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| Obscure Taxa; For interesting or obscure organisms you'd like to share. | |
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| Topic Started: Dec 14 2016, 09:46 PM (48,925 Views) | |
| Nembrotha | Aug 29 2017, 03:46 PM Post #571 |
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Adolescent
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Lancetfish (genus Alepisaurus) are a genus of large (up to 2 metre-long) predatory fish. They can be found in much of the world's oceans, but are absent from polar waters. Not much is known about their biology - it is assumed that they are ambush predators due to their slow movement. Stomach contents in caught individuals reveal a diet of crustaceans, squid, salps and even other lancetfish. Their binomial name is quite odd, as it translates to "scaleless lizard". This seems like a bizarre name choice, as they are obviously not lizards but do indeed lack scales. Also, look at these things. They look like a real-life Gyarados! ![]() Alepisaurus ferox |
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Journey to the Makrinocene, a world in the twilight hours of the Cenozoic! (Slightly Inactive, will eventually pick up) Come to Terra Fantasia, a bizarre world where nothing is as it seems! (Ongoing) Spoiler: click to toggle
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| Carlos | Aug 31 2017, 06:30 PM Post #572 |
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Adveho in me Lucifero
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Anatoliadelphys is a new carnivorous metatherian from the Eocene of Turkey. Turns out the Cretaceous was not the limit for metatherian carnivores in the northern continents.
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Lemuria: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/ Terra Alternativa: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/ My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Carliro ![]() | |
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| Rebirth | Sep 3 2017, 07:37 PM Post #573 |
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Adolescent
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A few more Zealandian animals.![]() The robust skink (Oligosoma/Cyclodina alani) was formerly common throughout the North Island of New Zealand but now survives only on offshore islands as well as in a few zoos and licensed private collections. They are absolutely massive for a NZ skink, up to 14 centimeters SVL and weighing up to 100g. ![]() The terror skink (Phoboscincus bocourti) is a predatory skink of up to 50 centimeters, found only on a few islands in New Caledonia. They were discovered in 1876 but presumed extinct until 1993, and are considered Endangered by the IUCN due to their small range on low-lying islands. Their teeth are very long, curved and sharp, almost like a monitor lizard. Spoiler: click to toggle The largest galaxiid fish in the world is the giant kokopu (Galaxias argenteus), a predatory fish endemic to New Zealand which is often incorrectly described as a "native trout" which reaches lengths of up to 58 centimeters long, though 20-40 is more usual. They are endangered via pollution, destruction of habitat and overfishing for the whitebait industry, as well as competition with and predation by introduced salmonids. An increasing number of people are keeping these and other NZ fishes in captivity (both publicly and privately) and raising awareness of their plight. EDIT: And a bonus! Spoiler: click to toggle The torrentfish (Cheimarrichthys fosteri) is possibly New Zealand's most unique endemic freshwater fish. Looking like a loach, but actually more closely related to the blue cod (a bit of an obscure taxon of its own, but damn it is the tastiest fish IMO), it is an amphidromous fish of around 10 centimeters long which lives in very cool to cold, fast-flowing water in riffles and rapids, mostly feeding on freshwater insect larvae, crustaceans and such. They are considered Vulnerable to extinction via the IUCN, and are threatened by climate change, pollution and irrigation. Presumably the introduced trout and salmon also predate upon it. Edited by Rebirth, Sep 3 2017, 09:18 PM.
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| Inceptis | Sep 3 2017, 11:24 PM Post #574 |
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In-tro-vertebrate
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![]() The Paradoxical frog, Pseudis paradoxa, lives in South America and breaks a lot of norms. The genus it lies within is very aquatic, yet they are with the same family as 'true' tree frogs. They're the only species in their genus living west of the Andes. But the strangest thing about them is the size difference between tadpole and adult. ![]() The tadpole shrinks as it becomes an adult, making this the largest size difference between young and adults in Tetrapoda. They also have an extra toe digit to stir up mud. Edited by Inceptis, Sep 3 2017, 11:28 PM.
