elachista albifrontella is a moth of the elachistidae family .

it is found from fennoscandia and northern russia to the pyrenees and italy and from ireland to romania .

the wingspan is 8 – 9 millimetres ( 0.31 – 0.35 in ) .

adults have a whitish forehead .

they are on wing from june to july in one generation per year .

the larvae feed on agrostis canina , alopecurus pratensis , arrhenatherum elatius , avena , avenula pubescens , brachypodium sylvaticum , bromus , calamagrostis arundinacea , calamagrostis epigejos , dactylis glomerata , deschampsia cespitosa , elymus repens , festuca rubra , holcus lanatus , holcus mollis , koeleria macrantha , luzula pilosa , milium effusum , phalaris arundinacea , phleum , poa pratensis , poa trivialis , trisetum and triticum species .

they mine the leaves of their host plant .

the mine consists of a full depth blotch mine which descends from the leaf tip .

it occupies half to the entire width of the blade .

larvae may exit the mine and start again elsewhere .

the frass is deposited in a narrow central line with a greyish brown colour .

larvae can be found from september to may .

pupation takes place outside of the mine .

elachista albifrontella

kari pihlaviita added the finnish common name
valkopäähitukoi
to
elachista albifrontella
.
id : group g - fw dark with pale costal and tornal spots and other pale markings . pale markings without metallic sheen ; frons white > e . albifrontella / luticomella / alpinella / eskoi of these 4 only e . albifrontella shows a significant ' hump ' on the dorsum of the valva in the male genitalia male genitalia by key to group g : width across uncus lobes broader than width across tegumen immediately below uncus lobes ; vinculum with a narrow process ; uncus lobes separated by a ' v ' - shaped notch narrower than an uncus lobe ; dorsum of valva with a distinct hump at 3 / 4 ; aedeagus square at apex with a small thorn > e . albifrontella in both specimens §1 & §2 the aedeagus could be seen to be square at apex under microscope but this does not show well photographically apparently due to uneven sclerotisation and as with other species with only small thorns i could not see any thorns . e . orstadii is the only other species to show the combination of a v - shaped notch between the uncus lobes and a distinct dorsal hump on he valva - it has a dark frons and its median fascia is usually indistinct . female genitalia : i haven ' t got around to preparing a key to female genitalia as yet . elachista species are distinguishable on the shape of the antral region , the extent of spiculation in the antrum and the presence and form of the signum . the exact combination of these 3 features seen in the images below is sufficient to confirm the identification of §3 .
this is a quite common species throughout most of the british isles , inhabiting a range of grassland habitats . named after the noticeably whitish forehead , the most likely confusion species is
, which however has an additional white spot in the apical area of the forewing .
during september until around may , the larva mines a blade of a variety of grasses , leading to a pale blotch , sometimes moving between blades .
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the ukmoths facebook page is a great place to post your identification queries . more often than not you ' ll get a positive id on most photos fairly quickly .
looking for a specific moth species ? enter just part of the name below .
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leaf - miner : the larva mines from the grass tip downwards and the mine occupies half or the whole of the leaf blade width . a whitish blotch is formed with characteristic narrow streaks of frass ( british leafminers ) .
full depth blotch , slightly inflated , descending from the leaf tip , occupying half or the entire width of the blade . the larva may move and make a new mine elsewhere . in the latter case the mines are fairly short ; otherwise an entire blade may be mined out . frass in a some narrow greyish brown streaks . pupation outside the mine ( bladmineerders van europa ) .
larva : the larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles ( see video of a gracillarid larva feeding ) , six thoracic legs and abdominal legs ( see examples ) .
the larva is illustrated in british leafminers , ukmoths and ? bladmineerders van europa .
pupa : the pupae of moths have visible head appendages , wings and legs which lie in sheaths ( see examples ) .
adult : the adult is illustrated in ukmoths . the species is included in urltoken .
time of year - adults : the adults fly in a single generation during june and july ( ukmoths ) .
north aberdeenshire , north ebudes , north hampshire , north northumberland , north somerset , outer hebrides , pembrokeshire , shropshire , south aberdeenshire , south hampshire , south lancashire , south northumberland , south wiltshire , south - east yorkshire , south - west yorkshire , stafford , stirlingshire , warwickshire , west cornwall , west gloucestershire , west kent , west lancashire , west norfolk , west suffolk , westmorland and worcestershire ( nbn atlas ) .
also recorded in the republic of ireland and northern ireland ( karsholt and van nieukerken in fauna europaea ) . see also ireland ' s nbdc interactive map .
distribution elsewhere : widespread in continental europe including austria , belgium , czech republic , danish mainland , estonia , finland , french mainland , italian mainland , latvia , lithuania , luxembourg , norwegian mainland , poland , romania , russia - central , east , north and northwest , slovakia , sweden , switzerland and the netherlands ( karsholt and van nieukerken in fauna europaea ) .
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wingspan about 10 mm . named after the noticeably whitish forehead , the most likely confusion species is e . apicipunctella , which however has an additional white spot in the apical area of the forewing .
there are other very similar species in this genus which means that detailed examination of an actual specimen is generally needed to identify the exact species . a red box around the image indicates that we think it is likely to be this species but can ' t be 100 % certain .
this is a quite common species throughout most of the british isles . in the butterfly conservation’s microlepidoptera report 2011 this species was classified as common .
it appears to be uncommon in leicestershire and rutland , where there are few records . l & r moth group status = d ( rare or rarely recorded ) .
if you have images for this taxon that you would like to share with nbn atlas , please upload using the upload tools .
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for the county , we have a total of 51 records from 30 sites . first recorded in 1859 .
§1 nethybridge , inverness - shire ; 11 / 07 / 2011 ; male §2 nethybridge , inverness - shire ; 13 / 07 / 2011 ; male §3 meshaw moor , devon ; 24 / 06 / 2016 ; female ; fw 3 . 6mm ; netted by day all images © chris lewis
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santon downham ( b palmer , 1987 - 9 ) , eye ( p kitchener , 6 . vii . 2007 )
common on the leaves of various grasses . flew to monks soham light in july 1933 , and was beaten from bushes at eriswell in late june 1914 ( mly ) . hemley in 1932 ( whit . ) .


