The Stuff of Nightmares...
A new species of shrimp has been discovered off of the coast of Catalina Island of California. It is FREAKY looking!
The male of the species is on the right. According to the article (link below), the frightening looking claws are to hold the female during copulation. I would think that that would dampen the mood, but, hey, I'm not a female Liropus minisculus ('skeleton shrimp').
I do find it amazing that new species are still being discovered in this day and age!
New species of terrifying looking 'skeleton shrimp' discovered
I do find it amazing that new species are still being discovered in this day and age!
New species of terrifying looking 'skeleton shrimp' discovered
Wow that really is creepy. If I have a nightmare about skeleton shrimp coming after me with barbed claws, I'm blaming this blog.
ReplyDeleteIt is really crazy to think that there are still new species to be discovered out there. It seems though, that most of the new species are discovered in the depths of the pacific or deep in the Brazilian rainforest. Four days ago a new species of wild cat (a tigrina? like a baby tiger?) was found in the jungle [http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/27/new-species-wild-cat-found-prowling-brazil/]. There was also a big scare of this ugly looking caterpillar that was essentially burning the victims via its poison bristles in Brazil [http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/nature/news-ten-creepy-and-colorful-caterpillar-hazardous-human-health?image=1].
If I were to investigate new species, however, I would really like to do a scientific pursuit of big foot. There are so many stories, and so widespread, that there must be some reasonable explanation for the sightings. I think the most credible story is the creature of Lover's Lane (https://roadtrippers.com/places/creature-of-sugar-creek-road-lebanon/52891d805c4c99cc6e0008b2). It would be a fun pursuit, maybe I will look into it if the whole dental career doesn't work out.
I think they prefer to be called "Sasquatch Americans"....:)
DeleteThese are some pretty sci-fi looking shrimp. It is hard to believe that someone could distinguish the subtle differences between different species of skeleton shrimp. These creatures are only a few millimeters long! I found it interesting that the main purpose of the male’s claws are for gripping the female during copulation. I assumed that these claws would be used for hunting even smaller creatures. It is interesting that the female has claws even though the main purpose is for gripping females during copulation. However, the female claws are significantly smaller. The specific purpose of the claws made me wonder what the antennas are used for. I believe the skeletons shrimp’s translucence and size allows it to blend in to almost any environment. I believe that this camouflage is what allows the skeletons shrimp to wait around for long periods of time to ambush prey. The fact that this new species was discovered off the coast of California, a highly populated area, hints at how many species are left to be discovered. Overall, this creature is frightening and fascinating. The ocean certainly contains some of the Earth’s strangest creatures.
ReplyDeleteIt is always fascinating to see the discovery of new creatures. It goes to show how little humans know of the world and leaves the wonder of how many more animals exist that have yet to be discovered. These skeleton shrimp are quite fascinating and what is even more interesting is that they are not shrimp at all dispite having the very familiar look of shrimp. I was also very intrigued by the fact that they are translucent which allows for them to go undetected, yet they were somehow discovered. Humans are truly incredible creations.
ReplyDeleteIt baffles me that we as a human race know more about space (in the sense of the surface of celestial bodies) than we do about the deep ocean. In this respect, it is not crazy to think that there is a multitude of species yet to be discovered. This is one of what could be hundreds or thousands of undiscovered species that reside in the deep blue.
ReplyDeleteThis species is particularly interesting because it looks like it crawled right out of the “Predator” franchise. As a member of the Caprellidae family, this amphipod is called the “skeleton shrimp” (for good reason). The crustacean is slim, translucent, and darn right scary looking. They are similar to preying mantis’s in their outline, but have large claws that aid in the mating process (those poor female skeleton shrimp). I am honestly not surprised that they have just now been discovered, as their size lies within the millimeter range. Although I am fascinated by the idea that there are most definitely other creatures that we have not discovered that are vital in our ecosystem. What else don’t we know?