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This was getting fairly big. Spoiler: click to toggle
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| IIGSY | Sep 4 2017, 11:41 AM Post #575 |
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A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
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Something similar happens with Goliath beetles, as the larvae is larger than the adult |
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Projects Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates Last one crawling: The last arthropod ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess) Potential ideas- Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized. Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal. Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents. Quotes Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups In honor of the greatest clade of all time More pictures Other cool things All African countries can fit into Brazil
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| HangingThief | Sep 4 2017, 03:50 PM Post #576 |
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ghoulish
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The louvar, Louvaris imperialis, is a large, mysterious open water fish found worldwide that makes up the monophyletic family Luvaridae.![]() ![]() It's very rarely seen or caught and unpredictable- there appears to be no images of a live specimen in the wild, despite the fact that it spends at least some time near the surface. It appears to feed mainly on salps, cnidarians and other gelatinous plankton, but unlike some fish with such a diet (...molas) its flesh is delicious and nutritious, which combined with its large size and rarity makes it a highly prized food fish. (Fun fact... the fishing boat captain in the picture above took that louvar back to shore from another boat and ended up taking credit for and stealing it.) For a while its phylogeny was as mysterious as the fish is elusive, but it's now known to be very closely related to surgeonfishes- as in the colorful herbivorous reef fish. Juvenile louvar even have the distinctive knife- like spines near their tails! The boneskipper fly (Thyreophora cynophila) is a european fly that was believed to be extinct for over 150 years. It's a specialist whose maggots feed exclusively on the bone marrow of carcasses, but lacks the ability to penetrate intact bones and relies on large predators to crack them open and expose the marrow. The extirpation of large predators in Europe was assumed to have led to its decline and extinction. But in 2009, it was photographed in Spain and more specimens were collected in 2010. Apparently the reason it wasn't observed for such a long time is because adults are mostly nocturnal and active in colder parts of the year, which is pretty strange for a carrion fly. (Also, I imagine not many entomologists want to poke around at large animal carcasses at night... so why do that when you think it's too cold for insect activity anyway?)
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Hey. | |
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| Vorsa | Sep 4 2017, 04:55 PM Post #577 |
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Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
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That actually makes perfect sense. If this species evolved to rely on Ice Age carnivores, then why wouldn't it be tolerant of the cold? If few flies can withstand the cold, then this species had a huge advantage over other carrion flies and could live in the frozen regions where hyenas and lions were, using them to crack open the bones it needs for its maggots to survive. Obviously, European predators then mostly went extinct but with its adaptations, this species must have been able to cling to life in the winter when other flies were dead/hibernating (don't know what flies do in winter) but animals like wolves and lynx were still active, providing it with food still. (Not objecting to your point about it being unusual, just realising why they are that way) |
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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 | |
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| Fazaner | Sep 5 2017, 04:13 PM Post #578 |
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Шашава птичурина
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You all know about dome-headed dinos, but how many of you know about dome-headed chalicothere? This is a Tylocephalonyx skinneri, true weirdo, hailing from Miocene North America. ![]() It's estimated size is 2,2 m in length, 180 cm in height, 600kg of weight. ![]() Like other chalicotheres it was browser, using it's claws to reach branches. Some speculate that it used their domes for headbutting like rams or bulls. |
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Projects (they are not dead, just updated realy slowly, feel free to comment): -World after plague After a horrible plague unleashed by man nature slowly recovers. Now 36 million years later we take a look at this weird and wonderful world. -Galaxy on fire. They have left their home to get out of war. They had no idea what awaits them. My Deviant art profile, if you're curious. Before you get offended or butthurt read this | |
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| IIGSY | Sep 5 2017, 04:25 PM Post #579 |
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A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
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"You never know if you don't go, you shine if you don't glow" - All Star, Smash Mouth This applies quite well to all of biology, but is especially perfect for describing entomology. |
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Projects Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates Last one crawling: The last arthropod ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess) Potential ideas- Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized. Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal. Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents. Quotes Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups In honor of the greatest clade of all time More pictures Other cool things All African countries can fit into Brazil
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| Rebirth | Sep 5 2017, 08:26 PM Post #580 |
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Adolescent
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Spoiler: click to toggle The New Zealand longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) is the apex predator of New Zealand's freshwater environments (found in freshwater bodies up to 361 kilometers inland and the only endemic eel species (though Anguilla australis and more recently reinhardtii are also found here), being up to 150 centimeters long. Having the slowest growth rate of any eel species, at only 1-2 centimeters a year, they live for anywhere from 20-106 years before migrating into the Pacific Ocean near Tonga to spawn and die. Despite this extremely slow growth rate, they are heavily commercially and recreationally fished, which has lead to a large population decline. Pollution and habitat loss are also factors in decline, and young eels may be eaten by trout. There have been many calls by conservationists to ban the fishing of the eels, with little to no success, but many zoos, farm parks (usually with ponds or streams) and even cafes near water bodies allow tourists to feed resident "tame" eels and raise awareness of their decline and plight. Edited by Rebirth, Sep 5 2017, 08:27 PM.
