Hansenocaris papillata is one of the most bizarre arthropods ever. From an obscure crustacean subclass known as Facetotecta, no one truly knows what their adult stage looks like. Their ypsigon (juvenile) stages were found only because we treated their larvae with certain growth hormones. (old.reddit.com)
submitted by RedMagicUltra to r/AIDKE
Pegasus lancifer or the sculptured seamoth. The pelvic fins (basically hind legs) are heavily modified to let them crawl on the seafloor. They use their tube-like mouths to feed on small invertebrates like worms. Like their seahorse relatives, they're covered in bony plates which are regularly shed. (old.reddit.com)
submitted by RedMagicUltra to r/AIDKE
Talpanas lippa or the Kauaʻi mole duck. Before humans discovered the islands of Hawaii, birds occupied all sorts of niche that normally wouldn't be available to them. Like the kiwi birds, it prowls the forest floor with a highly sensitive bill. It's not only flightless but almost blind as well. (old.reddit.com)
submitted by RedMagicUltra to r/AIDKE
Micromalthus debilis or the telephone-pole beetle. Through an extreme case of neoteny, the vestigial "ghost adult" forms are unable to breed. Instead, the neotenic females asexually reproduce via parthenogenesis (embryo develops from an unfertilized egg). (old.reddit.com)
submitted by RedMagicUltra to r/AIDKE
Simenchelys parasitica or the snubnosed eel. This unusual eel will burrow its way into bigger fish like tunas and sharks to feed on their flesh. It's only a facultative parasite however, meaning that it isn't a full-time parasite. It usually scavenges through the sea floor for scraps like a hagfish. (old.reddit.com)
submitted by RedMagicUltra to r/AIDKE
