Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Aphonopelma steindachneri (Ausserer, 1875) (Steindachner's ebony tarantula)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: AMT/Ertl
Series: Gigantics
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Legspan 17.0 cm. Carapace 5.0 cm long for a scale of 2.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Gigantics collection by AMT/Ertl are model kits that feature 'giant' arthropods terrorizing cities, as if taken from a monster movie. In addition to the animal, the kits come with a city backdrop, plus people, pets, and cars for the creature to menace! Because these are model kits, assembly and paint is required; today's tarantula came in 23 pieces. There are some taxonomic issues with this particular figure. It was marketed as 'Eurypelma californicum', a name that has been considered nomen dubium for decades. In 2012, it was proposed that most specimens assigned to E. californicum probably represent Aphonopelma hentzi. However, E. californicum was originally described from California, and A. hentzi as currently delineated does not occur in California. In 2016, the genus Aphonopelma was revised, and there is no mention of E. californicum or the 2012 note about its possible connection to A. hentzi. I decided to paint my figure after A. steindachneri, a large common species from southern California (I figure, if this is going to represent a spider destroying a city in California, might as well be Los Angeles...).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Coastal southern California and northern Baja California
Habitat: Coastal scrub, chaparral, urban areas
Diet: Mostly insects; occasionally other arthropods and small mammals and reptiles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: While not yet formally evaluated by the IUCN, A. steindachneri is very common throughout its range and its overall population appears secure. Some populations might face some threats around urbanized areas due to human encroachment and development.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807) (Arabian fat-tailed scorpion)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Venomous Creatures TOOB
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Total figure length 7.0 cm. Body length 8.0 cm, slightly under 1:1 scale.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Safari Ltd. only marketed this figure as a 'fat-tailed scorpion' (which typically refers to Androctonus). The dark habitus with reddish claws and its inclusion in a set of deadly creatures could suggest several species, most notably the Arabian fat-tailed scorpion (A. crassicauda) or the black fat-tailed scorpion (A. bicolor). A chose the former due to the shorter and broader chelae (claws). Within the last couple years (not sure exactly when), Safari re-released this TOOB with different paint jobs. Online images show this scorpion is now a dusty gray with bright orange chelae. I think the original is more accurate!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northeast Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Middle East
Habitat: Deserts and semi-arid areas, often in animal burrows, under bark of dead trees, and in neglected structures
Diet: Invertebrates; occasionally small lizards
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The venom of A. crassicauda contains neurotoxins, cardiotoxins, and myotoxins. Initial symptoms of stings to humans include intense pain and redness and swelling at the sting site. More severe symptoms may include seizures, marked irritability, visual disturbances, respiratory problems, internal bleeding, heart malfunctions, and death due to respiratory arrest, heart failure, and shock. Antivenom is available for this species.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Papilio xuthus Linnaeus, 1767 (Asian swallowtail; Chinese yellow swallowtail)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toys Spirits
Series: Caterpillar Mascot Vol. 2
Year of Release: 2020
Size/Scale: Figure length 4.5 cm, near 1:1 for a maximum-sized specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Papilio xuthus is one of the most-commonly made members of the family Papilionidae, and today's figure is one of eight I have of just the larva (I actually have more figures of the larva than the adult). This is the second time we have seen this species in the Museum. The figures in this collection are soft and squishy, and a bit stylized. I mainly bought the set for the inclusion of a larval symphytan (which has already been reviewed in this tread on April 5, 2021).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia, introduced to Hawaii
Habitat: Forests, gardens, parks, citrus orchards
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the family Rutaceae, including cultivated Citrus; adults are attracted to flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many developing lepidopterans, the immature stages of P. xuthus are prone to parasitism. Eggs may be parasitized by wasps in the genus Trichogramma and larvae by wasps Pteromalus puparum and Trogus mactator. It is believed that the stability of populations of P. xuthus is regulated by the population dynamics of such parasitoids.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chalcosoma chiron (Olivier, 1789) (Caucasus beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturers: Kabaya; ShanTrip
Series: World Insect Series 1 (Kabaya); unknown (Shantrip)
Years of Production: 2002 (Kabaya); unknown (ShanTrip)
Size/Scale: Body length (including horns) 4.2 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Most figures of C. chiron are sold under its synonym, C. caucasus. This is our third look at this species in the Museum. The figure on the lower right is by Kabaya; the one on the upper left is by the Indian-based (I think) company ShanTrip. I bought the ShanTrip figures on eBay, not realizing until I had them in-hand that they are just Kabaya knock-offs. Quality-wise, they are comparable (but maybe not as fragile; notice one of the metatarsi broke off of the Kabaya figure...).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood and detritus; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many large scarabaeid beetles, especially those among the Dynastinae, C. chiron exhibits marked sexual dimorphism. Males (shown here) have two large pronotal and one large cephalic horn that they use for battling other males over females and breeding and feeding sites.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allomyrina pfeifferi celebensis Silvestre, 1997