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| LittleLazyLass | Sep 5 2017, 08:51 PM Post #581 |
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Proud quilt in a bag
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These were featured in a River Monsters episode once: Of course, these are wild eels being enticed by fish guts, but it does show what they're capable of and how they work. |
totally not British, b-baka! 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 | |
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| Rebirth | Sep 6 2017, 09:06 PM Post #582 |
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Adolescent
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A few more of New Zealand's native freshwater fish, because they need more love (especially as, much like native reptiles and birds, many of them are threatened with extinction, yet people are more aware even of weta than fishes).![]() The longjaw galaxias (Galaxias cobitinis) is one of New Zealand's 12 known non-diadromous/exclusively freshwater galaxiid species. These galaxiids do not look very impressive, but they are very endangered by climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, agriculture and introduced trout species (there seems to be a pattern here, sport fishermen in NZ will probably burn me alive for saying this but IMO NZ trout should be eradicated as is planned to be done for wild rats, possums and mustelids). These non-diadromous galaxiids live from lowland rivers and swamps to high-altitude rivers and presumably feed on small invertebrates. Spoiler: click to toggle This is the Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius), one of 5 mudfish species in NZ (the only other species is Tasmanian, perhaps hinting at a Gondwanan origin for this genus), found in North, South and Chatham Islands wetlands which often dry up completely in summer, which the fish survive by aestivating and holding water against their gills. European colonists often dug up mudfish on farm paddocks and joked that NZ soil was so productive you could get fish and potatoes from the same plot of land. The Canterbury mudfish is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN due to habitat loss and pollution as well as agriculture (trout are a non-factor due to their inability to survive in the acidic wetlands where mudfish live, but I think Gambusia are still a threat to them there as they are very adaptable), while other mudfish species are also considered threatened. A facility in Christchurch breeds Canterbury mudfish for release into the wild and they are very easy to house and maintain. Spoiler: click to toggle The black flounder (Rhombosolea retiaria) is an endemic flounder of New Zealand and the only truly freshwater flatfish species, though larvae are still marine, being found more than 100 kilometers inland in some river systems. They are carnivorous, feeding on various bottom-dwelling insects, crustaceans and molluscs, also feeding on whitebait when they migrate during spring. They are caught recreationally but not thought to be endangered. This beautiful fish is a redfin bully (Gobiomorphus huttoni), one of 7 species of bully, a group of eleotridae fishes or sleeper gobies endemic to New Zealand, living in many freshwater habitats. Redfin, bluegill and giant bullies are strictly diadromous, while upland, Crans and Tarndale bullies are purely freshwater, and common bullies can be either. There are many native freshwater fish in NZ, and I couldn't describe them all in this post. Here is a good resource for finding out more about these underappreciated animals: New Zealand freshwater fish: Native animal conservation Edited by Rebirth, Sep 6 2017, 09:10 PM.
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| IIGSY | Sep 6 2017, 09:23 PM Post #583 |
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A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
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freshwater flounders are thing apparently. |
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Projects Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates Last one crawling: The last arthropod ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess) Potential ideas- Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized. Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal. Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents. Quotes Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups In honor of the greatest clade of all time More pictures Other cool things All African countries can fit into Brazil
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| Rebirth | Sep 6 2017, 09:29 PM Post #584 |
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Adolescent
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More about it here: Rhombosolea retiaria NZ has some pretty interesting freshwater fish. Torrentfish (basically loach-like perciformes), freshwater flounder, and eels as apex predators. |
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| Octoaster | Sep 8 2017, 06:28 AM Post #585 |
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Meanwhile at Customer Support
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Clathrus archeri is a fungus that looks like Satan's penis after an owl attack. Spoiler: click to toggle |
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"The only thing that would scar me for life would be pics and videos of hetero sex." - Flisch "Die" - Arachnus "though critising misseppls is hypcocresi on my part" - Archeoraptor "You deserve to be abandoned!" - Arachnus Open at own risk.
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