Hyas et stenorinques | Hyas and Stenorhynchus, marine crustaceans (Jean Painlev, 1929)

In close-ups and extreme close-ups, we watch two small species of marine crustaceans, the slender long-legged stenorhynchus and the clumsy, short-legged hyas. To blend in, both cover themselves with found objects, such as algae and sponges. We watch them move, eat, greet each other, and fight. They have small mandibles and large claws. Near them are spirograph worms, 6 inches long, with a plume of branchiae that fan out like exploding fireworks. We see vibrating cilia, mm long, on the branchiae, sending food toward the mouth at the plume’s center. Chopin’s music and an off-screen narrator suggest we’re watching a ballet.