It is so amazing that we are still able to find new creatures off land. For as much as we known about space, you would think we would have earth figured out but that is not the case. The creepy looking shrimp, though not shrimp at all, would be definitely terrifying if they were more than just a few millimeters long and would most likely turn out to be the main character of an indie horror film. Going back to how we don't know much about the earth, according to NOAA only 5% of the ocean has been explored. That leaves a whopping 95% of unexplored territory! Who knows what else could be out there. It is definitely something fun to think about.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me happy that there are always new species out there to be discovered. I could see how Liropus minusculus would have originally been thought to be a type of shrimp instead of an Amphipod. The Liropus minusculus does not look like the typical Amphipod and has long body just like a shrimp. Although the Liropus minusculus’ appearance is creepy and looks like something one would dress up as for halloween, their physical characteristics are extremely useful. After doing some research, I found a video of the Liropus minusculus. In the video the Liropus minusculus was attaching itself to a hydroid; it mainly used its back legs to hold onto a hydroid and would occasionally use its gnathopods to grab onto a different part of the hydroid. Their six back legs are extremely supportive when it comes to holding onto the hydroid, which allows them to move their gnathopods around freely. The Liropus minusculus’ color is another physical feature that is very useful to them. Their color also allows them to blend in easily with their surroundings, which is advantageous when catching prey and hiding from hunters.
ReplyDeleteI find it funny and slightly disturbing that the Liropus minusculus use their gnathopods during copopulation. Something I found fascinating was that after mating, some females kill the male by injecting him with venom from their gnathopod. The venom injection is probably payback for being grabbed onto by the male’s crazy, large gnathopods.
Here is a link to the video, its very fascinating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiScVfSyk1M
Woah, these are some of the creepiest looking amphipods I've ever seen! it's interesting that science has come so far and there's still so many new species to discover. This little "shrimp" is fascinating, especially that it is mostly translucent and shaped like a praying mantis. Also, its sexual tendencies (grabbing the female with its claws) are surprising. It's interesting to think that people will probably colonize Mars and Jupiter before underwater colonies are established. I think it would be freaky scary to see lots of ocean animals up close. Who knows what else is lurking in the ocean waiting to be explored?
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what has been previously stated, these are scary looking shrimp (or, to be more accurate, amphipods)! The heads of these creatures remind me of dust mites. I'm glad that these things are in the depths of the ocean rather than on land. I can see how they would easily blend in with their surroundings since they are so small and translucent. It is a bit terrifying to think of all the species of fish and crustaceans that probably exist in deep waters that we have yet to discover. It seems that the creatures get creepier the farther down you go. Maybe God planned it that way on purpose because he knew how easily frightened we are!
ReplyDeleteThis article is very interesting to me as an avid fisher. I have grown up fishing, shrimping, scalloping, etc so this picture was very startling to me. I am used to the normal ocean jumbo shrimp however, when I saw these creatures I don't have the desire to fish off the coast of California. It really does blow my mind how many creatures and animals are just now being discovered and how many things God created on this earth. I have been told before that in a scoop of soil there are millions of microscopic organisms which makes me wonder how many unidentified organisms/creatures are in something such as a gallon of ocean water? I have always had an interest in things that make up the ocean such as coral reefs. Coral reefs amaze me every time I see one in person or in a picture because it is like a miniature ecosystem consisting of brilliant, vibrant colors from the coral to the actual fish. Such a great article I'm glad I was able to learn about this new species.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about the world God created, most of the time I only consider humans and all the other large organisms we encounter in our environments. This article, however, reminded me that God made so much more. There is a whole world out there that lies undiscovered, and yet God knows each organism by name. He can identify each unique physical feature and every organism's special contributions to the ecosystem and life as we know it. In my opinion, the discovery of the "Liropus minusculus" points to God's creativity and awesome power in such a mighty way, yet it saddens me to know that many scientists who read about this finding won't even stop to think about the designer behind it all.
