Special Exhibition "Marine Invertebrates -The Unknown Wonderful World-"

In the sea, there is a vast and diverse world of animals without backbones (invertebrates). However, many of these animals are not well known to the general public and have not been specifically introduced. This exhibition highlights the fascinating world of various marine invertebrates and their unusual morphology and ecology, as well as their relationship to the lives of humans.

Exhibition

Title Special Exhibition
"Marine Invertebrates -The Unknown Wonderful World-"
Period March 12, 2024 (Tue) – June 16 (Sun)
Venue Japan Gallery 1F Exhibition Hall for temporally exhibition and Central Hall
Hours 9:00-17:00
*9:00-19:00 April 27 - May 6
*Opening days, hours etc. are subject to alteration. Please check the website before your visit.
Closed Monday, May 7

(Except March 25, April 1, 29, May 6 and June 10)

Organizers National Museum of Nature and Science

Special Supporting Cooperation

 Uminomanabi Museum Support from the Museum of Maritime Science
Special Cooperation Research Institute of Marine Invertebrates
Cooperation Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, the University of Tokyo
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki University
Ibaraki Nature Museum

VR Gallery

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Access

National Museum of Nature and Science
Address 7-20 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8718
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What to see

Chapter 1: The World of Diverse Animals

Animals are classified into 34 phyla.* In addition to the animals we know, there are many strange and mysterious animals that surpass our imagination, including miniscule animals with extremely complex form, animals without organs, and even animals that do not move. The mysterious and diverse world of these animals is introduced along with their evolutionary paths (= phylogenetic tree).
(*Animals in this exhibition refer specifically to "metazoans" following to the Encyclopedia of Zoology (2018), edited by The Zoological Society of Japan.)

[Arthropoda]
Macrocheira kaempferi

[Xenacoelomorpha]
Xenoturbella japonica

Chapter 2: The forms of mysterious marine invertebrates and their ecology

Among the 33 phyla of invertebrates, 31 phyla include species that live in the sea. Among these, 18 phyla exclusively consist of species living in the sea. In other words, the sea is where life is born, and an environment where diverse animal phyla first appeared. Here, let's dive into the fascinating world of various invertebrates that cannot be seen on land and live in the sea.

[Cnidaria]
Scleronephthya gracillima

[Mollusca]
Hypselodoris festiva

[Loricifera]
Wataloricus japonicus

[Ctenophora]
Beroe abyssicola

Chapter 3: Relation with people

Although often overlooked, many marine invertebrates are related to our daily life. Some are used as food, others as jewelry, and others as part of our daily necessities. On the other hand, some adversely affect human life style, such as parasites, organisms that break down food, and invasive alien species.

[Brachiopoda]
Lingula anatina

[Mollusca]
Mytilus galloprovincialis

Chapter 4: The significance of understanding marine invertebrates

The previous chapters of this exhibition provided a window into the diverse world of animals without backbones (invertebrates) in the sea. Lastly, this exhibition concludes by bringing attention to marine invertebrate species that are endangered, the importance of museum specimens, and current research activities.