Comments on: Translucent Creatures

Translucent Creatures

homunculus — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:30:59 -0800

Photo Gallery: Translucent Creatures. [Via]

By: Green Eyed Monster

Green Eyed Monster — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:35:36 -0800

freaky.

By: Brainy

Brainy — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:37:02 -0800

gorgeous.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:37:32 -0800

Translucent and Phosphorescent and Iridescent... oh my!

By: DU

DU — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:42:06 -0800

Can a (marine?) biologist explain why they are translucent? Is it directly adaptive or a side-effect? Or is the real question why most other creatures are opaque? (In which case, answer THAT one.)

By: Harry

Harry — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:42:29 -0800

I think it needed a bit more cowfish.

By: airways

airways — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:49:43 -0800

very cool find

By: cashman

cashman — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:51:26 -0800

I love the wary look on this little guy's face.

By: Susurration

Susurration — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:53:51 -0800

Wow - these are wonderful! The roundbelly cowfish in particular reminds me of my mother ...

By: Cat Pie Hurts

Cat Pie Hurts — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:58:15 -0800

Thank you!

By: pyrex

pyrex — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:15:36 -0800

Yummy. Saved 'em all.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:25:10 -0800

Awesome.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:27:56 -0800

This guy was hanging out at the same site but not part of the gallery.

By: porpoise

porpoise — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:42:35 -0800

DU - there was a short blurb in the description suggesting that the lack of pigmentation is a defense for otherwise defenseless larval stage for these animals. Kind of makes sense, but that begs the question of why pigmentation comes in upon maturity?

By: pyrex

pyrex — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:52:50 -0800

CunningLinguist - Thanks!

By: airgirl

airgirl — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:04:48 -0800

These are super cool, thanks! Speaking of innnnteresting sea creatures, remember this?

By: nowonmai

nowonmai — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:51:38 -0800

I'm sure there are a lot of reasons why various critters are and aren't transparent. One is that UV and blue light is highly damaging to living cells, especially DNA. Land animals therefore need to be pigmented to keep light out of their delicate bits, but deep sea creatures who live in the dark don't. Invisibility is perhaps another reason in some cases, although many translucent animals hang out in the dark where it's hard to see how that helps. With respect to the business about pigmentation coming in upon maturity, I have a guess. UV damage causes cells to commit suicide ("apoptosis" is the technical term). Developing animals have a LOT of cells in them that just die anyway. A few more cells dying here and there during the process of development might not make all that much difference—they just get replaced along the way. The adult form of the animal, in contrast, (a) probably isn't making all that many new cells to replace ones that die due to light damage and (b) might well live longer than the juvenile form and thereby risk accumulating more damage to its cells over time. Therefore adult animals may need more light protection. Also, for the most part, immature animals just hang out and eat, whereas the adults have to find others of the same species to hook up with and make babies. These different lifestyles may cause different requirements for visibility. These generalisations are probably roughly on the mark for some species, and have glaring exception in others. Also: gorgeous pictures; nice find!

By: quin

quin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:54:08 -0800

There are a few of kinds of shrimp that are mostly transparent. Whenever I end up in a fish story with the wife, I end up staring at them, trying to figure out what's going on inside of their tiny bodies.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:54:44 -0800

Once upon a time, quin and mrs quin went shopping for some fish.

By: DU

DU — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:55:29 -0800

UV protection! Good thinking!

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:08:08 -0800

Whenever I end up in a fish story with the wife, I end up staring at them, trying to figure out what's going on inside of their tiny bodies. Whenever I end up in a fish story with my wife I'm usually too busy backpedalling to worry about shrimp.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:20:31 -0800

jimmythefish: so you have a bicycle? I'm curious as to why you need one.

By: katillathehun

katillathehun — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:38:46 -0800

I like this little guy from another gallery linked on the same page. He's like "Hel-lo. I do not know if I am a boy or if I am a girl. Can you please to help me find my sex? I do not see it here."

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:06:47 -0800

jimmythefish: so you have a bicycle? I'm curious as to why you need one. You humans take everything so literally, man!

By: primer_dimer

primer_dimer — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:14:16 -0800

Beautiful, though I must point out that the iridescent colours of the comb jelly (#8) are not caused by luminescence, but by diffraction of ambient light through their comb plates (which is even cooler, in a way).

By: Wet Spot

Wet Spot — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:12:29 -0800