ReplyDeleteThe gung-ho society we live in is more than ready to conquer the world of science and discover everything on our planet and beyond, which is all well and good because God gave us dominion over all the earth through Adam. The unfortunate thing, though, is that we forget to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. The Caesars, in this case, are the scientists who actually do the research and many like Jose Manuel Guerra-Garcia are acknowledged for their work, but no one seems to remember the One who started it all. It makes me wonder if Christian scientists can be different. As we graduate and go out into the world, could we somehow point to God in our work? Would it be so bad to give honor to whom honor is due, or is the fear of ridicule and rejection too great? In applying to medical schools, we are advised to keep God and our beliefs in the shadows and focus on all the things we have accomplished and learned during the course of our undergraduate education. But my worry is when does it stop? At what point are we allowed to bring God back into the equation? Many never do,and still others take God down from his shelf on Sundays and don't even think about him for the rest of the week. The reality, though, is that every follower of Christ who decides to work in one of the most unbelieving disciplines in the worlds of academia, health, and research must battle with this choice at some point: God, Science, or Both?
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ReplyDeleteIsn't it crazy that our world has so many aspects of it that have not yet been discovered? We are extremely diverse already, yet there still continues to be new discoveries like this shrimp. As stated in the article, the shrimp tend to blend into the environment with them being so small, which is obvious from the picture above. They can also be seen through, making them even more hidden. These aspects give reason as to why it has taken so long for them to be discovered. I love learning about new discoveries upon the earth, and I am glad that this gave me the chance to explore something new.
ReplyDeleteThis article really got me thinking about the potentiality of so many other unknown species that have yet to be discovered. When I look at these shrimp all I can think of is that they remind me of some sort of cross between a praying mantis and the everyday shrimp that all people know. Looking at where these shrimp were discovered it begs the question, "How many more creatures are hidden in the waters below?" From a biological perspective, I think that there could be countless characteristics that could open doors in the biological/genetics community. I think it can teach us a lot about adaptations to harsh environments and for the species that remain undiscovered, the possibilities are endless.
ReplyDeleteLiropus minisculus is one of those animals you see and say what is that. It looks like some alien creature. Thank goodness there not big because I know if I was swimming and saw that I wouldn't want to be in the water anymore. But once again we see all the different life God has placed on this earth. We continue to find new species that we never new existed. To think we have so much more ocean to discover just leaves the number of possibility's of new life to find.
ReplyDeleteEven though the shrimp are ugly, they are extremely fascinating. The skeleton shrimp are related to creatures such as whale lice and sand fleas. Apparently the female skeleton shrimp kills the male after mating.1Not only are the skeleton shrimp interesting, but Catalina Island is as well. Catalina Island is known for discovering mysterious sea creatures. In June of 2015 an article was published on CNN’s website that reported the sighting of a rare oarfish. The oarfish was estimated to weigh between fourteen and seventeen pounds. Theses fish get their name because they resemble an oar on a galley ship. Because of the size and appearance of the fish it is thought to have inspired the myths of sea serpents.2
ReplyDeleteFigure1. Giant Oarfish and Two Women2
Works Cited
1. Skeleton Shrimp. MontereyBayAquarium. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/skeleton-shrimp. Accessed Nov 15, 2015.
2. Chan S, Martinez M. Rare 17-foot Oarfish Washes Ashore On A Los Angeles Costal Island. CNN.http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/02/us/oarfish-california-catalina-island/ .
Accessed Nov 15, 2015.
Wow, and just when I thought I was going to sleep! First off, very cool! A naturalist at heart, stuff like this (finding new species) always gets me excited. Though they may seem like terrifying looking skeletons to some, all I can see are the "Worm" aliens from the Men in Black movies! I feel like they should have a cup of java and be like, "Heeyyy!!"
ReplyDeleteBut in all seriousness, the beauty in this is how tiny they are, and the complexity you see in such a small organism. (Faith integration coming up!) Who would have thought something this ugly could make some one say, "Wow so cool!" and another, "Wow, how awesome that the complexity and creativity of God's creation could be seen in something so microscopic."
It also made me think of an article Michael Hughes shared with me just this weekend. The article was about the discovery of a new species of giant gecko... that had been extinct since the late 1800's.
