#Spotted lungfish

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

More fish! The only one that matches the Altantic sturgeon's massive size, a black marlin at 4 meters exactly (larger than average)! The biggest black marlin ever caught was 4.65 meters, good cod how massive is that TToTT The other fish are slender/spotted lungfish at 130 cm (max length), a European river lamprey at 45 cm (bigger than average), a sand goby at 8 cm (max size), and a sea lamprey at 120 cm (max size)

I thought it would be fun to draw some fish I like in proper scale to one another. You never really put two and two together about the absolute sizes of some animals until you see them compared to other things! I've already done four off the top of my head:

An Atlantic sturgeon that's 3 meters long (modern Atlantic sturgeons rarely reach sizes over 2.4 m, but historically they could be up to 4 meters. I settled on an in between length), a northern pike that's 120 cm long (upper estimate), a Siberian sturgeon that's 2 meters long (absolute max size), and a neon tetra that's 3 cm long (average length)!

If you need help seeing the neon tetra, here's it is with the Atlantic sturgeon:

[inbarfink]

[opellisms]

Round 1 and 2 art from the Animal Engineers division! Cathedral termite round 1 White-spotted pufferfish round 1 Palaocastor round 1 & 2 Sydney brown trapdoor spider round 1 Spotted lungfish round 2

[ilovecoelacanths]

It’s time for some facts about coelacanths!

I said I’d do this a while ago and I forgot so I’m doing it now because coelacanths are the best and more people should know how cool they are! I did not mean for this post to turn out so long but I promise the facts are very good (how could they not be when coelacanths are so cool)

There are two living species of coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, the West Indian Ocean coelacanth, and Latimeria menadoensis, the Indonesian coelacanth.

This is a West Indian Ocean coelacanth, they’re dark blue and each one has a unique pattern of white spots:

And this is an Indonesian coelacanth:

Indonesian coelacanths are noticeably different from West Indian Ocean coelacanths due to their background colouration being more of a greyish brown rather than blue. Their spots also appear more gold due to light reflecting off them :)

Coelacanths are old! The oldest coelacanth fossils date to more than 400 million years ago, and they were thought to have gone extinct about 66 million years ago, until 1938 when one was accidentally caught off the coast of South Africa and found by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer.

Latimer contacted her friend, the ichthyologist J. L. B. Smith, who confirmed the fish was a coelacanth! Smith was given the honor of naming the fish, and he named it Latimeria after Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer. (Shown below with the coelacanth she found)

After their discovery, people mistakenly described them as the 'missing link' thanks to their leg-like fins, and this myth persisted thanks to the interesting way coelacanths swim, which appears almost like crawling.

Even today they are sometimes called 'living fossils' because of how little they have changed over millions of years. This label is not technically accurate since they are still evolving, but they do have one of the slowest evolving genomes in the animal kingdom, probably because they're already very well adapted to their environment and they don't have a lot of selection pressures affecting them.

Coelacanths can be more than six feet (up to two meters) long, weigh up to 200 pounds, and are estimated to be able to live up to 100 years! They are covered in hard, armor-like rough scales that are themselves covered in tiny spikes called denticles, which help protect coelacanths from rocks and other fish that might want to hurt them.

They also give birth to live young in litters of 10-25 pups and new research suggests they can be pregnant for as long as 5 years! This would mean that they beat out the frilled shark as the record holder for the longest gestation period by more than a year!

(Unfortunately this means that the birth rate for coelacanths is very low, which doesn't help their small populations. The West Indian Ocean coelacanth is critically endangered, and the Indonesian coelacanth is classified as threatened :( )

Coelacanths are what’s called a lobe-finned fish! This means that their fins look more like stumpy appendages than skin that's been stretched over flexible spines. Their closest relatives are lungfish, and that actually means they’re more closely related to us humans than they are to ray-finned fish like tuna or goldfish! Hell yeah!

Coelacanths live in the "twilight zone" which is between 500-800 feet deep. It’s hard to study coelacanths in their natural habitat for extended periods, but they never survive trips to the surface due to the pressure change, so a lot about their behavior is still pretty unknown.

Coelacanths are generally slow moving, nocturnal drift hunters, which means they tend to sort of just eat whatever fish cross their path, but they have a lot of interesting adaptations that make their particular method of drift hunting unique.

First, coelacanths have a hinge in their skull, called an intracranial joint, that lets them open their mouth more than would be possible with just their jaw.

Second, they display an interesting behavior when feeding, where they will float with their head pointed down, almost like they're doing a headstand. They do this while floating along catching prey, and it seems to be working out for them.

