Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Speculative biology is simultaneously a science and form of art in which one speculates on the possibilities of life and evolution. What could the world look like if dinosaurs had never gone extinct? What could alien lifeforms look like? What kinds of plants and animals might exist in the far future? These questions and more are tackled by speculative biologists, and the Speculative Evolution welcomes all relevant ideas, inquiries, and world-building projects alike. With a member base comprising users from across the world, our community is the largest and longest-running place of gathering for speculative biologists on the web.

While unregistered users are able to browse the forum on a basic level, registering an account provides additional forum access not visible to guests as well as the ability to join in discussions and contribute yourself! Registration is free and instantaneous.

Join our community today!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Obscure Taxa; For interesting or obscure organisms you'd like to share.
Topic Started: Dec 14 2016, 09:46 PM (48,946 Views)
Hybrid
Member Avatar
May Specula Grant you Bountiful Spec!

Additionally, if you want to compare the triggerfish skeleton to the mola mola skeleton:
Spoiler: click to toggle

You can see their similarities, again, just with the mola mola being more extreme in terms of anatomy.

Quote:
 
I tend to interpret "obscure" as "something your average man in the street wouldn't know about". Most people don't know what a trapdoor spider is, or a mola, or a stilt. We here on the SE Forum are hopefully more knowledgeable than most, but that doesn't change the fact that these species are still "obscure" to a mainstream demographic.

But if we're a demographic that has a more in depth knowledge on living things, what's the point of showing them here? That's like saying "look what we know about this species that most people don't know" rather than "look at this really weird species you probably never heard of". I mean to the general public, the platypus is obscure but that's pretty well known here.

Point taken though, that doesn't make it any less frustrating to see relatively well known species shown here. I mean, it doesn't help that I know a bunch of obscure creatures due to research for spec projects, like the many groups of ray finned fish that most people gloss over and their relationships between each other (fun fact: tuna are more closely related to sea horses than they are to billfish, billfish are more closely related to flatfish. The more you know). Have you heard of jellynose fish before? What about the onejaw (Monognathus), which lack and upperjaw? Even then, I never knew of the pelagic porcupine fish until here.

There's nothing that can really be done to solve it, just for me to stop feeling a bit annoyed.
If I sound rude while critiquing, I apologize in hindsight!
"To those like the misguided; look at the story of Man, and come to your senses! It is not the destination, but the trip that matters. What you do today influences tomorrow, not the other way around. Love Today, and seize All Tomorrows!" - Nemo Ramjet
ノ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ヽ

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Beetleboy
Member Avatar
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Quote:
 
I feel like half the species shown here I already heard of before,

Well, not everybody here is you. What counts as obscure? Well, obscurity is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. To the average person a hagfish is obscure, but to most of us, it isn't. To an entomologist specializing in the study of flies, Xylophagidae might not be obscure, but to me or the average person it would be. Just because you've heard of half of the species in the thread does not automatically mean that we haven't heard of them. I've heard of far less than half of the organisms mentioned in this thread, and I feel like another, important use of this place is to post a creature that you may have heard of in passing, and give some interesting info about it. I feel like you're saying that because you've heard of these creatures, it means that everybody else should have done. This thread is great and the vast majority of the creatures mentioned here I've either never heard of before or know little about.

Quote:
 
It's extremely frustrating at times, but that's just how the world works and there's no real solution (it's not like it revolves around me).
Then why bring it up? If I'm honest it seems to me like you're nitpicking at nothing.

Posted Image
Posted Image
These are the larvae of Idiacanthus atlanticus, sometimes called the black dragonfish. There are many interesting things about these fish. They are sexually dimorphic, the females are black with six stripes; male are brown, and lack the females' canine teeth, pelvic fins and barbel. The females grow up to 40 cm (16 inches) long, whereas the males grow to just 5 cm (2 inches). They are bioluminescent, producing a light almost infrared and barely visible to a human - but the dragonfish can see by it, allowing them to use their natural torch to hunt. One interesting thing about the adults is that the females make a diel vertical migration from deeper than 500 metres (1,600 ft) by day to surface waters at night, whereas males do not migrate, remaining below 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) at all times.
However, the pictures above show not the adult, but the truly bizarre larvae. They are long, slender, and transparent, with eyes on stalks which can be up to half the length of the body! Moser (1981) says on the subject:

"If one assumes that the major causes of larval fish mortality are starvation, predation, and the interactions between them, and that feeding and predator avoidance are largely dependent on vision, then eye specializations that improve feeding efficiency and predator avoidance are to be expected."

"In contrast to the round cup-shaped eye which lies flat in the developing orbit, the elliptical eye would have an increased rotational ability around the long axis, thus enlarging the volume observable from a given point. The next stage would be the extension of the eyes on short stalks so that they lie just outside the margin of the eye. Such eyes could be even more freely rotated so that the observable volume would approach that of a sphere. Extension of the eyes on pedunculate stalks would further increase this volume."