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King, standard series, small
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length including horn 4.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is the only Allomyrina figure that does not represent A. dichotoma. The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing roughly 75 species of Lucanidae and dynastine Scarabaeidae. The dates of release are currently unknown to me (c. 2008). The figures were produced in conjunction with Bandai and came with Pokemon-style playing cards. At the time of this writing, I think I have all but two of the species. For a review of the sets, please see here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Sulawesi
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed on organic detritus in soil; adults are attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Allomyrina pfeifferi celebensis is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The type subspecies (A. p. pfeifferi) occurs on the nearby island of Borneo.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Negaprion brevirostris (Poey, 1868) (lemon shark)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Sealife
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Body length 16.0 cm for a scale of 1:15-1:22
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The only figure of this species by a major manufacturer, and the only one in recent years, it's hard to find anything to nit-pick about this one (at least none I can find).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific (coastal Baja California to Ecuador), East Atlantic (coastal northeastern USA to Brazil), West Atlantic (coastal Africa)
Habitat: Enclosed bays, coral reefs, mangroves, at depths of 0-92 feet
Diet: Marine invertebrates, fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Negaprion brevirostris gets its common name 'lemon' shark from is dusky yellow dorsal coloring, which provides it camouflage when swimming over the silty and sandy bottoms of the coastal habitats it inhabits.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1771) (Japanese rhinoceros beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yell
Series: Beetles on Wood
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length (including horn) 6.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our fifth time seeing A. dichotoma in the Museum! Yell's 'Beetles on Wood' collection features many of the typical scarabaeoid species made by Japanese companies. The figures are sold in large slotted plastic balls (similar to cat toys) and come with a real piece of wood to display them with. I took it upon myself to use an adhesive to permanently affix the beetles to their piece of wood, making mini dioramas out of them. Yell released the same set of 12 beetles in 2021, albeit each with a plastic magnifying glass rather than a piece of wood; the name of that collection is 'Zoom'.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, including China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed on organic detritus in soil; adults are attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Allomyrina dichotoma is very popular in Japanese culture, and appears in cartoons, commercials, card games, and is commonly bred in terraria. This accounts for it being one of the most commonly-made animal species by Japanese companies (all five figures seen in the Museum to date have been by different Japanese companies).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Rhaetulus speciosus Boileau, 1911

