The tiny Cocos Islands, also known as the Keeling Islands after the British sea captain who first reported their existence in 1609, are a pair of atolls made up of 27 coral islands.

Scientists explored the recesses of the ocean floor off the Cocos (Keeling) Islands near Australia. They found a host of bizarre sea creatures, from the tribute spiderfish to the bony-eared assfish.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands lie in the eastern Indian Ocean, about 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) northwest of the Australian city of Perth. Comprised of coral atolls and islands, the archipelago ...