the compounds mix, igniting an explosion of bioluminescence brighter than

01:05a flashlight, and leaving such a bad taste that the cardinal fish spits it out unharmed.

01:19Ostracods store enough of these chemicals to detonate ten times in a row, and this crustacean's

01:25escape plan is even more brilliant.