Marine arthropods come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours, and have a large diversity of life histories. Crustaceans and pycnogonids are present on Heron Island Reef, with the former found in every habitat on the reef, including the beach. Numerically, crustaceans also dominate the plankton, either as larvae or part of the demersal or holoplankton.
reef zones of the southwest end of Heron Island Reef
(Image provided by Digital Globe Inc and Biophysical Remote Sensing Group, The University of Queensland)