#they are slug otters

[yokokasquest]

Question for the bullies: why were you picking on Tomo, and what were you going to do to him? He's just a little guy!

(I’m sorry)

[montereybayaquarium]

In a bay not so far away, eelgrass blades sway in the shifting tides. Over time, algae can start to cover the blades, growing so thick that it smothers the eelgrass. 

But wait! Enter the unsung heroes: sea slugs! They nibble away at the algae, keeping the eelgrass clean and thriving.

But oh no—here come the crabs! Yes, some crabs are cool, but too many can devour the hardworking sea slugs, leaving the eelgrass exposed again to the smothering algae.

Who will restore balance to the wetlands? 

The sea otter swoops in! By snacking on the slug-eating crabs, sea otters help keep this wetland ecosystem in check. 

Hooray, healthy and happy eelgrass for all! 

[moldspace]

earlier this month i had the amazing opportunity to spend a week in southeastern alaksa for school (the last 3 credits of my associate's degree program!) learning about the ecology and history of the region.

it was a completely fucking jam-packed 8 days of hiking, tidepooling, fishing, kayaking, sightseeing and immersing in a part of the country you literally can't drive to (only fly or boat to). and at the end of it all i was able to contribute a little piece of my art to the lodge, presenting Salmuel the giant papier mâché salmon to our lovely hosts as thanks!! it was truly an unforgettable experience and the perfect capstone to my little degree program.

...but i think next time i have to bring a delicate art piece on a plane, i'll make one that's a little smaller and easier to handle LOL

[cowardlybean]

[jazmatazzzzzz]

My aquarium adventures pt 1 !! 🌊🫧🪼🐡

[low-poly-animals]

Riverwell Astenian from CAVERN CRUSHER

[coconutxav]

water friends

been doing creature doodles as of late, love these little guys

[another-goblin]

hoyo: Hey, fandom, remember that prophecy about the water dragon reborn as a human? Btw look at this new cool guy, he sure looks like a human, but is he, wink-wink? Also, have you heard the legend about how it rains when the water dragon is sad? It has been raining a lot in Fontaine lately, and our new guy is very depressed. What a coincidence, nudge-nudge! Do you think it's possi…

fandom: OTTOR

[tboyblaze]

subjecting u guys to my ocs again

[bethanythebogwitch]

We return to the series where I discuss the origin of every non-fish aquatic Pokémon. This time I’ll be covering generation IV, which has some of my favorite designs out of the whole franchise. As before I’m saving starters and legendaries/mythicals for their own posts and I covered all fish Pokémon in their own series of posts. To see previous parts of this series see gen I part 1, gen I part 2, gen II, and gen III. To see the fish of Sinnoh, see here. To see the fish Pokémon series see here.

We begin with what is undeniably the most popular and influential Pokémon line in the history of the franchise: the Bidoof line. Never before has there been a beast of such majesty and power, an angelic presence from the heavens. Mere mortals are not worthy to gaze upon Bidoof. Technically only Bibarel is aquatic, but to not include Bidoof would be the greatest of heresies. They’re both rodents (the chaddest of mammals) with Bidoof most likely being based on a groundhog or mountain beaver. Mountain beavers resemble tailless beavers but are not closely related and don’t live in water.

(image: a mountain beaver)

If you are foolish enough to dilute Bidoof’s purity by evolving it to Bibarel, it will be based on a beaver.

(image: a North American beaver)

These amphibious rodents are famous for building dams by chewing through small trees and assembling the trees and branches in structures that block waterways. Beaver dams can turn a stream into a full wetland by blocking the flow and they are very important to the wetland ecology of their habitats. The dams serve as homes for the beavers and is where they keep their young.

(image: a cross-section of a beaver dam. source)

Juveniles will stay in the dam until they are mature enough to fend for themselves. Bidoof is likely a juvenile that is not old enough to swim yet and must rely on its parents to thrive in wetland habitats. There are two species, the North American beaver and the Eurasian beaver. The Eurasian beaver was almost hunted to extinction for its fur, but has been successfully reintroduced to quite of a bit of its historical range. Bibarel might be based on the Eurasian beaver as it is native to, and has been reintroduced to, China and Sinnoh has quite a few references to China. Also of note, the male Bibarel has two extra balls on the base of its tail. Male rodents are notorious for having large testicles. Do with that information what you will.

Moving on from Bidoof will never be easy, but it is necessary. We now turn to the moist mustelids of the Buizel line. They are based on otters, particularly river otters due to their freshwater habitat.