Third, coelacanths have a sixth sense! They have an organ in their snout called a rostral organ that functions as an electrosensor to help locate their prey by detecting the electrical signals given off by other animals!

They truly are a unique animal. They even have a caudal (tail) fin with three lobes instead of the two-lobed tail that is common in many fish.

(source for this diagram)

And here you can see the three-lobed caudal fin on a real coelacanth (and also you can have a reminder of how big these guys are. They are not little fish)

It seems coelacanths also have more similarities to their relatives, the lungfish, than we used to think. It turns out coelacanths have a vestigial lung! They have a lung that they don’t use anymore! It’s all shrivelled and wrinkly but it’s there!

They also have a spiral shaped intestine! Some sharks have this too, it’s basically shaped like a spiral to increase surface area for maximum nutrient absorption.

Another way they differ from many other fish is their swim bladder, which is how they control their buoyancy! In most fish the swim bladder is filled with gas, but coelacanths' swim bladders are filled with oil and fat instead!

Coelacanths are also the proud owners of notochords! They don’t have backbones, they’re so old they were around before animals had backbones and they just never got one, they still have their oil filled notochords! Don't fix it if it's not broken, right?

Also, just in case you were wondering, they would not taste good, they are full of all sorts of oils (as mentioned in the above two facts), plus they do have very hard and rough scales. (But also even if they did taste good it would be a bad idea to eat them since there aren't a lot of them left and it's generally considered bad to eat endangered species)

Well, that's the end of my coelacanth facts, so if you took the time to read this whole long post that was just me talking about my favorite animal, thanks for sticking around! Here, have some bonus content!

Coelacanths make a guest appearance in Atlantis: the Lost Empire!

I like seeing them in the movie so I ignore they weren’t discovered when the film takes place in 1914 (easy to ignore) and that they wouldn’t survive the trip to the surface due to the immense pressure change (less easy to ignore but I do it anyway) :)

My friend @thelunarbee even crocheted me one for a Christmas present :’) his name is Milo and I love him so so much

I also drew a coelacanth a while ago, here's where I posted it if you want to see it :) (I mean, I draw coelacanths all the time but those are mostly doodles, this one I actually put effort into)

Alright that's all I have to say, but I hope you liked the coelacanth facts and remember, if coelacanths can survive for 400 million years, you can make it through today. Be kind to yourself :)

[positron2399]

Not much else to say other than it's a concept of a post syszgy Trisolaran. The black orbs are their eyes and glowing spots are how they communicate. They use their first two pairs of feet and antennae for tool manipulation, albeit most of their tools look alien to use thanks to their "hand" structure. It's of important note that the claws did not evolve due to some destined path of sapience, but because I imagine most life on Trisolaris burrows before going dormant. Partially to protect against their unstable environment, partially to protect against other "animals" and individuals that hydrate before them. Their bodies are supported by hydrolic pressure, fixable cartilage rods, and thin bones.

When they breed, I imagine a pair of Trisolarans stacks one on top the other before wrapping themselves in some burried mud caccon, similar to lungfish. Inside the caccon, the pair secrete a slimy "digestive" fluid that breaks down their bodies in a process like caterpillar metamorphosis. The "parent soup" then quickly develops into a giant "fetus" which breaks into 3-5 individuals depending the on age and weight of parents.

As for their religions, I imagine most of them involve some type of Soma coin flip philosophy where an individual has a 50% chance of becoming their offspring, with this idea coming from the fact that their offspring inherent some of their parents memories. That and a drunken god holding their solar system on some plater and their constant teter-toddering is what causes their suns to move in an eccentric dance.

[snailsdraw]

[Start ID: 4 more pages of HLVRAI doodles about Darnold joining the Science Team and Half-Life creatures. Warning for blood in the 4th page.

Before the Science Team leaves the Mixology Department Lab, Darnold has to arm himself. He holds a conical flask and wine bottle with a silly straw stuck through the cork, both containing sleep potion, looking around: "Hmm…I'll need somewhere to store these…something…" He spots a box of decorations on the nearby shelf and his eyes light up: "Oh!" He picks it up with a delighted "Aha!" and sets it down on his lab table. "I know everyone's been telling me to stow these away somewhere, but I always knew we'd need them someday," he says, beginning to rifle through the contents and past a coil of fairy lights until he finds what he's looking for and exclaims, "Ah, there we go!"

