Dazzling underwater photos capture new views and scientific detail of fish larvae

Larvae that look drab in the lab turn out to have brilliant colors and intricate body parts

a collage of deep sea fish larvae

Baby fishes in the wild (pictured in this collage) sport a smorgasbord of colors and appendages that are often lost when the critters are caught and preserved as lab specimens.

Photos: Jeff Milisen (photos);  E. Otwell/Science News (collage)

The open ocean is a veritable soup of tiny critters, including newborn fishes.