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King, standard series, small
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 5.2 cm, within scale 1:1 (1:1.3 for a large major male)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing roughly 75 species of Lucanidae and dynastine Scarabaeidae. The dates of release are currently unknown to me (c. 2008). The figures were produced in conjunction with Bandai and came with Pokemon-style playing cards. At the time of this writing, I think I have all but two of the species. For a review of the sets, please see here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, including India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
Habitat: Tropical broadleaf forests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood; adults presumably feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had trouble researching information on the biology and complete geographic distribution of this species. Some of the biological notes above are inferred from other members of the genus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Anas castanea (Eyton, 1838) (chestnut teal)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies UK Series 1
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: Figure 4.2 cm tall. Scale difficult to calculate. Stretched out, the body length would approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:5-1:6.5. Using bill length as a metric (0.7 cm), the scale would calculate to 1:5.3-1:6.2.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The only other figure of this species I am aware of is its Australian Yowies counterpart, which requires assembly.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southwestern and southeastern Australia, including Tasmania; vagrants reaching New Guinea, New Zealand, and Lord Howe Island
Habitat: Coastal estuaries and wetlands, swamps, marshes
Diet: Aquatic insects, snails, crabs, small fish, aquatic vegetation
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Anas castanea forms monogamous pairs that stay together outside the breeding season. Nests usually occur in tree hollows and are lined with down; birds may also nest on the ground. Both parents incubate the eggs.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler, 1827 (large-billed crow; jungle crow)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 10
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Figure height 4.5 cm. Body length approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:7-1:9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Choco Q figures, some assembly is required. Kaiyodo previously made this species for the Chocoegg Animatales line and Eikoh made one for the Miniatureplanet line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Woodlands, open scrubland, agricultural fields, orchards, parks, gardens
Diet: Carrion, small living animals, human refuse; will occasionally steal food from other birds, including raptors
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Corvus macrorhynchos will sometimes form large groups and gang up on and attack other birds, especially raptors.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Brachypelma smithi (Cambridge, 1897) (Mexican red-kneed tarantula)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Toxic and Dangerous Animals
Year of Release: 2014
Size/Scale: Legspan 7.2 cm. Body length (excluding appendages) 3.7 cm for a scale of 1:1.5 (could be 1:1 for a younger or smaller specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Brachypelma smithi is probably the most common species of spider in toy form identifiable at the species level (if not tied with or second to the southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans). This is our third look at it in the Museum. Being a Capsule Q Museum figure, minimal assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southside of the Balsas River Basin in Guerrero, Mexico
Habitat: Tropical deciduous forests, thornscrub, semi-deserts
Diet: Primarily insects and other arthropods, occasionally small reptiles, amphibians, birds, rodents.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: There is confusion to the identity of spiders referred to as Mexican red-knees, since the description of a cryptic sibling species, B. hamorii, by Cleton and Verdez in 1997. The two species are indistinguishable morphologically and can only be separated by DNA barcoding and strict geographic distribution. In the absence of a figure being specifically ascribed to a given species, I am referring to all figures as the classic B. smithi. Both species are very common in the pet trade (and don't be surprised if the pet store doesn't know which species they are selling). In captivity, female B. smithi can live 20 to 30 years!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Aeshna cyanea (Müller, 1764) (southern hawker; blue hawker)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Blip Toys
Series: Nature's Wonders HD
Year of Production: 2008
Size/Scale: Body length 8.0 cm; wingspan 12.0 cm for a scale slightly larger than 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Nature's Wonders figures were not marketed at the species level, but most of them appear to be realistically painted after actual species. The identification here is my own, albeit tentative. I had trouble finding a species that matched with aspects of both the thorax and abdomen. For years on the forums, I had this identified as Anax junius; however, Anax species have an entirely green thorax in both sexes.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Europe west of the Ural Mountains, North Africa
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, rivers, gardens, open woodlands
Diet: Nymphs feed on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, tadpoles; adults feed on flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like all odonates, A. cyanea cycles between an aquatic nymph and a terrestrial, flying adult. Eggs are laid in submerged rotting vegetation and wood in late summer or fall. The eggs hatch in the spring and the aquatic nymphs feed for 2-3 years before emerging as adults in the summer.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cassiopea ornata Haeckel, 1880 (upside-down jellyfish)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Qualia
Series: JOIN Collection - Jellyfish
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Display height 6.0 cm. Diameter of disc 1.8 cm for a scale of 1:5.5-1:6.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There are five figures in Qualia's JOIN Collection of jellyfish; the bases of any four figures can 'join' together to form a mini circular diorama. The animal is removable from the bubble stream, and there are three points of attachment on the stream on which to place the animal. These five species were included in Kitan Club's Nature Techni Colour jellyfish collection; the NTC figures are approximately twice the size of the Qualia figures and more detailed, but I like the ability to display them on habitat-style bases.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific
Habitat: Pelagic, usually in shallow waters at depths of 0-1.5 meters
Diet: Primarily nutrients derived from symbiotic photosynthetic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae); also, planktonic prey captured in their tentacles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: One of the reasons C. ornata swims upside down, giving it its common name, is to expose its symbiotic zooxanthellae to a sufficient amount of sunlight to fuel their energy source.

[Halichoeres]

That jelly set is really cool.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 (red deer)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Figure height 11.0 cm. Height at shoulder 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:14.5-1:20
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Most figures of this species are by older, vintage manufactuers. The only three readily available these days by major manufacturers are this figure, the 2011 model by CollectA, and the 2017 model by Schleich, which was released as part of a 'forest dwellers' box set that also included a red fox and wild boar; that Schleich set was retired in 2019.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Europe, Middle East, West Asia, North Africa (Atlas Mountains); introduced as game to North America, Australia, New Zealand, South America
Habitat: Open woodlands, coniferous swamps, clear-cuts, grasslands, taiga
Diet: Grasses, sedges, and forbs in the summer; woody growth in the winter
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: For decades, members of the 'red deer complex', including the red deer (C. elaphus), the elk (or wapati, C. canadensis), and the Central Asian red deer (C. hanglu) were considered one species, with C. canadensis having nomenclatural priority. Molecular studies in 2004 containing data from specimens from across the Holarctic show strong evidence for C. elaphus and C. canadensis being recognized as separate species, but the placement of some Central Asian populations were not very concordent. Recent molecular studies, however, show justification of C. hanglu as a valid species as well, especially with the transfer of two of its subspecies to C. canadensis.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cephalopholis miniata (Forsskål, 1775) (coral hind; coral grouper; coral rock cod)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Saltwater Fish Pictorial Book 1
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Figure length 5.5 cm. Measured along midline, body length 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.7-1:7.0
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure attaches to its habitat-style base with a clear acrylic rod. If it looks like my figure is sitting awkwardly on its base, it is because the peg on mine broke inside and flush with the fish, so I no longer have a way of securing it to the base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, usually at depths of 2-150 meters
Diet: Small fish (especially sea goldies, Pseudanthias squamipinnis), crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cephalopholis miniata forms harems consisting of a male and up to 12 females. Males are very territorial and harems will occupy a territory up to 475 square meters; the male's territory is further subdivided into secondary territories, each of which are defended by a single female.