He raises a transparent glass bulb ornament with a string attached on top out of the box with a huge grin. Later, he proudly shows off the now sleep-potion-filled glass bulbs hanging from a belt he's since buckled around his waist. He now has a defense weapon he can throw at hostile creatures to knock them out without killing them. Bonus drawing: Gordon is disturbed by how Darnold seems to never run out of his potion-bulbs even though he's been slinging them consistently. "How do you keep replenishing those so quick?? Weren't you just out???" he asks. The four potion-bulbs strapped to Darnold's belt haven't gone down in numbers despite having taken two in his hands. He looks at Gordon, puzzled: "I have an inventory, Dr Freeman. Don't…don't you have one?"

Separate scenario: Benrey shoots a reproachful look at the Snark creature he's holding in his hand, his other hand it bit held away from it: "ow, aw wuh the hell bro, no biting." The one-eyed, bug-like alien hisses at him, ready to go again. Benrey begins shoving the Snark into his mouth, only delayed in progress by the angry, screeching creature holding itself back with its two hooked front legs. Gordon yells at him: "Wh- DON'T FUCKIN' EAT IT?!!"

Separate scenario: Darnold holds up a docile Spore Launcher, the puppy-sized, toothy, lungfish-like creature quiet in his hands. It has a smooth rounded skull crowned by spikes, two spindly front legs, gills along its side and trailing tentacles. Darnold looks at it, the nervousness melting from his face. His mouth turns up in a little smile: "H-huh, I…You might just be the only thing that hasn't tried to kill me today..." Extra drawing: Darnold, with the right side of his head sprayed with blood and wearing a tight-lipped smile, pets the Spore Launcher cradled in his arms to soothe himself as fighting and gunshots ring out around him.

End ID.]

Previous parts to the Darnold saga found here: [Part 1.]

I love Spore Launcher so much *hands it gently to Darnold* your emotional support, sir.

Thanks to my friend for imparting to me the wonderful knowledge of Half Life creatures <3 [heart] (you know who you are >:))

[sootyships]

About Whitelake's Boys,

Are they based on any specific fish? I've seen mentions of coelacanths and lungfish, what's the pattern and fin situation?

How did they get to the lake?? Doesn't seem like an easy place to get to when they're human sized.

Bc reproduction is, like, the centerpiece will it be fade-to-black to something else?

I am looking with great interest 👀

They're mostly based on coelacanths and lungfish, indeed! Coelacanths and lungfish are our closest fishy relatives, so I figured it was appropriate. I've also taken some inspiration from other "living fossil" fish like bichirs and gars, a little bit from anglerfish and some from amphibians (axolotls! <3), seals, platypi and "fishapods" aka extinct early ancestors of tetrapoda.

So, pattern and fin-wise... Lemme do a quick sketch.

I'm a bit on the fence about keeping both dorsal fins, though, vs saying that the head fins are modified 1st dorsal fins, and the 2nd dorsal fin is the only remaining dorsal fin readily recognizable as such.

Moon has a blue back with golden spotting, Sun has a red back with yellow striping. Both have mostly maroon fins, but the caudal fins are orange and Moon's head fin is blue and spotted while Sun's head fins have a gradient from maroon to yellow. So basically very similar to their canon colours! Their heads and torsos are parti-coloured as well. I have looked at real fish for some pattern inspiration, with Sun being mostly akin to a red-striped killifish and Moon being most similar to a celestial pearl danio, though if I ever manage to draw them I'll also try to make their patterns resemble those of local fish like pikes, arctic chars, rudds and minnows.

unlike coelacanths and lungfish, waterfolk (at least these ones—waterfolk between continents may differ!) have heterocercal tails like, for example, sharks and some early lobe-finned fish. their fins are lobed like those of coelacanths and lungfish, and the lobes of their pectoral fins have developed into arms.

re: getting into the lake... presumably it happened with great difficulty and stubbornness XD It's worth noting that waterfolk are not marine people; they live in fresh and brackish water. Travelling through rivers, even dragging themselves through eutrophic shallows, is within their range of typical behaviour. The lake they live in is connected via small rivers and streams to the lake they moved from, as well as eventually to the brackish sea to the south.

re: reproduction, I haven't decided yet! I'm not sure if people will enjoy my writing style when it comes to nsfw content; with that in mind, I might fade to black in the main story and publish the nsfw parts in a separate work on ao3? We'll see! 🤔

thank you for asking! 🐟💖

[abyssalzones]

favorite deep sea creature?

sorry this one took so long to answer. it's also very long. but I feel like you knew what you were getting into when you asked tumblr user "abyssalzones" what his favorite deep sea creature is.

now immediately my mind jumped to coelacanths because they're among my favorite fish Ever for a multitude of reasons, such as (but not limited to):

-their mystique (their fossilized ancestors were initially discovered in the 19th century, and due to their illusive nature were thought to have gone extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period until one was found alive by an unknown(?) fisherman off the coast of South Africa, and from there the discovery was accredited to museum curator Marjorie Courtenay-Latimar who spotted it in the day's catch. however it's worth mentioning fishermen in the eastern South African region may have known about the species before then. kind of a 'who can say if it wasn't written down' situation.)

