🌊🐠 The massive mola mola, also known as a sunfish, holds the title of the world's largest bony fish! The heaviest recorded mola mola tipped the scales at an incredible 5,070 lbs (2,300 kg). 😲 These ocean giants can produce up to 300 million eggs at once—more than any other vertebrate—and they spawn multiple times throughout their lives. 🐟🌟
From Dan Europe Hungary
Photo Credits: Daniel Botelho
YIIKES!
When male & female anglerfish mate, their reproductive process is highly unusual and adapted to the unique conditions of the deep sea. In this vast and dark environment, where encounters between potential mates are rare, the mating strategy of anglerfish involves a dramatic physiological transformation. The male anglerfish, upon finding a female, latches onto her with his teeth and becomes permanently attached.
Once the male anglerfish has attached to the female, a process of fusion begins. Over time, the male's body physically melds with the female’s. His eyes and internal organs degenerate and vanish, leaving him with only the essential reproductive tissues. The male's circulatory system also merges with that of the female, creating a shared bloodstream. This fusion allows the male to rely entirely on the female for nourishment and oxygen, while he provides sperm for fertilization.
For the first time ever in history, the 'clear photograph' of an ant is released and that's how it looks - the very same insect roaming inside your house, garden and everywhere!
The close-up portrait of an ant was clicked by photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas and he won a prize for the capture at 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition that was magnified five times under a microscope!
David Attenborough
#Alien
@scaryboots
Alien? NO but certainly could have been the inspiration for what we commonly think of as an alien face!
Frrom all accounts this is commonly known as a PANTHER Chameleon.
In general: They inhabit warm climates mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Over half of them live on the island of Madagascar - around 60 species ONLY live there.
They evolved 65 million years ago shortly after dinosaurs went extinct.
The smallest one is the size of a match stick head!
For all FIFTY "COOL CHAMELEON FACTS" check this out:
https://www.chameleonschool.com/facts/
Everybody knows chameleons can change color but do you really know why they do it? Do you know how fast they can shoot their tongue? Find the answers to these questions and more in this list of 50 cool chameleon facts. 1. Chameleons live in warm habitats Chameleons inhabit warm habitats mainly in sub-Saharan Africa […]
#CrittersOfMastodon
Gulper eels, aka Pelican eels, have one of the tiniest skulls of any animal in comparison to the size of their jaw - a result of their adaptation to the deep-sea environment where food is scarce.
Enormous jaws allow them to swallow whatever prey they happen upon in the vast space of the deep sea1. The upper and lower jaw are so big that when its mouth is closed and folded up, it’s almost half the length of its body.
Some of the usual jaw bones are missing & others are loosely attached to the skull. This reduction in skeletal structure, along with reduced musculature, helps the eel better match the density of the water. So Gulper Eels don’t need to use any energy to stay in place, and can save it up for lunging at prey.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/gulper-eel-video-deep-sea-fish-nautilus-news
These animals can never be politicians.
A: they're animals
B: they're just too transparent!
MONKEYS - CUTE!
SLUGS - NOT CUTE!
ENTER THE MONKEY SLUG..not cute. but worthy of living? Perhaps.
The Monkey Slug, also known as the Hag Moth caterpillar, is a fascinating creature with a peculiar appearance. Known scientifically as Phobetron pithecium, this caterpillar resembles a hairy, disheveled mess rather than its namesake primate.
Primarily found in the eastern United States, the Monkey Slug has a unique, even bizarre, set of features that set it apart from other caterpillars. Some distinctive characteristics include:
Six fleshy, hairy projections called “arms”
Brown coloration that can help it blend into its surroundings
Resemblance to a dead leaf as a form of camouflage
Here are two visuals that will help you decide.
David Attenborough
Dubbed "The most interesting moth in the world," the incredible Picasso moth (Baorisa hieroglyphica) is a rare beauty found in India and Asia.
It is not uncommon for us to receive inquiries about the distinctions between butterflies and moths. While these enchanting creatures share certain characteristics, such as the intricate scales that adorn their bodies and wings, there are subtle differentiating features that set them apart. Delving into the realm of Lepidoptera, the order to which both butterflies
#CrittersOfMastodon
Warning: Don't watch the video on a full stomach or if you're prone to nightmares!
"Botflies are in the middle region of the list of the 30 deadliest insects list. They deposit eggs on a host, or sometimes use an intermediate vector such as the housefly, mosquitoes, ticks. After mating, the female botfly captures an insect by holding onto its wings with her legs attaching 15 to 30 eggs onto the insect or arachnid's abdomen, where they incubate. The fertilized female does this over and over again to distribute the 100 to 400 eggs she produces in her short adult life.
Larvae can also drop off the skin of those insects and infect larger mammals like HUMAN BEINGS! (see the accompanying video- IF you're not squeamish - to see extraction methods!!)
Eggs are deposited on larger animals directly, or the larvae hatch and drop from the eggs attached to an intermediate vector.
#Journal, Day 1306
Monday, 16 October 2023
(Day 95 of #SAGAFTRAstrike - AMPTP has suspended negotiations. No word on when they will reconvene)
#UkraineWar: Day 601
#HamasIsraelwar: Day 9
Mini Mimi
Finder of Impossible Things