(image: a eurasian otter)

Even more specifically, they may be based on the Japanese otter, a river otter native to Japan that was last seen in the 1970s and officially declared extinct in 2012. Despite being primarily depicted as a freshwater species, their category name is the “sea weasel Pokémon”, indicating that they are also based on marine otters, the most famous of which being the sea otter of the north Atlantic. Otters and weasels are both members of the family Mustelidae, with their subfamilies being sister groups. There are weasels that are partially or even primarily aquatic, though they as a group are more terrestrial.

(image: a mink going for a swim. Minks are a subset of weasels)

The Buizel line also draws from floatation devices like inner tubes, water wings, and life vests, with the yellow parts of their bodies being inflatable and buoyant and Floatzel being said to rescue drowning victims.

The Shellos line is without exaggeration one of my favorite lines in the franchise due to the cool biological references they have. They are based on nudibranchs, an order of marine gastropods commonly called sea slugs (though some non-nudibranchs are also called sea slugs). Many nudibranchs are very colorful, which inspired the pink and blue coloration of the Shellos lines.

(image: it's a nudibranch, dudeibranch)

Nudibranchs can be divided into dorids and aeolids based on their breathing apparatuses. Shellos and Gastrodon are aeolids, who have tendril or fronds like growths called cerata that help them breathe. The head tendrils of east sea Shellos and both Gastrodons and the crown-like organ of west sea shellos are based on cerata, as are the various lumps and fin-like structures found on all of them. A few species of nudibranch have moved their cerata to a more fin or wing-like position, which may explain why east sea shellos appears to have wings. The “wings” could also be based on sea hares, another group of sea slugs, some species of which have developed wing-like structures that allow them to swim.

(Image: a flying sea hare)

Sea hares are named for their large rod-like scent organs called rhinopores found in most sea slugs, which may be another inspiration for the head tentacles of Gastrodon. Shelos and Gastrodon can learn some poison-type moves depending on generation and this has a few bases. Many nudibranchs have venomous or poisonous cerata. Often this is a result of eating venomous hydrozoans like anemones and sequestering their stinging cells in the cerata. The bright colors of some nudibranchs may be the result of  aposematic coloration, where a species is brightly colored as a warning to potential predators that they are poisonous. The line releases a purplish chemical when stressed, which likely references sea hares again. They can release a colorful, toxic ink into the water as a defense mechanism.

(image: a California sea hare at a rave releasing ink)

The coolest trait of the Shellos line in my opinion is the fact that there are two distinct populations, east sea and west sea, that have different colors and body structures. This is due to the process of allopatric speciation. This is the process where a species is split into two or more distinct populations by a geographical barrier. Once they are isolated, the populations will begin developing distinct traits due to evolution and them no longer being able to interbreed. Over a long enough time period, the populations can grow so different from each other that they can no longer breed and will be considered different species.

(image: a diagram of how allopatric speciation works. source)

The two Shellos and Gastrodon populations in Sinnoh were separated by the Sinnoh mountain range, causing the process of allopatric speciation to begin. The two populations can still breed, suggesting that they have not been separated long enough to become two distinct species and may be more accurately described as subspecies or a superspecies, but breeding in Pokémon is nothing like real life reproduction so that may not be the case. Most other regions use only one Shellos population and in Paldea they may be isolated by the connection to Kalos. A real-life example of allopatric speciation can be seen in the two species of chimpanzee: troglodytes and bonobos. The two shared a common ancestor a few million years ago but that ancestor’s range was cut in two by the Congo River. Since chimpanzees are very poor swimmers, the two populations were isolated from each other and developed into two species. Allopatric speciation likely plays a part in how some regional variants developed, but this on on a case-by case basis and is rarely the only factor.

This is the shortest of these series and Gen V will hopefully be out soon.  See you next time for when I talk about my first generation of the games.

[granny-nyan]

fun last-at-night doodles chilling in the conservatory

[bunjywunjy]

So let me get this straight:

Sea otter: has functional legs, can walk on land, but can give birth in water = "fully-marine mammal"

Seal: basically a paraplegic slug dog out of water, can only flop around on land, but has to give birth on land = "semi-aquatic mammal"

yeahhh I might show up to a marine biologist conference with a set of bullet points and my own projector about this one

[montereybayaquarium]

Aw shucks, can't open that stubborn jar? Computer running slower than a sea slug?