-their beautiful blueness (others have waxed poetic about their appearance more skillfully than I, but just look at this guy. wow. albeit I have to wonder if how blue they appear is very dependent on lighting but whatever he's beautiful)

-and, finally, their importance as lobe-finned fish! (the two extant species of Coelacanth today- alongside lungfish, who are also incredibly cool- hold a unique position in taxonomy and evolutionary history as the only living non-tetrapod sarcopterygians that we know of ^_^ they used to be much more dominant as freshwater predators, but then the great dying came along and they suffered a significant decline. so, essentially, these guys are survivors! ...if you felt it necessary to frame it as such. and "sarcopterygian" more specifically describes them as belonging to the clade 'Sarcopterygii', which classifies them as lobe-finned bony fish. this contrasts the other clade of bony fish, Actinopterygii, which describes ray-finned bony fish. in essence, they are the great-great-great-great-ad-nauseum-grandparents of all tetrapods! very very important animals from a grander biological perspective.)

...however, after typing all of this out, I realize this is a little bit of a cop-out. Coelacanths, as cool as they are, are actually not the deepest of deep-sea fish. It's difficult to get the exact numbers on their whereabouts as, previously stated, they're pretty elusive guys, but generally during the daytime they're found about 100-500 meters deep, resting in caves and saving their energy for nocturnal reef-feeding. apparently they've been found to migrate deeper as well, but it still feels a little disingenuous (to me) to say that they're truly deep-sea animals.

...so if I want to live up to my username, I need to take you on a journey. to the abyssal zone. where you will find some truly terrifying, near-alien creatures, straight from the pits of Dante Alighieri's visions of hell, or Hieronymus Bosch's bizarre garden of earthly delights...!

no, not that guy! get him out of here. shoo.

Instead we're going to be talking about his big brother. his... very, very big brother.

okay so chances are you've seen this photo before, it circulates quite a bit online as "BIG FUCKING SCARY THING IN THE OCEAN" and it's pretty apparent why, but I'm incredibly fond of "Scary fucking thing in the ocean" in general, and as such I think this guy is delightful. I debated on picking a couple of different, lesser-known species from the abyssal-hadal range (such as various arctic amphipods), but if I'm honest I have a soft spot for cephalopods. typical, typical I know, I should be ashamed, but in this case I can safely say the Bigfin squid (genus Magnapinna) is anything but "typical".

oh, sure, there's a level of wonder healthily exacerbated by the rarity of sightings- but that's all we have! sightings and footage! well, that and washed-up corpses dating back to 1883, all being damaged juveniles that were never properly collected. even so, their significance and oddity isn't really made apparent until you see their adult form, which first came to science's attention properly in 2001 when some very grainy footage was captured by an oil drilling ship, the Milennium Explorer, in the gulf of Mexico.

he's shy.

I say "first came to science's attention" because the Bigfin had actually been recorded prior, all the way back to 1998, but no one had really gotten up out of their chair and started dancing around at the realization of holy shit, what is this thing? and from there further work was done on properly identifying and analyzing the species based on footage.

however... it's still just footage. there has not yet been a captured live specimen, nor a well-preserved cadaver, or... really anything to tell us more about this mysterious cephalopod, other than what we can tell visually and geographically. we know it sure looks distinctive compared to various species of squid (check out the elbows on that thing), we know the largest adult specimens seem to be about 25 feet long (with estimates going up to 40 feet), and we know it might be the deepest-occurring genus of squid (we've had sightings as deep as 6,212 meters below the surface- well into the hadal zone, actually, not just the abyssopelagic), but in terms of behavior? breeding? feeding habits?? there are a lot of unanswered questions. and that's not to discredit any legitimate scientific analysis, past or present, of the bigfin, but moreso to stress that it's a very mysterious creature we don't have much data on.

I think just in general, my favorite deep-sea creatures (and this extends to just about any species, sea-dwelling or otherwise) are those that do a very thorough job of not being found. I am driven by a deep curiosity into whatever is so weird and leads such an unimaginable life to us humans that it eludes the microscope or the scalpel time and time again.

oh, and bigfin squids kind of remind me of the alien controllers that fly around your head during the xen levels in half-life. so there's that as well.