Very much in the way this discovery took place, the new species of gecko was discovered in a museum. The gecko itself had been like a legend for years, with only the stories of it from the Maori people of New Zealand to reference the animal. Then, in the 1990's a preserved specimen was actually found stuffed away in museum archives! Oh how I wish I could have found it...
Anyway, all that to say, that I find discoveries like this very exciting!
And here is the link to the article about the Giant Gecko of New Zealand.
http://gizmodo.com/this-specimen-of-an-extinct-giant-gecko-was-found-in-a-1742435773
Skeleton shrimp. Who knew? I found that this article was interesting, but I mostly clicked on it because of the weird looking amphipods. I have grown up fishing, and often buy or catch shrimp to use as bait. I've seen various kinds of shrimp, but never this type. Furthermore, I never knew shrimp this small existed, and could be this translucent.
ReplyDeleteAs the article stated, there is so much that hasn't been explored in the sea. We are constantly finding new species in the oceans. This discovery further proves that there are countless living organisms out there.
One more observation. The author contrasted the shrimp with praying mantis, since they are both predators. Although I am several times bigger than these animals, they still gross me out. I'm glad we don't encounter them every day.
It’s wonderful to be reminded of our Father’s complex and detailed creation. This finding is specifically tied to what is mentioned in Genesis 1:20-23, when Father creates the animals of the sea. Reality is, there will most likely always be species that will never be discovered. These “ghost shrimp” are quite interesting creatures to look at. They look like angry lobster, praying mantis, shrimp mix. It would be interesting to observe these amphipods in their natural habitat – I’m sure we would be able to learn a thing or two from these miniscule creatures.
ReplyDeleteReading about the skeleton shrimp was very interesting. It is amazing how their skin and body shape was specifically designed to blend in with the ocean floor. The article mentioned that the skeleton shrimp is built like a praying mantis because it is a patient predator; that was something very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to think that even today we still find new creatures in all corners of the earth. These ghost shrimp have a very unique look to them. The fact that they can blend in with the ocean shore is probably why it took so long for the discovery of them. Its also weird to think that they aren't even really shrimp, but belong to the family resembling preying mantises. Being able to observe these new found creatures can probably lead to other creatures being discovered.
ReplyDeleteThis creature looks like it could star in the next AVP movie. The article was a very interesting read I was actually surprised that these "shrimp" live in such shallow waters. The way it looks you would think it lives a in the shadowy depths of the ocean. I like that we are still searching for new species and overall understanding of the ocean. There are probably hundreds of species in the ocean that we haven't even discovered yet!
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me that even today with so many advances in both technology and since that we are still discovering so many new things. From biological pathways in our bodies to even entirely unknown sets of creatures such as these. All the more since they are so close to us in the shallow waters opposed to deep in the ocean.
ReplyDeleteI love that we are still finding new organisms in the sea! For how vast it is I would imagine that we'll be finding new organisms for quite some time. It was interesting that these however live in shallow waters, usually "creatures of the sea" that look like this or that scientists are just finding live in deep waters.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the article! I always enjoy learning new findings about the sea and it's creatures as I am working on pursuing a career in marine biology.
These shrimp look pretty cool! It amazes me how many creatures God came up with when he made the world. Although I can agree that these shrimp look pretty freaky, they do fascinate me in the sense that they look like insects that just live in water rather than on the ground or in the air. I also think it's pretty cool that there is a clear distinction between the male and female Liropus minisculus. Although I would never want to come into contact with these species of shrimp, it would be pretty neat to study them.
ReplyDeleteYes, science has come a long way, but I believe that there is still more to be discovered in God's beautiful creation. Even though we might not understand everything because we're human, God will reveal things to us in due time; we just need to keep our hearts and eyes open.
These shrimp do look very scary. They look like something from an alien horror movie. However, once I read how small they were, they do not bother me as much any more. It is very interesting that they use their claws for copulation. I feel like that would be very uncomfortable. Either way, I love when new species are discovered. It just shows how vast God's creation is, and it makes us realize how little we actually know. There are still so many species to be discovered, and each one will be a testament to the creativity of our creator.
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