Sneaking out of the office early on a Friday like…
Deep-sea giant isopods use their 14 legs to tiptoe along the seafloor. When the need to move a little more quickly arises, they fan out their uropod and pleopods (their tail and swimming limbs) and paddle away. Either way, they’re getting a jumpstart on the weekend.
Rays rays rays
Skeleton of Mola Mola as Mola rotunda - the Ocean sunfish
Spolia Atlantica. Bidrag til Kundskab om Klump- eller Maanefiskene (Molidae). Japetus Steenstrup and Chr Lutken Published 1898
Greetings, chordate comrades.
I’m attempting to export yet another culture we’ve had for the past few years on the dying birdsite. Basically three times a year we’d use the hashtag #InverteFest to post unsolicited bug and slug pics and YELL ABOUT HOW MUCH WE LOVE THEM.
It could be pics from your garden, OCs, doodles, shitposts, crab memes, whatever. Just remember this is strictly a NO BONE ZONE.
But if you’re going out and feeling like contributing to community science, we have a project on iNaturalist for you to join.
See you in late December.
beetles! ✨
Ok y’all brace yourselves cuz I just learned about a new animal
Yes, that is an animal. Yes, scientists refer to it as the purple sock worm. No, that’s not it’s real name, silly, it’s real name is Xenoturbella!
When these deep-sea socks were first discovered, no one knew what the fuck they were looking at (and, really, can you blame them?). They have no eyes, brains, or digestive tracts. They are literally just a bag of wet slop. DNA analysis initially seemed to indicate that they were related to mollusks, until the scientists realized that DNA sample was from the clams they had recently eaten (yes, they can eat with no organs. We don’t know how.)
Scientists then analyzed the data again and tentatively placed them in the group that includes acorn worms, saying that their ancestors probably had eyes, brains, and organs, but simplified as a response to their deep sea ecosystems.
Later DNA testing has since shown that they are their own thing! Xenoturbella, along with another simple and problematic to place creature called acoelomorphs, belong to their own phylum called Xenacelomorpha! This places them as the sister group to all bilateral animals. So, they just never evolved brains, eyes, or organs. They are a glimpse at a very primitive form of animal that never bothered to change, because apparently what they do works. Rock on, purple sock worm.
Welcome back folks :-)
Drew some poisonous & venomous sea creatures for my first foray into risograph printing. I’m so pleased with how bright the colors turned out in-person. :') [shop link]
Crowdsurfer for The Frights at Beach Goth, Santa Ana, CA
King Krule at Beach Goth, Santa Ana, CA
10.22.16
Photo by Meg Mindlin
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO
octopus biologist and artistex pop punk princessbio.site/invertebabe
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