[imaginarylungfish]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "imaginarylungfish "?

yes, you most definitely can! alright, here we go!

The Distance of Differences: this is my all-time favorite fic. it actually got me into todobakudeku for good. before reading this, i really only into tododeku and never bakudeku or todobaku. but damn, the storyline was really interesting, and the characterizations were great. i loved the dynamic between shouto, katsuki, and izuku. plus, i liked seeing how they all interacted with their classmates years later. i go back to this fic when i'm having a bad day cause i know it'll cheer me up!

Don't Say Goodbye: this one sticks out as a favorite of mine for similar reasons to the last one: an interesting storyline and great characterizations. i really liked how respectful and thoughtful sasaki and miyano were of each other (nothing new, but great to see it lasted into adulthood). plus, it was just cool to see them be able be a little family.

Ten Years, One Torch: this is my favorite tododeku fic. probably because i think the characterizations are pretty on point and because if shouto and izuku are together, then i need katsuki and eijirou to be together too lol. i just think the background ships are really spot on which helped me fall in love with this fic.

Look at Me, I Hear You: i normally am not one to find alternate universe fics enjoyable, but this was an exception (probably because the characterizations were still spot on). i really liked how katsuki and eijirou find a way to communicate with each other even with their challenges. i used to be pretty sick/disabled, so i think i have a soft spot for fics that show disabilities in a way that is just a normal part of living.

Your Hand in Mine (In Every Universe): so i'm not a huge bakudeku fan (i'm really only into bakudeku if it's todobakudeku) but this fic was really creative and i really enjoyed it. i think the characterization of katsuki was really spot on, even with the different versions of him.

Falling in Love at the Photo Shop: i think i'm a sucker for some oblivious-in-love fics like this. it's just really cute when two characters already act like a couple, then they realize they love each other. this is the story i wish was canon lol

Love, or Something Like That: kinda similar to the last fic's reasoning. oblivious-in-love and acting like a couple. it was nice to have a fic about kazurei after the christmas party/pre-time skip. this is what i wish happened lol

Bakugo Katsuki's Guide to Ignoring PTSD: ok so i know i said i don't really like alternate universe fics, but i like this one okayyy? probably because i also have ptsd and it was just really relatable. i also love how katsuki's friends are just there for him. plus, todobakudeku!

Of Duckies, Justice, and Life's Other Mysteries: ok so i haven't posted this anywhere before because it's not a finished fic (and i do hope the writer finishes it!!). but i really like this fic--it takes up my brain space lol. it feels like a cross between link click and buddy daddies, so it's up my alley. i love the premise and just wish there was more!

Crash Course on Intoxication: i realize i don't have many satosugu fic favs because there story is just usually depressing. but hey look, here's an alternative universe fic (lol maybe i'm okay with alt uni fics idk). this one also isn't finished but i really like it so far. it i think how gojo acts in this fic is relatable for me (as i was a closeted queer in college) and idk the characterizations are believable to me.

wow, that was fun!

now, imaginarylungfish? well, my favorite animal is a lungfish. why? lungfish live in drought-ridden environments. so, when there is water, they breathe through their gills. but when the water dries up, they secrete mucous that forms a protective cocoon around themselves. they go into torpor (like hibernation) while breathing with their lungs until the water returns. i think that is amazing! they are super resilient and idk i find that cool.

the imaginary part is just cause idk i feel like i have a big imagination sometimes and also, what is real anyway? what if we're all just imagining life... spoopy

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #756

Spotted lungfish!

It rarely has to aestivate as its habitat, middle and lower Congo River basin, does not often dry up completely. Like other lungfish, it lacks marginal teeth and instead uses dental plates to crush its food.

[fishfolkart]

Nile River Basin Fish Group

Row 1: Nile Tilapia, Blue Tilapia, Redbreast Tilapia, Elephant Snout, True Big-Scale Tetra, Blue Spotted Tilapia

Row 2: Ningu, African Obsure Snakehead, Globe Fish, Giraffe Catfish, Ngai

Row 3: Cornish Jack, Mango Tilapia, Grass-eater, Singida Tilapia, North African Catfish

Row 4: African Carp, Silverides, Niger Barb, Aba

Row 5: Khraish, African Bonytongue, Characin, Electric Catfish

Row 6: Silver Catfish, Nile Perch, Moon Fish

Row 7: European Eel, Egyptian Butter Catfish, African Knifefish, Victoria Stonebasher, Twaite Shad

