Gallery closure notice
The Marine Invertebrates gallery is closed from 10.00-15.30 every other Tuesday. The space is being used for our Adventure Babies event.
The gallery may be closed on an irregular basis for other events and training.
Investigate the lives of ocean inhabitants in the Marine Invertebrates gallery.
See starfish, corals and molluscs, and discover the deep-sea secrets of the vampire squid and the feeding habits of the fin whale roundworm.
Star specimens and exhibits
- a beautiful array of shells, from the giant clam to the queen conch
- a crab that's related to spiders
- sea snails used to make purple dye
- shells once used as currency
- delicate deep-sea creatures known as snake arms and basket stars
Explore the galleries with the Museum map
Find out how to get around with the Museum map. There are four zones to discover.
Discover: invertebrates
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OceansSounds of the reef
Coral reefs can be very noisy, as this recording from the Great Barrier Reef reveals. But why does it sound like frying bacon?
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CollectionsGiant squid: from the deep sea to display
Curator Jon Ablett tells the tale of how an elusive monster from the deep came to be one of our popular attractions.
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Oceans
Corals: up close and personal
Glimpse some of the beautiful coral specimens in our collection and explore why coral diversity is important.
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CollectionsCharles Darwin's coral conundrum
Darwin’s first scientific theory wasn’t about evolution, but how coral reefs form around the world.