mirapinna esau , the hairyfish , is a species of flabby whalefish only known from the atlantic ocean from near the azores .

formerly considered a member of the no longer recognized family mirapinnidae , this species is the only known member of its genus .

mirapinna esau

hairyfish , also known as mirapinna esau , lodsilungur , fur - bearing trout .
froese , rainer and pauly , daniel , eds . ( 2012 ) .
mirapinna esau
in fishbase . august 2012 version .
mirapinna esau bertelsen and marshall 1956 ( hairy fish ) named after esau , a hairy character of the bible . the fish has curious growths all over its body , making it look like it is covered in fur .
( after jacob ' s hairy brother , esau , in the bible ) .
why do you think this makes no realistic sense , or that the hair is nuisance ? you should look up the mirapinna esau , which is a furry fish .
scientific synonyms and common names mirapinna esau bertelsen & marshall , 1956 synonyms : mirapinna esau bertelsen & marshall , 1956 , dana rep . , ( 42 ) : 4 - 6 , fig . 1 - 2 , and 12 ( north atlantic 500 miles north of the azores , 47° 20 ' n . , 22° 30 ' w . ) . holotype : zmuc . common names : none
the specific name is from the character esau in the bible , who is stated to be a hairy man ( genesis 27 : 11 ) .
recent sightings : hairyfish sightings are reported almost annually by fishermen , but most of these sightings have not been verified . to complicate identification , scientists now believe that the hairyfish captured in 1911 was not a unique species , but only a juvenile whalefish , not a unique species , and discontinued use of the genus mirapinna . however , this change in taxonomic description does not explain the freshwater fur - bearing fish sighted in ontario , maine and montana .
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- home - - rules - - etymology - - puns - - wordplay - - gene names - - misc . - - references - - feedback -
achelousaurus horneri sampson , 1995 ( ceratopsian dinosaur ) . this hornless ceratopsian evolved from horned ancestors . it was named for achelous , a greek river god whose horn was broken in a battle with heracles . the species name ( for paleontologist jack horner ) replaces the lost horn . [ j . vert . paleo . 15 ( 4 ) ]
acherontia atropos linnaeus , a . lachesis fabricius 1798 , and a . styx westwood , 1847 ( deathhead hawk moth ) acheron and styx are rivers in the greek underworld . atropos and lachesis are two of the fates .
acteon montfort , 1810 ( gastropod ) named after the hunter actaeon of greek myth . the snails are predatory .
anapachydiscus terminus ward ( late cretaceous ammonite )
this was the last ammonite ever to have evolved on earth .
named for terminus , the roman god of boundaries .
arethusa ( swamp pink ) this orchid grows in aquatic environments in eastern north america . named for a greek nymph whom artemis transformed into a spring so that she might not suffer the passions of a river god .
argonauta argo linnaeus ( paper nautilus ) named for jason ' s ship and its crew .
asklepia liebke , 1938 ( ground beetle ) named after asklepius , greek god of healing , for unknown reasons .
astraptes augeas brower 2010 ( skipper butterfly ) named for the augean stables , whose cleaning was hercules ' fifth labor .
the name recognizes the enormous throughput of the acg barcoding endeavour and the resultant labour required of systematists .
[ syst . biodivers . 8 : 486 ]
athene boie , 1822 ( burrowing owl ) the owl was athene ' s sacred bird .
atropoides werman , 1992 ( jumping pitviper ) named after atropos , the fate which cuts off a person ' s life . there are also numerous species with specific epithet atropos , including the adders bitis atropos linnaeus , 1758 and clotho atropos gray , 1849 ( a synonym for bitis inornata ( smith , 1838 ) ) .
cassiopeia andromeda ( eschscholz ) ( upside - down sea jelly ) andromeda was the daughter of cassiopeia in greek myth .
cloacina von linstow 1898 ( nematode ) found only in the stomachs of kangaroos ; named after cloacina , the roman goddess of the sewers .
cymodoce , dynamene , eurydice , jaera , janira , limnoria ( isopods ) all of these , described by leach in 1814 , are names of nereids , probably taken from the preface of fabulae by hyginus . the first nereid isopod , however , was ligia fabricius , 1798 .
daedalosaurus carroll , 1978 ( late permian gliding reptile from madagascar ) and icarosaurus colbert , 1970 ( upper triassic gliding reptile from new jersey ) , after daedalus and icarus .
icarops hand et al . , 1998 ( miocene bat from australia )
from icaros , the mythological greek who flew towards the sun , in reference to the ancient mystacinid that flew eastwards from australia to new zealand .
[ j . paleo . , 538 - 540 ] .
damocles lund , 1986 ( carboniferous shark ) the males had an elaborate projection from the back that ended poised over its head .
glaucus forster , 1777 ( nudibranch ) named after a prophetic sea god , a fisherman who turned immortal upon eating a magical herb .
gorgonocephalus medusae ( basket star ) the basket star looks like a mass of serpents . medusa was the most famous of the gorgons , which had serpents for hair .
hadoprion ( hinde , 1879 ) ( fossil polychaete ) named after hades . ( the
- prion
means
saw ,
after the fossil ' s toothed nature . )
geophilus hadesi stoev , et al . 2015 and geophilus persephones foddai & minelli , 1999 ( cave centipedes )
hydraena nike jäch 1995 ( beetle ) named for nike , greek goddess of victory , because samothraki , the location of the beetle , is also the source of a superb statue of nike . [ ann . naturhist . mus . wien 97b : 177 - 190 . ]
kerberos solé et al . 2015 ( eocene hyaenodont ) named after cerberus ( kerberos in greek ) , the three - headed dog that guarded the gates of hades . [ plos one 10 ( 9 ) ]
thermarces cerberus rosenblatt and cohen , 1986 ( eelpout fish ) from the galapagos rift vents .
lachesis daudin , 1803 ( bushmaster ) this largest of pit vipers is named after the fate who apportions each individual ' s lifespan .
merope newman , 1838 ( earwigfly ) merope is one of the pleaides sisters .
mercuriceratops gemini ryan et al . , 2014 ( cretaceous ceratopsid dinosaur ) named after mercury because ornamentation on its head resembles the wings on the head of the roman god , and gemini because two almost identical specimens were found .
moira atropis and m . clotho ( heart urchins ) in greek myth , the moirae are the three fates , named atropis , clotho , and lachesis .
myotis midastactus moratelli & wilson , 2014 ( bat ) the specific epithet is
midas touch
latinized , alluding to the mythical greek king whose touch turned everything into gold , referring to the bat ' s unique golden fur .
nemertes cuvier , 1817 ( sea worm ) named for the sea nereid nemertes , wisest of her sisters .
ouroborus stanley et al . , 2011 ( armadillo lizard ) the ouroboros is an ancient symbol of a serpent or dragon devouring its own tail . the lizard , when threatened , grabs its tail in its mouth and curls up .
papio hamadryas ( hamadryas baboon ) hamadryads , in greek myth , were nymphs whose lives began and ended with a particular tree . these baboons live in rocky and dry areas and rarely climb trees .
pectinivalva ( casanovula ) minotaurus hoare , 2013 ( moth ) named for the minotaur because its flattened antennae resemble horns . [ zookeys 278 ]
phoenix ( date palm ) probably named not after the mythical bird , but for a king who fought with the greeks at troy and is credited with bringing the first date palms to greece .
chalicodoma pluto smith , 1860 ( world ' s largest bee , from the rainforests of the moluccas ) the type specimen was collected by alfred r . wallace . only one other specimen was found before 1990 , when several nests were found in termite nests .
proteus laurenti 1768 ( blind cave salamander ) europe ' s only troglobitic chordate . named for a greek sea god , the son of poseidon . there is also amoeba proteus ( amoeba ) , so named because proteus had the ability to change form .
sisyphus latreille , 1807 ( dung beetle ) named after a king condemned in hades to roll an immense boulder uphill , only to have it inevitably break free and roll down again , this beetle makes and rolls large balls of dung with greater success .
sterculius ( rove beetle , or plant ) sterculius was the greek god of the latrine , and rove beetles are often found associated with dung . sterculius is also a genus of plant , many species of which emit a dung - like odor from flowers or leaves . its family , sterculiaceae , also includes chocolate and cola .
talos zanno et al . , 2011 ( birdlike theropod dinosaur ) named for a winged bronze giant of greek mythology , which could run extremely fast and which succumbed to an ankle wound . the name is also a pun on
talon
.
tethys linnaeus , 1767 ( sea slug ) tethys was both sister and wife of oceanus .
titanus giganteus ( l ) ( cerambycid beetle ) the world ' s largest ( but not heaviest ) beetle .
upupa antaios olson , 1975 ( extinct giant hoopoe ) named for the libyan giant antaios ( or antaeus ) , who wrestled travelers and used their skulls to decorate a temple to his father poseidon . drawing strength from the ground , he was invincible until heracles held him up .
urania fabricius , 1807 ( moth ) diurnal moths ironically named after the muse of astronomy .
venus dione linnaeus , 1758 ( clam ) named after venus , goddess of love , and dione , mother of her greek equivalent aphrodite , due to the clam ' s resemblance to human female genetalia . ( its new genus is hysteroconcha meaning
womb shell
. )
zeus olympius minter & diam . ( 1987 ) ( fungus ) discovered on mt . olympus . the expedition which discovered it also found , growing on the remains of a z . olympius , another flask - shaped fungus in the genus nectria ( alas , derived from the greek for
swimmer
, not from nectar , the drink of the gods ) , which was named nectria ganymede , after the youth taken to heaven to be zeus ' s cupbearer .
aegirosaurus bardet & fernandez , 2000 ( upper jurassic ichthyosaur ) named for aegir , god of the oceans and seashores .
asgard archaea
- a superphylum of archaea with some genetic similarities to eukaryotes . lokiarchaeota was the first phylum proposed ; thorarchaeota , odinarchaeota , and heimdallarchaeota have been added to the group .
asgardaspira wagner 1999 ( snail ) it is very loosely coiled , with a serpent - like look . [ smithsonian contrib . to paleobiology 88 : 1 - 154 ]
eoconodon nidhoggi van valen , 1978 ( paleocene mammal ) named for the nordic corpse - eating underworld serpent ( and found in purgatory hill ) .
midgardia downey , 1972 ( starfish ) from the midgard serpent ,
which lies at the bottom of the sea and encircles the earth .
midgardia xandaros has the longest arms ( 67 cm . ) of any known starfish . [ proc . biol . soc . wash . 84 : 422 ]
ragnarok van valen , 1978 ( paleocene mammal , synonym of baioconodon gazin , 1941 ) for norse end times ,
doom of the gods .
scutisorex thori stanley et al . , 2013 ( hero shrew ) hero shrews are unusually strong . [ biol . lett . 9 ( 5 ) ]
balaur csiki et al . , 2010 ( theropod dinosaur ) a balaur is a dragon - like creature from romanian myth .
sampo öpik , 1933 ( ordovician brachiopod ) named for the three - sided magic mill that in finnish mythology created flour , salt , and gold .
zalmoxes nopsca , 1899 ( cretaceous iguanodontid ) named for the dacian supreme deity zalmoxis .
zilantophis jasinski & moscato ( miocene or eocene snake ) named after zilant , a winged serpent in tatar mythology , because of wing - shaped projections on the side of the fossil ' s vertebrae .
angelica archangelica linnaeus ( umbellifer ) traditionally said to bloom on may 8 , the day of st . michael the archangel .
anzu lamanna et al . , 2014 ( theropod dinosaur ) named for a feathered demon in akkadian and sumerian mythology .
livyatan lambert et al . 2010 ( fossil sperm whale ) . originally named leviathan , but that name was junior homonym ; german paleontologist albert koch used it for an american mastadon skeleton in 1841 , which name was itself invalid as mammut had priority . lambert et al . renamed the fossil whale livyatan , from the original hebrew spelling . [ nature 466 : 105 , 1134 ]
ifrita rothschild 1898 ( blue - capped babbler of new guinea ) from arabic ifrit ' djinn or spirit ' .
ipomopsis sancti - spiritus ( polemoniaceae ) holy ghost ipomopsis , an endangered plant .
ziziphus spina - christi ( l . ) ( spiny shrub or tree ) christ ' s crown - of - thorns is traditionally said to have been made from this plant .
beelzebufo evans , jones and krause , 2008 ( cretaceous frog from madagascar ) nicknamed
the frog from hell
by the researchers .
diabloceratops kirkland et al . , 2010 ( cretaceous ceratopsian dinosaur ) its horns and neck shield evoke images of the devil .
halicephalobus mephisto borgonie et al . , 2011 ( nematode ) the deepest known land animal , discovered 2 . 2 miles underground .
satan hubbs & bailey , 1947 ( catfish ) a blind unpigmented fish from artesian wells 1000 - 1250 feet underground , near san antonio , tx .
satan eurystomus signifies ' wide - mouthed prince of darkness . '
[ occasional papers mus . zool . , u . of mich . 499 : 1 - 15 . ]
satanoperca lilith kullander & ferreira 1988 ( amazonian cichlid ) there were also s . daemon and s . jurupari ( the latter named after a tupi forest demon ) , but these have been moved to the genus geophagus . [ cybium 12 ( 4 ) : 344 ; ann . wien . mus . naturges . 2 : 389 , 392 ]
solidago satanica lunell , 1911 ( goldenrod ) its type specimen came from devil ' s lake , north dakota . ( it is now probably synonymized with another species . ) [ american midland naturalist 2 : 58 ]
moloch gray , 1841 ( thorny devil lizard ) named after a canaanite god as depicted by milton .
ninurta stanley et al . , 2011 ( blue - spotted girdled lizard ) ninurta was the sumerian and akkadian god of , among other things , rain and the south wind . the lizard ' s genus refers to its occurrence along the cool , moist south coast of south africa . [ mol . phylo . evo . 58 : 53 ]
stygimoloch galton & sues , 1983 ( pachycephalosaur ) from
styx
, for the hell creek formation ;
moloch
, after a canaanite god .
zu walters & fitch , 1960 ( ribbonfish ) zu was an lesser akkadian deity .
abydosaurus ( brachiosaur ) described from a fossilized skull and cervical vertebrae , it is named for the town abydos in egypt , where osiris ' s head and neck were buried .
ammonoidea ( ammonite , fossil cephalopod ) named after the egyptian god amun ( ammon ) , who was represented by a ram , because the shells resemble ram ' s horns - - in particular , the horn of ammon , the cornucopia from roman myth .
tasmaniosoma anubis mesibov 2015 ( millipede ) so named because the tip of the male genitalia resembles popular depictions of the jackal - headed god . [ zookeys 488 : 31 ]
kheper aegyptiorum latreille , 1827 ( dung beetle ) named after khepera , god of the rising sun ; the dung beetle is his emblem .
thalassodromeus sethi kellner & campos , 2002 ( cretaceous pterosaur ) named after the egyptian god seth because of the shape of its large crest . ( but probably the god amun , whose crown is a closer match , was intended . )
jobaria sereno et al , 1999 ( cretaceous sauropod ) from the niger republic ; named for
jobar
, a creature from tuareg mythology .
azhdarcho nessov , 1984 ( cretaceous uzbekistan pterosaur ) named for an uzbek dragon .
erlikosaurus perle , 1980 ( mongolian therizinosaur ) erlik is the siberian / mongolian god of the dead .
indricotherium ( oligo - miocene rhinoceros ) this , the largest terrestrial mammal , was named for indrik , the lord of the animals in russian folklore . ironically , indricotherium was hornless , while lord indrik was horned .
samrukia naish et al . , 2012 ( cretaceous pterosaur ) named after samruk , a kazakh mythical bird .
sordes sharov , 1971 ( jurassic kazakhstan pterosaur ) named for a russian demon .
apsaravis norell & clark , 2001 ( fossil bird ) ' apsara ' ( sanskrit ) , winged consorts prominent in buddhist and hindu art , plus ' avis ' ( gk ) , bird .
bramatherium falconer , 1845 ( miocene giraffid ) , vishnutherium ( fossil giraffid ) , sivatherium falconer & cautley , 1832 ( pleistocene giraffid ) named for the hindu gods brahma , vishnu , and shiva , the creator , sustainer , and destroyer . all these giraffids are from india .
citipati clark , norell & barsbold , 2001 ( oviraptor dinosaur ) citipati are funeral demons from buddhist tradition , often represented by two dancing skeletons , representing the impermanence of worldly things .
dibasterium durgae briggs et al . , 2012 ( fossil horseshoe crab ) named for the hindu goddess durga , who has many arms . ( the genus name refers to double limbs . ) [ pnas 109 : 15702 ]
garudimimus barsbold , 1981 ( theropod dinosaur )
garuda mimic
; garuda is the hindu prince of birds and national symbol of indonesia .
megalara garuda kimsey & ohl , 2012 ( wasp ) from sulawesi , indonesia . [ zookeys 177 : 49 ]
lakhsmia venusta ( thwaites ) veldk . , 2008 ( grass from sri lanka ) lakshmi is the hindu goddess of beauty , charm , prosperity , and other positive things . the specific epithet derives from the roman goddess of beauty , venus . [ rheedea 18 ]
protogryllus lakshmi pérez - de la fuente et al . , 2012 ( jurassic cricket ) here , lakshmi ' s influence over wealth and prosperity is the inspiration .
stegodon ganesa ( pliocene elephant ) named for ganesa , the elephant - headed hindu god of wisdom and art . it was the subject of the world ' s first postage stamp featuring a reconstructed prehistoric animal ( in india , jan . 1951 ) .
wathondara wang et al . , 2015 ( cretaceous scale insect ) named for an earth goddess of buddhist mythology . [ elife 4 : e05447 ]
yamaceratops makovicky & norell , 2006 ( mongolian ceratopsian dinosaur ) named for yama , a tibetan buddhist deity .
aorun choiniere et al . 2013 ( theropod dinosaur ) named for ao run , the dragon king of the west sea , from the mandarin epic journey to the west .
izanami galil & clark , 1994 ( matutine crab ) named for izanami , the primordial goddess in japanese shinto mythology .
mahakala turner et al . , 2007 named for one of eight protector deities of tibetan buddhism .
tara peckham & peckham , 1886 ( jumping spider ) named for the buddhist saviour - goddess , the feminine counterpart of the bodhisattva .
arkarua gehling , 1987 ( ediacaran echinoderm ) named after arkaru , a giant snake from the mythology of the adnajamathana people of the central flinders ranges .
kakuru molnar & pledge , 1980 ( theropod dinosaur )
rainbow serpent
from south australia . it is the only known dinosaur preserved as opal .
kiwa 2006 (
yeti crab
) named for the polynesian goddess of crustaceans .
mauisaurus hector 1874 ( plesiosaur from new zealand ) after maui , a demi - god of maori mythology .
obdurodon tharalkooschild pian et al . , 2013 ( miocene platypus ) the specific epithet comes from a myth from south australia ( from the dieyerie people ? ) in which a duck named tharalkoo is ravished by a water rat and gives birth to the platypus .
pseudionella akuaku boyko & williams , 2001 ( isopod ( crustacea : isopoda : bopyroidea ) parasitic on hermit crabs ) named after a polynesian spirit known to pinch children .
quinkana molnar , 1981 ( extinct crocodylian ) named after the quinkans , a legendary folk often depicted in australian rock art .
tangaroa lehtinen , 1967 ( tahitian uloborid spider ) named for the tahitian god of the sea .
taniwhasaurus hector 1874 ( mosasaur from new zealand ) a taniwha is a dragon - like giant lizard of maori myth .
tinirau swartz , 2012 ( devonian fish ) named for tinirau , a polynesian god , gaurdian of fish .
wonambi smith , 1976 ( extinct snake ) this giant snake takes its name from a south australian aboriginal name for the rainbow serpent .
woolungasaurus persson 1964 ( plesiosaur from australia ) after the woolunga , a reptile - like beast from aborigine mythology .
xevioso lehtinen , 1967 ( amaurobiid spider ) named for a west african god of storm .
yhi barnard & thomas , 1991 ( amphipod ) named for an australian ( specifically , karraur ) goddess of light and creation .
yurlunggur scanlon , 1992 ( middle miocene madtsoiid python ) named for the australian rainbow serpent yurlunggur .
alabagrus coatlicue , a . ixtilton , a . mixcoatl , and a . xolotl ( braconid wasps ) named for aztec deities .
aztlanolagus russell & harris , 1986 . ( aztlán rabbit , a pliocene / pleistocene lagomorph ) . aztlán is the legendary place of origin of the nahua peoples as recorded in the mythology of the aztecs and other nahua groups . some traditions place it in the border regions of the southwestern united states and adjacent northern mexico .
eurhopalothrix hunhau , e . mabuya , e . xibalba and e . zipacna longino , 2013 ( ants ) all names relate to the mayan underworld . xibalba is name of the mayan underworld . hunhau is a mayan death god and a lord of the underworld . zipacna is a crocodile - like demon , and mabuya another demon . [ zootaxa 3693 : 101 ]
mammillaria huitzilopochtli hunt , 1979 ( mexican cactus ) named for huitzilopochtli , an aztec war god .
tlaloc alvarez & carranza , 1951 ( central american killifish ) named for the aztec rain and fertility deity .
quetzalcoatlus northropi lawson , 1975 ( texas pterosaur ) named after an aztec god and an aircraft designer . the pterosaur was as large as an ultra - light plane .
aleiodes mannegishii fortier , 2009 ( braconid wasp )
refers to tricksters called the mannegishi , with large eyes , mythical ' little people ' described by the cree people .
aleiodes selu fortier , 2009 ( braconid wasp )
refers to the cherokee corn woman , selu , and refers to the bright yellow - orange coloration of the female .
[ zootaxa 2256 ]
anhanguera campos & kellner , 1985 ( brazilian pterosaur ) named for a tupian spirit .
atopophlebia pitculya flowers , 2012 ( mayfly ) named for a mythical being which the cayapas of ecuador say lives in streams and decorates its body with yellow dye . the mayfly is yellow . [ zootaxa 3478 : 15 ]
brontotherium marsh ( oligocene ungulate ) named for the sioux mythical
thunder beast
( albeit in greek , not siouxan ) associated with the big fossils exposed by thunderstorms in the dakota badlands .
hoplias curupira oyakawa & mattox , 2009 ( wolf fish ) named after the curupira , a mischievous creature of brazilian folklore that protects the forest ; it appears as a small child with its feet turned backwards , making it difficult to follow its tracks . the fish was so named because it took almost 18 years to gather enough material for the description . [ neotrop . ichthyol . 7 : 128 ]
kelenken guillermoi bertelli et al . , 2007 ( phorusrhacid ) an extinct giant flightless carnivorous bird named after a ' fearsome spirit of the tehuelche tribe . . . represented as [ a ] giant bird of prey ' [ j . vert . paleontol . 27 : 409 ]
kokopellia cifelli , 1993 ( cretaceous mammal ) named for kokopelli , flute - playing god of the anasazi . [ pnas 90 : 9413 ]
mapinguari wiedemann , 1828 ( gigantic mydid flies ) named for an ogre of amazonian indian folklore . only three specimens are known .
sacisaurus ferigolo & langer , 2006 ( ornithischian dinosaur ) named for saci , a one - legged elf from brazilian folklore , because the fossil was missing a leg .
seitaad ( sauropodomorph dinosaur ) named for a mythological navajo beast that swallowed its prey in sand dunes , alluding to the own creature ' s death .
siats zanno & makovicky , 2013 ( theropod dinosaur ) this giant cretaceous predator discovered in utah is named after the siats ( pronounced
see - atch
) , a voracious monster of ute legend .
tapejara kellner , 1990 ( brazilian pterosaur )
the old being
from tupi mythology .
tupilakosaurus nielsen , 1954 ( fossil amphibian ) named after an inuit water spirit .
tupuxuara kellner & campos , 1989 ( pterosaur from brazil ) named for a tupian
familiar spirit
.
yawunik kootenayi aria et al . , 2015 ( cambrian predatory arthropod ) named after yawuˀnik , a sea monster from the ktunaxa ( kootenay ) creation myth , which caused such disturbance that the other animals hunted and destroyed him .
zupaysaurus arcucci & coria , 2003 ( triassic theropod ) supay ( aka zupay ) was the incan god of death and ruler of the underworld .
< < - home - - rules - - etymology - - puns - - wordplay - - gene names - - misc . - - references - - feedback - > >
latin , mirus = wonderful + latin , pinna = thorn ( ref . 45335 )
eastern atlantic : one specimen caught north of azores island ( 47°20 ' n , 22°30 ' w ) .
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 5 . 5 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 557 )
pelagic ( ref . 51024 ) . only known specimen was caught near the surface . feeds on copepods ( ref . 6713 ) .
wheeler , a . , 1977 . das grosse buch der fische . eugen ulmer gmbh & co . stuttgart . 356 p . ( ref . 557 )
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 1 . 0000 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 00389 ( 0 . 00180 - 0 . 00842 ) , b = 3 . 12 ( 2 . 94 - 3 . 30 ) , in cm total length , based on all lwr estimates for this body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 0 ±0 . 00 se ; based on food items .
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : high , minimum population doubling time less than 15 months ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 10 of 100 ) .
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romero , p . , 2002 . an etymological dictionary of taxonomy . madrid , unpublished .
this dictonary resides in a database and will eventually be published . etymology of names was made available to fishbase in spreadsheets . see in rms as 45335 _ romero . xls which is in spanish .
pelagic ( ref . 51024 ) . only known specimen was caught near the surface . feeds on copepods ( ref . 6713 ) .
5 . 5 cm tl ( male / unsexed ; ( ref . 557 ) )
grows to a length of 5 . 5 centimetres ( 2 . 2 in )
. little is known of the fish beyond its appearance . wheeler ( 1977 ) states that only one specimen was caught , near the sea surface , and that it was a
the generic name is from the latin ' mirus ' ( wonderful ) , ' pinna ' ( thorn ) , for the unusual fins possessed by this fish .
wheeler , a . ( 1977 ) . das grosse buch der fische . stuttgart : eugen ulmer . pp . 356 pp .
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bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 00389 ( 0 . 00180 - 0 . 00842 ) , b = 3 . 12 ( 2 . 94 - 3 . 30 ) , in cm total length , based on all lwr estimates for this body shape ( ref .
) : 3 . 0 ±0 . 00 se ; based on food items .
) : high , minimum population doubling time less than 15 months ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
d 16 ; a 14 ; p 13 ; v 8 ; other characters : see family .
: only one known specimen caught north of the azores ( 47° 20 ' n , 22° 30 ' w ) . ( re - examination by author of a specimen from the pacific , referred to as this
bertelsen , e . ; marshall , n . b . 1956 . the miripinnati , a new order of teleost fishes . dana rep . , ( 42 ) : 1 - 34 , 15 fig . , i pl .
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zoologist , media consultant , and science writer , dr karl shuker is also one of the best known cryptozoologists in the world . author of such seminal works as
his many fans have been badgering him to join the blogosphere for years . the cfz blog network is proud to have finally persuaded him to do so .
, the hairy fish , whose controversial , highly unexpected zoological identity has only recently been exposed . here is its fascinating history - excerpted from my soon - to - be - published latest book ,
the year 1956 saw the description of a 2 . 5 - in - long hump - backed fish so grotesque in appearance that it required a wholly new family to accommodate it . caught many years earlier ( in june 1911 ) at the surface of the mid - atlantic about 550 miles north of the azores , this extraordinary fish seemed to be covered in hair ! closer examination , however , disclosed that its ' fur ' was really a mass of living body outgrowths ( hair , conversely , is composed of dead cells ) containing secretory cells . their function is unknown , though they may produce distasteful compounds to deter would - be predators .
if you ' d like to assist me in my ongoing crypto - investigations , even the smallest donation would be immensely appreciated . all donations are non - profit - making , going exclusively towards the updating / maintenance of my crypto - archives ' source material and other necessities that enable me to continue researching and blogging my findings right here for you on shukernature . thank you so much for your help ! - karl
“and hast thou slain the peryton ? ” - an antlered a . . .
the mermaid of haraldskaer ' s skeleton , exhibited at the danish national museum , copenhagen , in 2012 ( © danish national museum . . .
computer - generated mock - up of a black puma ( dr karl shuker ) in all the time that i have been researching and documenting creatures of cryp . . .
contemporary picture postcard depicting the infamous hexham ( allendale ) wolf , from my personal collection ( © dr karl shuker ) whe . . .
photoshopped black lion # 1 ( tumblr . com ) in recent weeks , two very stunning black lion photographs have been circulating online . one of th . . .
the iconic photograph of a . l . butts holding up a supposed giant grasshopper that he had allegedly shot dead in his apple orchard duri . . .
artistic impression of a megalodon encounter ( © william m . rebsamen ) it was only ever going to be a matter of time before shuker . . .
a full - scale animatronic yeti ( dr karl shuker ) i’m always pleased to receive an update of an ostensibly long - forgotten cryptozoologic . . .
a genuine photograph of the green anaconda eunectes murinus – the largest and most familiar of the four species of anaconda currentl . . .
john g . keulemans ' s painting of the purple macaw in lord walter rothschild ' s extinct birds ( 1907 ) famed for their gaudy plumage , . . .
over the years , certain online photos of bizarre but allegedly real entities have surfaced and resurfaced with monotonous regularity , i . . .
in accordance with title 17 usc section 107 , any copyright material on display here is under fair use without any claim of ownership or any profit accrued by the display . the material herein is for non - profit educational or criticism puposes only . notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106a , the fair use of a copyrighted work including reproduction and distribution of said material as specified in that section , for purposes of education , news reporting , commentary or criticism , scholarship or research , to persons who have expressed a prior interest in receiving such material for such purposes , is not an infringement . also : unless stated otherwise , all illustrations in shukernature blog articles that are credited to a named copyright owner plus wikipedia have been made available by the copyright owner and wikipedia for third - person use under the conditions of the creative commons licence . should any copyright holder of any of the illustrations included on shukernature not wish those illustrations to be included here , please contact me and i shall of course remove them .
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to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
special publication of the center for biodiversity research and information , no . 1 , vol 1 - 3
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
wheeler , a . , 1977 . das grosse buch der fische . eugen ulmer gmbh & co . stuttgart . 356 p .
hureau , j . - c . and t . monod ( eds . ) , 1979 . supplement . check - list of the fishes of the north - eastern atlantic and of the mediterranean . p . 339 - 394 . in j . - c . hureau and th . monod ( eds . ) check - list of the fishes of the north - eastern atlantic and of the mediterranean . united nations educational scientific and cultural organization ( unesco ) , paris , france . vols 1 - 2 . 683 p .
paxton , j . , 1979 . mirapinnidae . p . 212 . in j . c . hureau and th . monod ( eds . ) check - list of the fishes of the north - eastern atlantic and of the mediterranean ( clofnam ) . unesco , paris . vol . 1 .
pihu , e . , 1979 . loomade elu 4 . köide . kalad pihu , e . 1979 . loomade elu , 4 . köide , kalad . valgus , tallinn .
asih , american society of ichthyologists and herpetologists , 1984 . ontogeny and systematics of fishes . based on an international symposium dedicated to the memory of elbert halvor ahlstrom , 15 - 18 august 1983 , la jolla , california . spec . publ . am . soc . ichthyol . herpetol . 1 : ix , 760 p .
nelson , j . s . , 1984 . fishes of the world . 2nd edition . john wiley & sons , inc . , new york . 523 p .
bertelsen , e . , 1986 . mirapinnidae . p . 521 . in p . j . p . whitehead , m . - l . bauchot , j . - c . hureau , j . nielsen and e . tortonese ( eds . ) fishes of the north - eastern atlantic and the mediterranean . volume 2 . unesco , paris .
wu , h . l . , k . - t . shao and c . f . lai ( eds . ) , 1999 . latin - chinese dictionary of fishes names . the sueichan press , taiwan . 1028 p .
chinese academy of fishery sciences , 2003 . chinese aquatic germplasm resources database . urltoken
chinese academy of fishery science ( cafs ) , 2007 . database of genetic resources of aquatic organisms in china ( as of january 2007 ) . chinese academy of fishery science .
fao - fies , 2008 . aquatic sciences and fisheries information system ( asfis ) species list . retrieved from urltoken 29 april 2008 .
fao - fies , 2010 . aquatic sciences and fisheries information system ( asfis ) species list . retrieved from urltoken march 2010 .
fao - fies , 2012 . aquatic sciences and fisheries information system ( asfis ) species list . retrieved from urltoken march 2012 .
fao - fies , 2014 . aquatic sciences and fisheries information system ( asfis ) species list . retrieved from urltoken april 2014 .
fao - fies , 2015 . aquatic sciences and fisheries information system ( asfis ) species list . retrieved from urltoken [ accessed 13 / 04 / 2015 ] .
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g . david johnson , 1 , * john r . paxton , 2 tracey t . sutton , 3 takashi p . satoh , 4 tetsuya sado , 5 mutsumi nishida , 4 and masaki miya 5
received 2008 dec 2 ; revised 2009 jan 4 ; accepted 2009 jan 5 .
this is an open - access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution license , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original work is properly cited .
new specimens from collecting expeditions continue to provide insights into the many mysteries of the earth ' s largest ecological habitat , the midwaters of the deep sea between the sunlit surface waters and the bottom . the cetomimidae ( whalefishes ) , one of the most speciose bathypelagic fish families ( nine genera , 20 species ) , were described by
) . the hairyfish , known from a single specimen , is uniquely characterized by a dense covering of hair - like outgrowths over the head , body and fins . tapetails have the skin of the caudal fin prolonged into a long ribbon - like streamer that may extend nine times the body length . all 120 mirapinnid specimens ( 5–56 mm ) are sexually immature , and all but four were collected in the upper 200 m . the megalomycteridae ( bignose fishes ) , described by
, comprise four monotypic genera . these small ( 34–68 mm ) , elongate fishes have huge nasal organs , small , horizontal mouths with immobile upper jaws , non - overlapping , mosaic scales and lack pelvic fins (
life stages and selected skeletal elements of cetomimid whalefishes . ( a ) eutaeniophorus festivus postlarva , bsku 51970 , 56 mm sl , approximately 816 mm tl , photo courtesy of masanori nakamachi , ‘sea fishes of japan’ © yama - kei publishers co . , ltd . p . brevis ? : ( b ) postlarva , cozumel , mexico , photo courtesy of donald hughes ; ( c ) postlarva , kpm ni13654 : ( i ) photo courtesy of yasuhiro morita , ( ii ) photo courtesy of sandra raredon , usnm ; ( d ) larva , mcz 59910 , 13 mm sl , photo courtesy of chris kenaley , © president and fellows of harvard college ; ( e ) ataxolepis apus adult male , usnm 391648 : ( i ) dorsal view of nasal organs , ( ii ) lateral view of viscera , enlarged liver on left , enlarged testes dorsal and ventral right , intestine middle right . ( f ) gyrinomimus sp . , juvenile female , ne pacific , photo courtesy of bruce robison , mbari . ( g ( i ) , h ( i ) , i ( i ) ) cranium and anterior vertebrae , and ( g ( ii ) , h ( ii ) , i ( ii ) ) left jaws , palatine arch , suspensorium and operclular bones of ( g ) e . festivus postlarva , usnm 391655 , 60 mm sl , ( h ) a . apus adult male , usnm 391649 , 58 mm sl and ( i ) c . regani female , usnm 391657 , 93 mm sl , respectively . blue ‘ovals’ enclose maxillae , premaxillae and rostral cartilage , which , in ( h ( ii ) ) are fused to each other and to broken nasals . ( g – i ) photo courtesy of g . d . j .
excellent new gulf of mexico megalomycterid specimens with closing - net data that placed them together with the cetomimids at 1500–2000 m depth led us to re - examine the problem . we discovered that the holotype and only known specimen of the megalomycterid
is actually a transforming mirapinnid , as evidenced by the remains of three small pelvic - fin rays , a slightly oblique mouth , a gut full of copepods and still - developing nasal organ anlagen . subsequently , we found that the holotype of
) , one of the few mirapinnids collected at depths greater than 200 m , is in a similar , but earlier , state of transition . the identity of mirapinnids as larval megalomycterids was thus established . fortuitously , a transforming specimen of the cetomimid long - finned whalefish
