Floral Egg Crab (Epoch - Poisonous Creatures)

[bmathison1972]

Walkaround of the floral egg crab, Atergatis floridus (Linnaeus, 1767) by Epoch, Poisonous Creatures (unknown date). I think the official name of the set may have been 'The Poison'. My translating software isn't being consistent. Atergatis floridus is distributed from southeast Asia to Australia to Hawaii, where it lives on coral and rocky shores. The species epithet floridus refers to the floral pattern on its carapace; it does not occur in Florida nor the southeastern United States (at least natively). If you wonder why a crab was included in a set of poisonous creatures (there were two actually, including a coconut crab), it is because this species can be very poisonous when eaten!

This figure has been a Holy Grail figure of mine. All three arthropods in the set, but this one in particular because it is a 'unique' species! The other arthropods were the aforementioned coconot crab and an emperor scorpion. There was also three kinds of poison dart frogs, a Gila monster, and a cow fish. The 'secret' was a cooked coconut crab on a platter.

The figure, unlike the other two arthropods in the set, is solid-piece of PVC. The carapace is 30 mm across, making it 1:3 for an average-sized specimen. It comes with a half-eaten fish prey (that does not attach to it). Unlike other figures in the set, it does not come with a base. Bases for Epoch figures usually do not have a means of secure attachment.

On to the pics:

[brontodocus]

Oh, and I almost thought we would have the rare occasion of bryozoans represented in figure form - or at least printed on a figure!

[bmathison1972]

Oh, and I almost thought we would have the rare occasion of bryozoans represented in figure form - or at least printed on a figure!

Is that what the lace-like structures are? I thought it was their natural pattern. I cannot find any reference to them being some kind of symbiotic or phoretic organism?!?

[brontodocus]

Oh, and I almost thought we would have the rare occasion of bryozoans represented in figure form - or at least printed on a figure!

Is that what the lace-like structures are? I thought it was their natural pattern. I cannot find any reference to them being some kind of symbiotic or phoretic organism?!?

No, actually I think you got it right in the first place, I think it's meant to be the colour pattern instead of bryozoans. That was only my first thought...