The Curious Compendium 2023-2025: The end!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Blue Sharks!

These gals are viviparous (live birthing) and can have 50-134 pups at a time! Apparently due their population, large range (worldwide waters besides the poles), and habits, this is the most common shark caught as bycatch. They are generally nonaggressive but are curious and often approach divers.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Various tropical reef fish!


Ok, so first off these are broken into 3 photos that I will present separately. Secondly, although I have a deep appreciation for fish this entire group of them boggles my mind for identification and organization so of you spot some inconsistencies here with my grouping- forgive me! Its gonna be a long while before I am satisfied with their organization in my collection.

And now for some general facts on tropical reef fish! They have deep and narrow bodies which help them turn quickly and stop when needed (such as to evade predators). These fish often have highly specialized teeth and mouth parts (like a parrotfish) designed for their specific eating habits. There have been studies performed on the genetics of certain populations and the gist of it is that reef fish often hybridize! So much so that it has caused a lot of second guessing in the scientific community about species recognition in these animals and other concepts for these animals (such as species classification) in various regions.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Manatees and friends!


Dugongs are the only marine mammals to eat exclusively sea grass! This earns them the nickname of "seacow". (Bonus fact- marine sea grass is the only flowering plant in the ocean). On this diet, they can live to the old age of 70 years in the wild. Their calves, which are birthed usually in intervals of 3 years, have very long childhoods (a rarity in the animal kingdom) and may stay with their mom for as long as 7 years.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

My migraines have been rough this week- sorry for no post yesterday but I got the energy to do an early one tonight!

Octopuses!

And there may or may not be an example of this in the photo but I decided to share facts about one of my favorites anyway- the giant Pacific octopus!

These guys can grow to be 30 feet in diameter (aka their length if their arms are outstretched) and weigh up to 44 lbs. They can change color in 1/10th of a second! Females lay around 18,000 to 74,000 eggs and can have 2,140-2,240 suction cups on each arm. They do have venom but its non hazardous to humans. These guys are so smart they are often referred to as "honorary mammals"(IMO that's a silly moniker as many nonmammals are quite intelligent in their own ways too).

[bmathison1972]

The orange Safari WS Sealife model (back row, second from left) I believe was intended to be a Giant Pacific.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

That's what I thought, so thank you for confirming. However, I really couldn't tell the different between it and any of the other reddish/orange octopuses there! Their features are a lot more subtle to me (AAA, Safari Ltd., Schleich, M&B, Papo, and Toymany mini).

[sbell]

That's what I thought, so thank you for confirming. However, I really couldn't tell the different between it and any of the other reddish/orange octopuses there! Their features are a lot more subtle to me (AAA, Safari Ltd., Schleich, M&B, Papo, and Toymany mini).

It's kind of tricky since most octopuses can change color and texture!

Unless it's a really obvious one like a dumbo or blue ring of course

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Bluerings are my other favorites, hence why I have a fair few in my collection.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Narwhals and belugas!


Narwhals are commonly known as the "unicorn of the sea" but they have another nickname- the "corpse whale" for their tendency to swim and float with their bellies upward. They lack a dorsal fin which enables them to swim underneath ice floes. Not all narwhals have a tusk; males often do but some individuals do not, and females rarely do. They feature strongly in Inuit legends and the coronation throne of Denmark is made from narwhal tusk.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Ok, and I apologize for the delay in updates here. I haven't been sleeping well so priorities got shifted. Anyhow, here is a 3 part update!


Mako and thresher sharks!




Mako sharks are the cheetah/peregrine falcon of the ocean world and they can maintain high speeds due to their partial endothermy (warm blooded body parts like their eyes). They can reach speeds of 40 mph! Unfortunately, because of this speed, strength, and aggressive nature, they are also targets for sport fisherman as they present a thrilling challenge.


Starfish!




This is another animal that does not have a brain but instead has a complex nervous system. Starfish are well known for their regeneration and can even grow a whole new starfish if they have enough of the centralized portion. They can self amputate their limbs to escape predators.


Tropical reef fish part 2!




Regal blue tangs iconic cerulean hue can change with their maturity- even turning into a purple-ish color! They have defensive spines on their dorsal and base of their tail- the latter is venomous. Lastly, they do have a rather long lifespan for these sorts of fish- 30 years!

[bmathison1972]

wow I really like some of those larger starfish. The orange one is Safari's WS Sealife, but who made the others?

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I don't know unfortunately. I found a bundle of them in a thrift store, the underside is concave and no maker's mark. I don't even think they have "china" stamped on there but I can look again. There were duplicates in the bag so I can probably offer some of them to you! Just hang tight as work is busy right now and I have prior travel obligations this weekend.

[NSD Bashe]

I'm pretty sure I've seen a lot of similar ones available on eBay or Amazon

also I think that brown and green one with the curly edges might be a variant of the "magic grow" starfishes you can enlarge with water

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Thanks for the info @NSD Bashe. They seem similar to the old Wild Republic style polybags. Maybe there is some kind of starfish set out there someplace (like from a zoo giftshop).

Crabs!


Fiddler crabs are so named for their one large claw that is waved as if it is playing a fiddle which attracts females. They dig burrows with a hood which helps keep out the rain and may also play a factor in how females choose males. If the large claw on a male is lost, it will grow the big claw on the other side (and the side that lost the claw will grow back but be the smaller side).

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Various whales, porpoises, and friends!





Strap-toothed whales are very shy animals and are rarely seen in the wild. Their tusks can grow up to 30 cm long and curve up amd inwards; these teeth partially strap their mouths down and prevent them from opening fully. They are often coated in scars from fighting with each other, other whale species, and even cookie cutter sharks. And on calm days they like to bask near the surface in the warm water and sun.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

A double production! Goblin and frilled sharks!

Filled sharks can live to be 25, are referred to as "living fossils" due to their similarities to prehistoric shark species, and are thought to be endangered.

Variety of tropical reef fish! Part 3


Mahi mahi are fast swimmers and can reach 60 mph to catch flying fish for dinner. They mature quickly, within a few months, and reproduce several times a year. They can also evidently change color based on their moods.

[BlueKrono]

What is that little blue goblin shark? I've never seen that one before.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

@BlueKrono, that is a Bandai Kaiser (?) figure. Its a type of card game originally I think- I have a few sea animals, reptiles, and birds from this manufacturer but always forget the proper title of them.

[BlueKrono]

@BlueKrono, that is a Bandai Kaiser (?) figure. Its a type of card game originally I think- I have a few sea animals, reptiles, and birds from this manufacturer but always forget the proper title of them.

Ah, that set is so obscure it's hard even to find pictures of them. I've been on the hunt for the BK spiny turtle for some time.

[bmathison1972]

BTW not to be pedantic, but among the 'tropical reef fish' there is the Furuta/Kaiyodo discus fish, a freshwater species from the Amazon Basin lol
Not sure if you plan on breaking out your fish by marine, freshwater, etc.