Here are some pictures of the adult female of this species:

Posted Image
~ The Age of Forests ~
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Hybrid
Member Avatar
May Specula Grant you Bountiful Spec!

Quote:
 
Well, not everybody here is you.

Quote:
 
Just because you've heard of half of the species in the thread does not automatically mean that we haven't heard of them.

Quote:
 
I feel like you're saying that because you've heard of these creatures, it means that everybody else should have done.

Yes, brought up that point many times, it's like you only read a few sentences before replying.

Quote:
 
Well, obscurity is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. To the average person a hagfish is obscure, but to most of us, it isn't. To an entomologist specializing in the study of flies, Xylophagidae might not be obscure, but to me or the average person it would be.


I completely understand that point, but that means there's no standard on what's obscure. I could post a tiger shark or some specific subspecies of lion and say that's obscure. It makes me feel that the name of the thread is a bit pointless, more of just a show-and-tell of organisms you find neat (which is not bad at all). But you're right, obscure is entirely subjective, so showing what you think is obscure is likely to be brand new someone else.

Quote:
 
Then why bring it up? If I'm honest it seems to me like you're nitpicking at nothing.

I'd say less nitpicking and more of being a grump. I brought it up because I felt that was an issue I had with the thread, but that's also just my issue. The fact that you and many others have learned so much from this thread is amazing and shows how great this thread, hell, I learned a lot of neat things from this thread. It doesn't really matter what I feel about such a small issue, the intended effect of the thread is working and that's all what really matters.
If I sound rude while critiquing, I apologize in hindsight!
"To those like the misguided; look at the story of Man, and come to your senses! It is not the destination, but the trip that matters. What you do today influences tomorrow, not the other way around. Love Today, and seize All Tomorrows!" - Nemo Ramjet
ノ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ヽ

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Beetleboy
Member Avatar
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Quote:
 
Yes, brought up that point many times, it's like you only read a few sentences before replying.

Mm not at all actually I read your whole post several times before and during the process of replying. Also, I'm not very good at this.

Quote:
 
I completely understand that point, but that means there's no standard on what's obscure. I could post a tiger shark or some specific subspecies of lion and say that's obscure. It makes me feel that the name of the thread is a bit pointless, more of just a show-and-tell of organisms you find neat (which is not bad at all). But you're right, obscure is entirely subjective, so showing what you think is obscure is likely to be brand new someone else.

Well, I suppose that the name of the thread doesn't really matter that much, it's the content. But I see your point.

Quote:
 
I'd say less nitpicking and more of being a grump. I brought it up because I felt that was an issue I had with the thread, but that's also just my issue. The fact that you and many others have learned so much from this thread is amazing and shows how great this thread, hell, I learned a lot of neat things from this thread. It doesn't really matter what I feel about such a small issue, the intended effect of the thread is working and that's all what really matters.

Okay, thanks for being nice about this. :)
~ The Age of Forests ~
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LittleLazyLass
Member Avatar
Proud quilt in a bag

You seem to have above average knowledge of weird animals for this forum, Hybrid. I'd wager to most of us a lot of these are indeed new.
totally not British, b-baka!
Posted Image You like me (Unlike)
I don't even really like this song that much but the title is pretty relatable sometimes, I guess.
Me
What, you want me to tell you what these mean?
Read First
Words Maybe
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
WaterWitch
Member Avatar
Might manage to hold down a project some day
 *  *  *  *  *
Posted Image
Proturans are Neat
Quote:
 
Proturans are seldom seen soil animals, under 2mm long. They lack pigment, wings, eyes and antennae and are considered to be an ancient sister group to hexapods, alongside Collembola and Diplura. But the data collected so far has been ambiguous. Some studies suggest that all of the Entognatha are more closely related genetically to crustaceans than Hexapoda. Other studies found that while Protura seemed to have followed its own separate lineage, Collembola and Diplura share more of a close relationship with Hexapoda and the insects. What is clear is that the origins of the Entognatha are bloody complicated.
Even twenty years ago, the Entognatha, consisting of Collembola, Diplura and Protura were considered to be insects. But the adding of cladistics and molecular evidence to the still useful technique of morphological classification have meant it necessary to move Entognatha out of the Hexapod monophyly.
The three do share characteristics, but they also differ hugely, suggesting that they may not even be particularly related to each other either, meaning that even the class of Entognatha might have to be dissolved. My feeling is that eventually, taxonomists will have to give in to the inevitable and finally let Protura, Diplura and Collembola have their own classes.
Edited by WaterWitch, Apr 16 2017, 10:19 AM.
Current Projects
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
HangingThief
Member Avatar
ghoulish
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
I've gotten slightly annoyed by this thread a couple times where I didn't post something because I thought it wasn't obscure enough, and then someone else posts it and it turns out a bunch of people didn't know what it is.

