Meet Spooki, a spooky-cute sea blob inspired by the Skeleton Panda Sea Squirt (Clavelina ossipandae)—a real ocean critter discovered off the coast of Japan in 2017.
These little guys became known for being squishy, adorable, and juuust creepy enough, with skeleton-like rib markings and panda-style eye spots. That’s exactly why I brought Spooki to life—she’s the perfect mix of cute and creepy, just in time for Halloween!
Now here’s the cool part:
These cuties are a species of tunicate. While they’re invertebrates (no backbone), they’re not your average bug or sponge. As babies, they actually have a notochord and a nerve cord—which means they belong to the same group as us: chordates, alongside fish, reptiles, birds, and even humans!
As larvae, they look like tiny tadpoles—with a tail, little eyes, a snoot, and a central nerve running down their back. But once they grow up, they become sessile (stick to one spot for life) and become squishy sea blobs that filter food out of the water—and start growing adorable mini versions of themselves! And those rib-like veins? That’s where the skeleton vibe comes from. And the panda-like eyes? Still a mystery—but they definitely make her extra cute.
Basically, they’re just a bunch of tiny, ocean-dwelling cuties, living their best life.
I put a lot of time and love into her and I hope you love her as well, the money will go into future projects to improve my models and skills.<3