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sea lemons 🍋 are my new favorite thing

and I know I can’t eat them but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to

17th of October 2024: Creseis virgula

Today we are returning back to the ocean to look at a critter without a common name: Creseis virgula. They’re a type of mollusc who can be found in tropical waters all around the world as well as in the Upper Atlantic [1]. Their species name derives from the latin for small rod [2].

They are indeed quite small, having a maximum length of 7 mm, with their shell being entirely transparent and characterised by a small curve at the top while the front is straight. The curve is a lot more prominent when they are still young. Their bodies meanwhile can be recognised by their small wing-like appendages [3].

They are most common during the late summer and autumn when the temperatures are still rather high. During this time they reproduce a lot [4]. Creseis virgula are protandric hermaphrodites, meaning they start off life as males who may change into females later on [3].

They feed on phytoplankton and protozoa, and have been described as a “clumsy swimmer” [3]. If they ever need to be the ones to escape, they may drop a feeding web made of mucous and sink down with the tip of their shell pointed downwards [5].

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [Image] 

Off topic, but have some fishes for now

Here it finally is, the full cetacean eye colour info sheet! A long time coming, and an even longer time in the making. I hope that all you cetacean eye curious people will find this one as fascinating as the killer whale eye colour post. It’s a wild world out there! 

THIS OCTOPUS IS HAVING A NIGHTMARE, SCIENTISTS BELIEVE.

Sleep is a fundamental biological function present in all vertebrates and most invertebrates. Octopuses are really complex animals, displaying active and inactive sleep states similar to those of vertebrates. In particular, octopuses have active sleep states during which they display sequences of camouflage patterns, while remaining relatively quiet and unresponsive to external stimuli. Some scientists have speculated that these states could be analogous to dreaming in mammals.

Now, researchers have recorder what is believing an octopuses having nightmare. During a month, researchers recorded a male Brazilian reef octopus (Octopus insularis), and they detected four brief episodes were identified during which the octopus abruptly emerged from sleep, detached itself from its sleep position, and engaged in antipredator behaviors, despite no predator was present. The longest of these episodes resembled the species-typical response to a predatory attack, suggesting that the animal may have been responding to a negative episodic memory while sleeping.

However, these are just conjectures, as it is hard to be sure, according to scientists, who claim that more studies are needed to ensure that they really are nightmares.

Gif from video: Eric Ramos et al

Reference:  Ramos et al., 2023. Abnormal behavioral episodes associated with sleep and quiescence in Octopus insularis: Possible nightmares in a cephalopod?. bioRxiv.

video can be seen here

About Gaza Funds

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What makes the dark shyshark (Haploblepharus pictus) so shy? When threatened, this critter might curl up into a ring and cover its eyes with its tail. Scientists think this defensive posture makes it harder for predators to gulp the dark shyshark down for an easy meal. Found in parts of the southeast Atlantic Ocean, this shark can grow to about 22 in (55.8 cm) long. Its diet includes crustaceans, mollusks, and fish.

Photo: Raoulco, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist