Re: Alien Lifeform or ...?

General Forums Questions and Answers
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IT’s a FACE hugger!! but still… the things you find in the ocean are weird it looks like a starfish. it looks like coral it could be something wierd but what happens sometimes is this…

Angry crab at the very bottom of the deep part of the ocean sees weird creature, creature touches crab, crab grabs starfish creature and holds it for a long time seagull grabs crab crab is flying in the air over your house and drops the creature in peril… who knows this could be from the depths of mariannas trench you could be famous for this discovery.

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Here’s its twin, Basket Starfish…It’s so pretty…Make sure it is thoroughly dry and coat with urethane to basically keep the odor away and to help strengthen its’ tentacles…Very fragile… :smiley:

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i still think its a face hugger

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There’s been a recount and MiG won with Big Thumb second. Any challenges should go to Florida for a hand count.

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Yep, MiG knows all!   
Long post ahead but I felt that many people viewing this thread were genuinely curious about that critter.  So I decided to show a few more interesting living organism that I came across in my interest with living things.

Echinoderms form an interesting group of animals as they have many characteristics that are not found in other groups.  For example, they have a water vascular system that they use for moving, nutrition and gas exchange.   Their symmetry is also unique.
Here are a few other animals from this group with some interesting features:

Comatulida http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Critter_600.jpg

Sea cucumbers who have an interesting defense mechanism against predators:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCxKFc3XtJs

Crinoids who look like underwater flowers: http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2007/11/a_jogging_flower_reprise.php

Brittlestars: http://www.oceanfootage.com/stockfootage/Star_Invertebrate_Brittle (third and fourth clips are good)
Some feed with their legs up. http://preview.tinyurl.com/dax4k5

Extreme examples of living things always add wonder to the study of biology.  Here are a few other creatures that fit this catergory.

The fungi of the genus Cordiceps that attack insects.

The carnivorous sponge species Asbestopluma hypogea http://www.telascica.hr/En/Spuzva_en.htm which can rearrange it’s body when feeding.

The New Mexico whiptail lizards where all individuals are females. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnemidophorus_neomexicanus

And finally, the giant japanese hornet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet and the little asiatic bee that has another interesting defense mecanism against it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apis_cerana#Ecology_and_behaviour.

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Full disclosure:  I asked a mutual friend of ours, Bigthumb, who identified it.  Then I posted :wink:

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Another Alien looking creature:

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MAN!  That thing is pretty cool, but the REALLY strange thing is just after I watched that video I went and stumbled (a random web page button, basically) and this was the first page it took me to news.nationalgeographic.com/news … index.html

Twilight zone stuff. 

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You are being watched!