Just try ROCK! A sea otter's tool of choice to crack open hard-shelled prey. 🪨🦦✨

For tasks that cause dismay, a rock may just save the day!

[en8y]

[IMAGE ID: nine rectangular flags with six evenly-sized stripes each. they all have their respective aquatic creatures in the top left. the first flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: warm brown, light brown, pastel pink, dull pink, medium red, and dark red. the second flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: light purple, pastel blue, cream, dull pink, medium orange, and dull red. the third flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: medium blue, warm blue, pastel blue, light grey, medium grey, and dark grey. the fourth flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: dark cool grey, light cool grey, white, teal, dark teal, and black. the fifth flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: burnt orange, golden yellow, pastel blue, light blue, bright blue, and nearly-black blue. the sixth flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: dull purple, medium purple, off-white, bright orange, burnt orange, and dark brown, the seventh flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: dark maroon, red-purple, pastel pink, pink-orange, warm orange, and bright red-orange. the eighth flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: medium cool grey, light cool grey, pastel blue, grey-purple, dull purple, and dark dull purple. the ninth flag's stripes, from top to bottom, are as follows: olive green, dull green, bright yellow, light grey, cool blue, and dark blue. END ID.]

squid: a term for a hairless queer individual, typically thin or small, and traditionally MLM. an alternate term for a twink. my definition is a simplification and doesn't have to be used.

octo: a term for a hairy queer individual, typically thin or medium-built, and traditionally MLM. an alternate term for an otter. my definition is a simplification and doesn't have to be used.

shark: a term for a hairy and fat queer individual, traditionally MLM. an alternate term for a bear. my definition is a simplification and doesn't have to be used.

ray: a term for a younger hairy and fat queer individual, traditionally MLM. an alternate term for a cub. my definition is a simplification and doesn't have to be used.

sea slug: a term for an individual who feels dysphoric/uncomfortable with any kind of (human) body.

nautilus: a term for a xenine-presenting individual.

anemone: a term for a femme or fem-presenting individual.

isopod: a term for a butch or masc-presenting individual.

eel: a term for a futch, neu-presenting, or masc+fem presenting individual.

based on these terms!

@radiomogai @liom-archive @obscurian @presentationflag-archive

[shyfoxsky]

Theriotype List

So, to start out, for context, I think we've all seen a skeptic comment about how all therians are only "cool" animals. I personally have always enjoyed keeping up with those with "rarer" theriotypes and even using them as examples when these kinds of arguments are brought up, so I've decided to do a little bit of a personal project, that being creating a huge list of the wide variety within the therian community. Below is the list I've created so far, sorted by general species, then adding in subspecies/breeds, all in alphabetical order.

Please keep in mind and understand that for now, I am only putting Earthen animals on this list, mainly so I and the post can keep up, because there's a LOT here already and I know there are hundreds more out there. Maybe in the future I'll make another list with mythical/fictional/etc. kintypes, or someone else can do that for me, you have my full permission, just let me know, but for now, just Earthen animals.

This list does, of course, need more entries though. If you have a theriotype that you don't see on this list, please comment or reblog and let me know so I can add it! You can follow and find it with the tag "foxskys theriotype list".

Adder - European Alpaca Ankylosaurus Anteater Argentavis Armadillo Badger - European Bat - Evening - Flying Fox - Vampire Bear - Black - Brown - Polar Beetle - Stag Bison - American Caracal Cat, Domestic - Bombay - Japanese Bobtail - Oriental - Shorthair - Turkish Van Cheetah Chickadee Cockroach Coyote Coywolf Crocodile Crow - American - Hooded Deer - Axis - Caribou - Hog - White-tailed Dog - Belgian Malinois - Bernese Mountain - Blue Bay Shepherd - Border Collie - Borzoi - Carpathian Shepherd - Doberman - German Shepherd - Golden Retriever - Husky - Irish Wolfhound - Karst Shepherd - Sighthound - Silken Windhound - Yorkie Dolphin - Common Duck - Mallard Elk - Irish Fish - Arowana - Barbel - Bristlenose Pleco - Carp - Koi - Pike - Zander Fly - Blue Bottle Fox - Arctic - Gray - Red, American - Red, European Goat Grackle Hamster Hare Hedgehog Homotherium Hornet - European Horse - Akhal-Teke - Drum - Mustang Hyena - Spotted Jackal - Black-Backed Jellyfish - White Spotted Jerboa Kangaroo Leopard - African - Snow Lion - African - Mountain Lynx - Bobcat - Canadian - European - Iberian Macaw - Blue-and-Yellow - Hyacinth - Scarlet - Spix’s Monkey - Capuchin Mouse - Harvest Muskrat Opossum Otter - River - Sea Owl - Barn - Snowy - Tawny Pangolin Pine Marten - European Rabbit - Lop-Eared Raccoon Raven - Common Sable Scorpion Sea Lion Sea Slug Seal - Harbor Serval Shark - Nurse Sheep - Bighorn - Domestic Skink - Blue-tailed Snake Spider - Black Widow Spinosaurus Squirrel - Eastern Fox Stoat Tamarin - Golden Lion Terrorbird Tiger - Bengal - Siberian Vulture - Bearded - Black - Turkey Wasp Whale - Killer - Minke - Pilot - Right Wolf - Alaskan - Arctic - Coastal - Eastern - European - Gray - Himalayan - Maned - Mexican - Northern Rocky Mountain - Northwestern - Red - Tundra Wolfdog Wolverine

