Hey Look At This Fucking Bug

Blanket octopus (Joseph Elayani)

Daily Cephalopod #28

La Jolla

Crowdsurfer for The Frights at Beach Goth, Santa Ana, CA

Ok y’all brace yourselves cuz I just learned about a new animal

Yes, that is an animal. Yes, scientists refer to it as the purple sock worm. No, that’s not it’s real name, silly, it’s real name is Xenoturbella!

When these deep-sea socks were first discovered, no one knew what the fuck they were looking at (and, really, can you blame them?). They have no eyes, brains, or digestive tracts. They are literally just a bag of wet slop. DNA analysis initially seemed to indicate that they were related to mollusks, until the scientists realized that DNA sample was from the clams they had recently eaten (yes, they can eat with no organs. We don’t know how.)

Scientists then analyzed the data again and tentatively placed them in the group that includes acorn worms, saying that their ancestors probably had eyes, brains, and organs, but simplified as a response to their deep sea ecosystems.

Later DNA testing has since shown that they are their own thing! Xenoturbella, along with another simple and problematic to place creature called acoelomorphs, belong to their own phylum called Xenacelomorpha! This places them as the sister group to all bilateral animals. So, they just never evolved brains, eyes, or organs. They are a glimpse at a very primitive form of animal that never bothered to change, because apparently what they do works. Rock on, purple sock worm.

Today is Wet Beast Wednesday!

Today's wet beast is: Blanket Octopus

Olive's Wet Beast Fact: these venomous beauties range drastically in size, with the males around the size of a walnut, and the females up to 6 feet long. Personally, I think they look more like Cinderella's torn up dress than they do a blanket, but whatever.

Stay tuned for more Wet Beast Wednesdays!

Shoutout to deep sea cephalopods

gotta be one of my favorite genders

Wisptober Day 28: Arch

 "As the dawn is slowly approching, the stars fly down under the arches and go to rest at the bottom of the lake to await the night again.“ A very simple one but I think its one of my favourite!:D

I might revisit this world soon too.;)

A scorpion and a crawfish.

Thought about making this a longer comic but for now it’s just me fooling around with ink + digital painting

(lyrics are from Half Life by the Symposium)

Sneaking out of the office early on a Friday like…

Deep-sea giant isopods use their 14 legs to tiptoe along the seafloor. When the need to move a little more quickly arises, they fan out their uropod and pleopods (their tail and swimming limbs) and paddle away. Either way, they’re getting a jumpstart on the weekend.