Row 8: Golden Nile Catfish, Victoria Tilapia, Labeobarbus surkis, Trunkfish, African Scraping Feeder

Row 9: Tiger Fish, Banded Jewelfish, Perch, Redbelly Tilapia, Marbled Lungfish

Row 10: North African Catfish, Saddled Bichir, Assuan Labeo, Ripon Barb

https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redbubble.com%2Fshop%2Fap%2F156144932&t=MWQ2MTVmNjA0ZDQ0N2UzMTUzYTJmNzk3ZTE4YjVhZDVjZDAyYmFiNCw3NzM1YTRiMjA4MDJkYzZmOTg0NTFhNDY3NjhkM2E0YWZiZTA5MDll&ts=1702664109

[fishfactsfriday]

Creatures come and go, they survive or die, and we can all but imagine what those that died were like by just their bones. Many people have theorized what things would be like if dinosaurs had survived but in the end it is just simple thought experiments or fiction.

But what if I told you there was an ancient creature that survived? A fossil that lived millions of years ago and that still lives to this day, a being that was long presumed extinct.

May I introduce you to the Coelacanth.

A fish without any living close relatives and despite being a fish is more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods then to common, modern day ray-finned fish.

It has very unique biology, features that are extremely rare in creatures of the modern era or are completely exclusive to the coelacanth. It bears bony, limb-like fins, a “secondary spine” located under its spinal cord that is hollow and filled with a fluid called a notochord which is has been seen in other early vertebrates, a bizarre hinge in the skull that can allow for the top half of the cranium to swing up causing the mouth to enlarge to a gaping size, and finally what is called a rostral organ located in the snout that is part of the electro sensory system.

Now these are all neat but what does this beast look like? Well in size they are around 6.5 feet (1.98 meters) and can weigh 198 pounds (89.8 kg). They have a thick body and a wide head with blackish coloring and white mottled spots along its scales.

They are extremely rare, presumed to have at least 90 subspecies is now only down to two located in the Comoros Islands which is located along side the western Indian Ocean, Madagascar, and the east coast of Africa, some also living in the East African coast and into Indonesian waters. Even though they live in temperate waters, they are still deep sea creatures at heart, living below the continental shelf in what is referred to as the “twilight zone”, generally between 500-800 feet (152-243 m).

For their feeding habits they tend move slowly and tend to feed primarily off of cephalopods and small fish.

They’re old, but how old? Coelacanths appeared about 350 million years ago in the Carboniferous period, with fossils being found at the end of the Permian period (251 million years ago) to even the end of the Jurassic period (145.5 million years ago).

They also tend to hide in "caves" along rock walls to avoid light.

Also when you look at them front on they have a silly little grin.

Originally posted May 7, 2021

Sources lost

[troutglasses]

favorite fish in the entire world ????

This is a very hard question for me as I can find something admirable about almost any fish , but if I had to pick one it would be the aurora trout ! Absolutely beautiful fish native to certain parts of Ontario :-) I also have a soft spot for the ocean sunfish and lungfish

[automaticdinosaurruins]

Why Does the Shoebill Stork Look So Intimidating?

The shoebill stork, a massive bird found in the swamps of Central and East Africa, is known for its unusual and intimidating appearance. With its striking large beak and piercing eyes, this bird has become a subject of intrigue and sometimes fear. But why exactly does the shoebill stork look so intimidating? In this article, we'll delve deep into the characteristics that make this bird look fearsome and explore the reasons behind its formidable appearance.

The Shoebill Stork’s Distinctive Features: Exploring Its Intimidating Appearance

The shoebill stork stands out in the avian world due to its distinct features. These features contribute significantly to the bird's intimidating look. The most notable characteristic is its large, shoe-shaped beak, which gives the bird its name. This beak is not just large; it’s also powerful and is used effectively to hunt prey like lungfish, eels, and even small crocodiles. The beak alone can evoke a sense of fear, but combined with other physical traits, the shoebill stork’s overall appearance becomes even more striking.

The Power Behind the Beak: Why Size Matters

One of the most intimidating aspects of the shoebill stork is its enormous beak, which can grow up to 24 cm (9.4 inches) in length and 20 cm (7.9 inches) in width. This beak is not just for show; it’s a formidable tool that the shoebill uses to catch and kill its prey. The beak’s size and strength allow the bird to crush the skulls of large fish and reptiles with ease. The sharp, hooked tip of the beak further enhances its ability to grip and tear apart prey, making it a vital weapon in the shoebill’s hunting arsenal.

