The Census of Marine life is the gift that keeps on giving. Here are the latest pics of some new species they've discovered at the bottom of the ocean.
A blind lobster from the genus--Thaumastochelopsis
Sweet new comb jelly
More below the fold...
Ampelisca mississippiana - a new kind of amphipod
New species of squat lobster
Adorable new pebble crab
A new species of shrimp, seen here standing on a yellow worm (they both eat the same marine plants)
Read more about these species on nationalgeographic.com.
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Didn't the B52's do a song about the Squat Lobster? ;-D
I also would like to officially place my order for a dozen "Adorable pebble crab" please.
Thanks for the lovely pics of new stuff. Always a treat.
Comb jellies!! I do love those pretty bags of snot.
Wondrous!
These are all obviously fake. The things don't even have eyes.
@Pat:
Heh. "Squat Lobster" was my first thought too.
Katie:
Well, let's see: it's the bottom of the ocean, there is not much light, so who would need eyes?
Ding ding ding ding ding-a-ding-ding...
Curse you! Do you realise how hard that tune is to dislodge from your brain?
That Thaumastochelopsis is pretty impressive - is that really a pair of massively asymmetrical chelae?
Marine plants, or the crinoid they're both sitting on (and looking pretty well camouflaged against) in the photo?
You wouldn't need eyes if your were FAKE either.
'Rock Lobster', not 'Squat Lobster'. See http://www.absolutelyrics.com/lyrics/view/b-52s/rock_lobster/
Let us keep in mind that Katie is new to reality and hasn't made the adjustment.
Curious question: Why is it that so many creatures at the ocean floor are white (or are they simply translucent?) It seems that in the darkness it would a disadvantage to be a color that so catches any light. Or is it something about a lack of need for pigment?
I know the lyrics. It was a joke...a play on words. But thanks for the info. :-)
I am really enjoying the "fake things that don't need eyes" debate. ;-) This is one of the best websites ever.
So does that squat lobster really only have 5 legs or is one hidden?
Pigmentation is required to protect an organism from UV rays, and various other sun-incurred rays. Aquatic life far from the sun's penetration does not require pigmentation. Pigmentation becomes a useless, energy-consuming metabolic process, so it was lost through evolution to these guys. Besides, these guys are only shiny and obvious to us because a light is shining on them. :) I'd be willing to trade my pasty complexion for a nifty fluid, boneless body!
Here's a surprising fact: Benny doesn't have eyes either! Rather, he "sees" with his acute sense of smell using scent receptors on his thighs.
The squat lobster does have the right number of legs. The last pair is usually tucked up into the thoracic cavity in Anomurans.
There is a close relation in the pigmentation of skin and melanin substances in human skin. Such relationship also exist in other organism too.
It seems that in the darkness it would a disadvantage to be a color that so catches any light.
To clarify, I meant from bioluminescent predators. Although I guess that doesn't make a great deal of sense either...since there is very little light, does that mean creatures have great eyesight to cope or terrible eyesight since there's nothing to see? *head explodes*
Thanks Katie for the pigment response. :-)
Aquatic life far from the sun's penetration does not require pigmentation. Pigmentation becomes a useless, energy-consuming metabolic process, so it was lost through evolution to these guys.
what is the "creature" ANDREW has as his profile pic?? thanks