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

What Is and Isn't a Fish: a List

A list of the animals I discussed in my fish essay, but for those who don't want to scroll through paragraphs of text to find out if an animal is or isn't a fish. Just CTRL+F your way through here!

I'll add onto here more animals whenever I get asked about them being fish. See my fish essay here!

Some notes before you proceed:

Yes, all tetrapods are fish! We are phylogenetically fish, as we are and our ancestors were lobe-finned fish! "Fish" in the phylogenetic sense is a paraphyletic group if you try to exclude tetrapods, so it is frankly impossible.

How come tetrapods aren't listed as fish then? Long answer, read my essay. Short answer, me and other fish accounts tend to operate on the morphological definition of fish, so does most of the world. Here I use the morphological definition of "fish".

Fish:

Jawless fish

Hagfish

Lamprey

Cartilaginous fish

Sharks

Dogfish

Whale shark

Chimaeras/Chimeras/Ghost sharks

Ratfish

Ray

Stingray

Skate

Ray-finned fish

Teleosts

Catfish

Eels

Moray eel

Seahorse

Sea dragon

Lobe-finned fish

Coelacanth

Lungfish

Not Fish:

Crustaceans

Krill

Shrimp

Crab

Crayfish/Crawfish/Crawdad

Lobster

Spiny lobster

Triops

Mantis shrimp

Barnacle

Isopod

Copepod

Shellfish

Mollusks/Molluscs

Gastropods

Sea snail

Sea slug

Snails and slugs in general

Sea angel

Sea hare

Sea bunny

Cephalopods

Octopus

Squid

Cuttlefish

Nautilus

Inkfish

Bivalves

Clam

Mussel

Scallop

Oyster

Chiton

Chelicerates

Horseshoe crab

Sea spider

Water mite

Diving bell spider

Cnidarians

Jellyfish/Sea jelly/Jelly

Coral

Sea anemone/Anemone

Siphonophores

Portugese man o' war

Echinoderms

Sea cucumber

Sea pig

Feather star

Sand dollar

Sea biscuit

Sea cookie

Brittle star/Serpent star

Sea urchin

Starfish/Sea star

Comb jelly

Lancelet

Tunicates

Sea squirt

Salp

Annelids

Bristle worm

Bobbit worm

Spoon worm

Giant tube worm

Bone-eating worm

Sea mouse/Sea mice

Feather duster worm

Christmas tree worm

Leech

Flatworm

Amphibians

Salamander

Amphiuma

Mudpuppy/Mud puppy

Waterdog

Olm

Axolotl

Siren

Frog

Toad

Tadpole

Caecilian

Reptiles

Sea snake

Water snake

Snakes in general

Sea krait

Turtle

Snapping turtle

Softshell turtle

Sea turtle

Terrapin

Marine iguana

Crocodilian

Crocodile

Alligator

Caiman

Gharial

Bird

Penguin

Seagull

Loon

Swan

Mammals

Whale

Orca

Baleen whale

Toothed whale

Dolphin

River dolphin

Porpoise

Narwhal

Beluga whale

Sperm whale

Pinniped

Seal

Sea lion

Leopard seal

Elephant seal

Walrus

Sirenian

Manatee

Sea cow

Dugong

Otter

Sea otter

Beaver

Hippo

Platypus

Muskrat

Water shrew