Piercing Eyes: The Shoebill’s Intense Gaze

Another feature that adds to the shoebill stork’s intimidating appearance is its piercing eyes. The bird’s eyes are large, with a striking yellow color that contrasts sharply with its grey-blue feathers. The shoebill's gaze is often described as unblinking and intense, which can be unsettling for those who encounter it. This intense gaze, combined with the bird’s slow, deliberate movements, gives the shoebill an almost predatory look, further adding to its fearsome reputation.

Towering Stature: The Size of the Shoebill Stork

The shoebill stork is one of the largest birds in the world, standing at about 120 to 150 cm (4 to 5 feet) tall. Its size alone is enough to make it an imposing figure in the wild. When combined with its large wingspan of up to 260 cm (8.5 feet), the shoebill’s presence becomes even more dominating. This towering stature allows the bird to survey its surroundings from a high vantage point, making it a formidable predator in its habitat.

Evolutionary Adaptations: Why the Shoebill Stork Developed Such Features

The intimidating features of the shoebill stork are not just for show; they are the result of millions of years of evolution. The bird’s large beak, for example, is an adaptation to its diet, which consists of large fish and reptiles. The shoebill’s piercing eyes allow it to spot prey from a distance, and its towering stature helps it navigate through the tall reeds and grasses of its swampy habitat. These adaptations have made the shoebill stork an efficient and effective hunter, but they have also contributed to its intimidating appearance.

The Shoebill Stork’s Behavior: How Its Actions Amplify Its Intimidating Look

While the physical features of the shoebill stork are intimidating on their own, the bird’s behavior further enhances its fearsome reputation. The shoebill is known for its slow and deliberate movements, which can give it an almost robotic appearance. This deliberate pace, combined with its intense gaze, creates an aura of menace that can be unsettling for those who observe it.

Slow and Steady: The Shoebill’s Methodical Hunting Technique

The shoebill stork’s hunting technique is one of the most fascinating aspects of its behavior. Unlike other birds that might dart quickly to catch their prey, the shoebill moves slowly and deliberately. It often stands still for long periods, waiting patiently for the right moment to strike. When it does move, it does so with precision, using its large beak to snatch up prey in one swift motion. This methodical approach to hunting adds to the bird’s intimidating presence, as it appears to be a creature that is always in control and never rushed.

The Shoebill’s Unique Bill-Clattering Sound: A Fearsome Display

In addition to its physical appearance and behavior, the shoebill stork has another trait that adds to its intimidating nature: its unique bill-clattering sound. When threatened or during mating displays, the shoebill will rapidly open and close its beak, creating a loud, clattering sound that echoes through its habitat. This sound, combined with the bird’s size and appearance, can be quite frightening, especially when heard in the wild.

Territorial Behavior: How the Shoebill Stork Defends Its Domain

The shoebill stork is a solitary bird that is highly territorial. It will aggressively defend its territory from other birds and even humans if it feels threatened. This territorial behavior is another aspect of the shoebill’s intimidating reputation. The bird’s large size and powerful beak make it a formidable opponent, and its willingness to stand its ground only adds to its fearsome image.

The Shoebill Stork’s Habitat: How Its Environment Shapes Its Appearance and Behavior

The shoebill stork’s intimidating appearance and behavior are closely tied to its environment. The bird is native to the swamps and wetlands of Central and East Africa, where it has adapted to life in a challenging and often dangerous habitat. Understanding the shoebill’s environment can provide insight into why it looks and acts the way it does.

Life in the Swamps: The Shoebill’s Natural Habitat

The shoebill stork is primarily found in the swampy regions of South Sudan, Uganda, and parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These wetlands are rich in biodiversity, but they are also home to many predators, including crocodiles and large snakes. The shoebill’s large size, powerful beak, and intimidating appearance are all adaptations that help it survive in this harsh environment.

Camouflage and Stealth: The Shoebill’s Survival Strategies

In addition to its physical features, the shoebill stork has developed several behavioral adaptations to survive in its environment. One of these is its ability to remain still for long periods, which allows it to blend in with the tall reeds and grasses of its habitat. This stealthy behavior helps the shoebill avoid detection by predators and prey alike. The bird’s grey-blue feathers also provide camouflage, helping it blend into the misty, swampy environment where it lives.

The Role of Water in the Shoebill’s Hunting Technique

Water plays a crucial role in the shoebill stork’s hunting technique. The bird often hunts in shallow water, where it can wade through the reeds in search of prey. The shoebill’s large feet are well-adapted for this purpose, allowing it to move quietly through the water without creating much disturbance. This stealthy approach, combined with its powerful beak, makes the shoebill an efficient hunter in its watery habitat.