[JimoAi]

Species: Cephalopholis miniata (Forsskål, 1775) (coral hind; coral grouper; coral rock cod)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Saltwater Fish Pictorial Book 1
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Figure length 5.5 cm. Measured along midline, body length 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.7-1:7.0
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure attaches to its habitat-style base with a clear acrylic rod. If it looks like my figure is sitting awkwardly on its base, it is because the peg on mine broke inside and flush with the fish, so I no longer have a way of securing it to the base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, usually at depths of 2-150 meters
Diet: Small fish (especially sea goldies, Pseudanthias squamipinnis), crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cephalopholis miniata forms harems consisting of a male and up to 12 females. Males are very territorial and harems will occupy a territory up to 475 square meters; the male's territory is further subdivided into secondary territories, each of which are defended by a single female.

One of the gems of the set!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cyrestis thyodamas Boisduval, 1836 (common map)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars Vol. 3
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Length 6.5 cm for a scale of 1.6:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: One of several unique species in the Capsule Q Museum caterpillar series, there is to date, at least to the best of my knowledge, no figures of the adult of this species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia (Northern and Central India, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Japan)
Habitat: Forest edges, fields, meadows, muddy swamps
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the genus Ficus (fig); adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The function of the cephalic and thoracic projections on the larva of C. thyodamas is unknown, but they are believed to aid in camouflage by mimicking young shoots of the host Ficus.



Note: Anyone notice this is the eighth post in a row where the species' name is in the first three letters of the alphabet (and the fourth in a row for letter 'C')? Interesting considering the random method of selection...

[bmathison1972]

Species: Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus, 1758 (seven-spotted lady beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: unknown
Series: unknown
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length 2.0 cm for a scale of 3:1-2.6:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: I know nothing about this set: who made it, when it came out, or how many figures are in it (I have 10). I bought them from forum member Beetle Guy, who had gotten them in a large lot online. Individual figures appear to be composite with wire legs. They come nestled in synthetic cotton in a box that measures 5.0 cm x 3.5 cm x 1.7 cm. The box is hard plastic, but the clear top is softer and taped secure (see inset left). The boxes have grooves and can be connected to one another. The back of box has the animal's name and biological information in Japanese (see inset right). I display mine in the boxes, but will remove them for photographing for this thread. Not the typical figures collected my most of us, but the set offers some unusual and unique taxa.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Native to the Palearctic; introduced to North America and southern Africa
Habitat: Forests, grasslands, marshes, deserts, agricultural fields, disturbed areas, parks, and gardens
Diet: Soft-bodied insects, especially aphids and scale insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Coccinella septempunctata has been introduced to North America to combat aphid pests. And while it has been successful in doing so, it is unfortunately pushing out native species, including the related nine-spotted lady beetle (C. novemnotata). However, both Coccinella are probably now getting pushed out by another invasive species, the multicolored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis).

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Acanthostega gunnari Jarvik, 1952

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Dinotailes Series 2
Year of Production: 2001
Size/Scale: Body length 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:7.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Dinotales figures, some assembly is required. Yujin also made this species for their NHK Miracle Planet collection.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Devonian (Famennian) of present-day Greenland
Habitat: Shallow freshwater, including swamps, flooded wetlands, and river channels
Diet: Fish, aquatic invertebrates, possibly terrestrial animals near the water's edge
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Acanthostega gunnari is considered a member of the 'stem-tetrapods', early four-limbed animals there were a morphologic link between lobe-finned fish and true tetrapods. Despite the presence of four limbs similar to those in some land animals, A. gunnari spent most of its life in the water, only occasionally clambering onto land, perhaps in search of prey. The jaws, teeth, and shoulder girdle are more fish-like, and the backbone appeared too weak to support the body for prolonged periods of time on land.