Coral reefs are home to some of the most extraordinary and little-known creatures with new discoveries still to be made. The book The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs by Dr Richard Smith throws the spotlight on the mysteries of the intricate underwater ecosystems.

“We have so much more to learn”, writes Dr Smith. “If we want to meet undiscovered organisms before we lose the chance forever, we must conserve reefs around the world”.

We introduce some of the curious creatures he has encountered in his explorations…

Revealed: mysterious ocean creatures lurking beneath the surface