The Shoebill Stork in Culture: How Its Intimidating Look Has Influenced Human Perception

The shoebill stork’s intimidating appearance has not gone unnoticed by humans. Throughout history, the bird has been the subject of fascination and fear in various cultures. Its unique look and behavior have inspired myths, legends, and even modern-day pop culture references.

The Shoebill Stork in African Folklore

In some African cultures, the shoebill stork is considered a symbol of power and strength. Its large size and fearsome appearance have led to its inclusion in various myths and legends. In some stories, the shoebill is seen as a guardian of the wetlands, a creature that protects its territory with fierce determination. In other tales, the bird is viewed as a harbinger of doom, a creature whose presence signals danger or death.

The Shoebill Stork in Modern Pop Culture

In recent years, the shoebill stork has gained popularity on social media and in pop culture. Its unusual appearance has made it a subject of memes and viral videos, where it is often portrayed as a “scary” or “creepy” bird. This portrayal has only added to the bird’s intimidating reputation, as more people become aware of its fearsome look.

The Shoebill Stork as a Symbol of Conservation

Despite its intimidating appearance, the shoebill stork is also a symbol of conservation. The bird’s habitat is under threat from human activities such as agriculture, logging, and pollution. As a result, the shoebill stork is now considered a vulnerable species, with only a few thousand individuals remaining in the wild. Conservationists are working to protect the bird’s habitat and ensure its survival for future generations.

Conclusion: Understanding the Shoebill Stork’s Intimidating Appearance

In conclusion, the shoebill stork’s intimidating appearance is the result of a combination of physical features, behavior, and environmental adaptations. Its large beak, piercing eyes, and towering stature all contribute to its fearsome look, while its slow, deliberate movements and territorial behavior enhance its reputation as a formidable bird. However, it is important to remember that the shoebill stork is also a symbol of strength and resilience, a creature that has adapted to survive in one of the most challenging environments on Earth. By understanding the reasons behind its intimidating appearance, we can appreciate the shoebill stork for the fascinating and unique bird that it is.

[guinevereteef]

Took me 4 or 5 times before I realized you had reblogged "they're only called spotted lungfish when you see them" a bunch of times, and it wasn't just Tumblr showing me posts id already seen over and over lol

i only reblogged that one once thoufh

[ms-understand]

seen live list

Depression isn't an excuse for bad behavior, but at the moment, it's my excuse. I was just taking a long hot bath and thinking about getting a hearing aid and the loud ringing in my ears, which leads me to this...a list (incomplete) of bands I have seen live. It also made me think that people can guess where I'm from just by some of the bands I have seen.

The Suburbs

Black Flag - last tour 1986

MDC

Circle Jerks

SNFU

7 seconds

Verbal Assault

Suicidal Tendencies

The Accused

Verbal Abuse

Blind Approach

SkullFuck

G.B.H.

Boiled In Lead

Misery

Libido Boyz

Porcelain Boys

NOFX

Scream

Government Issue

Soul Asylum

Babes In Toyland

The Blue Up?

Zu Zu Pettals

D.R.I.

Naked Raygun

Black Spot

Grant Hart

Firehose

Neurosis

Love and Rockets

Echo and the Bunnymen

New Order

The Pixies

Danzig

Corrosion Of Conformity

Sound Garden

Rollins Band

R.E.M.

Green Day

Fugazi

Beastie Boys

House Of Pain

Rage Against The Machine

Meat Puppets

Underdog

Gorilla Bisquits (spelling?)

Shelter

CIV

Sick Of It All

Quicksand

Destroy!

Code 13

Reformed Misfits no Glen

X unplugged

The Jesus and Mary Chain

Mazy Star

Public Enemy

Descendents

Lords Of Acid

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult

Madonna

Pansy Division

Tribe 8

Fagatron

Frogs

reformed Bow Wow Wow

Nashville Pussy

Die Antword (it sucked)

Tea and Sympathy

Katty Perry

Jill Sobule

Beck

G. Love and the Special Sauce

Lungfish

Red Aunts

The Voluptuous Horror Of Karren Black

Boss Hog

Skatallites

Demolition Dollrods

Helmet

Napalm Death (kind of just heard them, but I was there)

Jawbox

Rhymesayers

Anal Blast

Walt Mink

Willie Wisely Trio

Impailer

Coup De Grace

Gwar

Flamming Lips

Cows

Fugazi

There are tons more, but these are the ones I can remember right now. I was a pretty bad drunk and much of my life is a blur.