Remember that the fact that you've personally heard of something is a terrible gauge of how obscure it is. Someone who's knowledge is largely in fossil tetrapods might not know the first thing about extant invertebrates or vice versa.
Hey.


Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LittleLazyLass
Member Avatar
Proud quilt in a bag

Quote:
 
Some studies suggest that all of the Entognatha are more closely related genetically to crustaceans than Hexapoda.
Wait, what does this mean? Isn't Hexapoda within Crustacea? I understand if you wouldn't casually include them when using the term, but when talking about classification, how does this make any sense?

While I'm here, nobody ever posted about trapdoor spiders, molas, or stilts. Only specific species of those groups that stand out as being weird.
totally not British, b-baka!
Posted Image You like me (Unlike)
I don't even really like this song that much but the title is pretty relatable sometimes, I guess.
Me
What, you want me to tell you what these mean?
Read First
Words Maybe
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Talenkauen
Member Avatar
Perpetually paranoid iguanodont
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Little
Apr 16 2017, 10:44 AM
Quote:
 
Some studies suggest that all of the Entognatha are more closely related genetically to crustaceans than Hexapoda.
Wait, what does this mean? Isn't Hexapoda within Crustacea? I understand if you wouldn't casually include them when using the term, but when talking about classification, how does this make any sense?

While I'm here, nobody ever posted about trapdoor spiders, molas, or stilts. Only specific species of those groups that stand out as being weird.
They're both in Pancrustacea, but hexpoda is not Crustacea proper.
PLEASE NOTE: If I come off as harsh or demanding whilst talking to you, please tell me. I apologize in advance.....


UPCOMING PROJECTS:

Projects here
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LittleLazyLass
Member Avatar
Proud quilt in a bag

Haven't more recent studies indicated that sister grouping is false, and they are nested within Crustacea?
totally not British, b-baka!
Posted Image You like me (Unlike)
I don't even really like this song that much but the title is pretty relatable sometimes, I guess.
Me
What, you want me to tell you what these mean?
Read First
Words Maybe
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Talenkauen
Member Avatar
Perpetually paranoid iguanodont
 *  *  *  *  *  *


Here's some more obscure critters for you guys. I found these while researching for Littoralis. What do you think?


Indirana semipalmata
Spoiler: click to toggle



Climbing Gourami (Anabantidae)
Spoiler: click to toggle



Pauropoda
Spoiler: click to toggle
PLEASE NOTE: If I come off as harsh or demanding whilst talking to you, please tell me. I apologize in advance.....


UPCOMING PROJECTS:

Projects here
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LittleLazyLass
Member Avatar
Proud quilt in a bag

The idea of those fish climbing trees sounds like an urban legend to me, but I must say that would be a hilarious thing to come across. Just a fish chilling in a tree, on land.
totally not British, b-baka!
Posted Image You like me (Unlike)
I don't even really like this song that much but the title is pretty relatable sometimes, I guess.
Me
What, you want me to tell you what these mean?
Read First
Words Maybe
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
HangingThief
Member Avatar
ghoulish
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Well mudskippers climb trees.
Hey.


Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Uncanny Gemstar
Member Avatar
Godfather of SE
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Those fish must be geniuses.
Recent Projects

Old Projects

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Vorsa
Member Avatar
Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
 *  *  *  *  *  *
I've heard of climbing gourami before but never bothered to research them in depth. I didn't realise that they actually had a specific organ for on-land respiration, I always thought they just crawled like eels (unless eels can also breathe air?). Did that organ evolve independently from their main respiratory system or is it an extension of an existing feature that was modified for air-breathing?

Little
 
The idea of those fish climbing trees sounds like an urban legend to me, but I must say that would be a hilarious thing to come across. Just a fish chilling in a tree, on land.


I do imagine though that it would be quite amusing to just find a couple of fish chilling in a tree.

Evolution: "Look Earth. Tree fish!"
Earth: "I thought you got over your 'fish on land' phase 370 million years ago?"
Evolution: "Water's for pussies."



Beetleboy
 
Posted Image
These are the larvae of Idiacanthus atlanticus, sometimes called the black dragonfish.

Lightpole fish by Dragonthunders

Page
My Deviantart: http://desorages.deviantart.com/

Birbs

"you are about to try that on a species that clawed its way to the top of a 4 billion year deep corpse pile of evolution. one that has committed the genocide you are contemplating several times already. they are the pinnacle of intelligence-based survival techniques and outnumber you 7 billion to 1" - humans vs machine
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
3 users reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Members: Yiqi15, lamna
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Fully Featured & Customizable Free Forums
Learn More · Sign-up Now
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Science Central · Next Topic »
Add Reply