( a ) ml tree derived from analyses of whole mitogenome sequences from 15 specimens using raxml v . 7 . 0 . 4 . numerals beside internal branches indicate bootstrap values ( only 50 % and above are shown ) based on 1000 replicates . scale indicates expected number of substitutions per site ; red asterisks , larvae ; blue asterisk , male . long - finned whalefish c . regani zugmayer , 1914 : ( b ) usnm 391563 ; ( c ) mcz 60609 ( inset , enlarged nasal organ ) ; ( d ) bmnh 1957 . 7 . 20 . 1 . 00 , holotype of p . gulosus ( inset , elongate nasal rachis ) ; ( e ) usnm 392646 ; ( f ) usnm 391656 . photo courtesy of s . raredon and g . d . j .
clearing and staining procedure follows dingerkus & uhler ( 1977 ) . collection acronyms follow eschmeyer ( 1998 ) . sl = standard length ; tl = total length .
unambiguously aligned mitogenome sequences from 15 specimens were divided into five partitions ( first , second and third codon positions of the 13 protein - coding , rrna and trna genes ; total = 15 886 positions ) and subjected to the partitioned maximum - likelihood ( ml ) analysis using raxml v . 7 . 0 . 4 ( stamatakis 2006 ) . we estimated the best - scoring ml tree using a general time reversible ( gtr ) + gamma model of sequence evolution with 1000 bootstrap replicates . the resulting ml tree was then used as a backbone constraint ( − r option in raxml ) for subsequent ml analysis using unambiguously aligned , partial sequences of the 16s rrna gene from all 36 specimens . we similarly estimated the best - scoring ml tree using a gtr + gamma model of sequence evolution with 1000 bootstrap replicates . more details of the dna methods are in the electronic supplementary material .
we identified three specimens in transition from larval / juvenile stage to adult . the 41 . 7 mm
) collected in a closing net between 700–1400 m is an early transforming specimen with a full complement of 10 pelvic - fin rays , moderately long jaws and a gut full of copepods . although the nasal organ is incompletely developed , the elongate , thickened median rachis (
inset ) indicates that the individual would have developed into a male . the 34 mm holotype of
described above was caught in an open net fished to a depth of 1650 m . histology of the gonad reveals good spermatogenic tissue with pre - spermatids ( h . g . moser 2006 , personal communication ) .
illustrate the amazing ontogenetic transformations that result in extraordinary sexual dimorphism . these transformations include major changes in jaw length , depth and angle , and concomitant radical modifications of the suspensorium and angle of attachment of the skull to the vertebral column (
) . females develop taxon - specific gill arch structure and males exhibit hyperossification of most bones . of the latter , most remarkable are fusion of the first vertebra to the occiput and of the hypertrophied nasal , lacrimal and upper jawbones (
= 6 ) visible externally in life as a swollen orange bulge . this bolus of copepods must provide the nutrition required to generate the large liver that sustains the male through the rest of its life . this is unnecessary in females that continue to feed and may reach more than 40 cm . the transforming female
) , both with copepod - gorged guts , lost their streamers during capture . the most striking streamer is that of
) . one can only speculate regarding the possible advantages and disadvantages of this remarkable appendage in feeding versus predator avoidance . videos of live female whalefish show that their locomotion involves both rapid swimming with sinusoidal body waves and slow swimming with undulations of dorsal and anal fins ( see video a in the electronic supplementary material ) .
) from one male specimen , three larvae representing two species and six species of females in five genera . the linking of larval
is confirmed , with an ml tree based on 16s rrna analyses ( see figure s1 in the esm ) including two larvae and nine females of this species . larval
. further analyses combining morphologic and genetic data are planned , while tissues from additional genera and larvae are needed . with the synonymy of the three families confirmed , the next challenge is to link the three life stages of each species . meristic data establish
although remarkable ontogenetic transformations occur in a few other deep - sea fish families ( e . g . giganturidae ) , and prominent sexual dimorphism is widespread among vertebrates , the extraordinary combination of both that we have documented here for the whalefishes is unparalleled within vertebrata .
research carried out in this study followed animal care and use guidelines provided by the smithsonian institution .
sincere thanks to the following for providing significant specimens , tissue and / or data : k . hartel , a . williston ( mcz ) , e . wiley , a . bentley ( ku ) , b . cowen ( rsmas ) , i . byrkjedal ( zmub ) , n . merrett , j . badcock , j . maclaine ( ios / bmnh ) , e . bertelsen † , and p . møller ( zmuc ) ; images : b . robison ( mbari ) , d . hughes , y . morita and m . nakamachi . numerous others who have helped in many ways are listed in the electronic supplementary material .
bertelsen e . , marshall n . b . the mirapinnati , a new order of fishes .
dingerkus g . , uhler l . d . enzyme clearing of alcian blue stained whole small vertebrates for demonstration of cartilage .
california academy of sciences ; san francisco , ca : 1998 . catalog of fishes .
goode g . b . , bean t . h . on cetomimidae and rondeletiidae , two new families of bathybial fishes from the northwestern atlantic .
gosline w . a . university press hawaii ; honolulu , hi : 1971 . functional morphology and classification of teleostean fishes .
( teleostei : stomiiformes ) : first example of transfer rna gene rearrangements in bony fishes .
miya m . , et al . major patterns of higher teleostean phylogenies : a new perspective based on 100 complete mitochondrial dna sequences .
myers g . s . , freihofer w . c . megalomycteridae , a previously unrecognized family of deep - sea cetomimiform fishes based on two new genera from the north atlantic .
paxton j . r . synopsis of the whalefishes ( family cetomimidae ) with descriptions of four new genera .
paxton , j . r . 1999 family megalomycteridae , bignose fishes . in the living marine resources of the western central pacific ( eds k . e . carpenter & v . h . niem ) . rome , italy : fao .
paxton j . r . , johnson g . d . cetomimidae : whalefishes ; mirapinnidae : tapetails & hairyfish ; megalomycteridae : bignose fishes . in : richards w . j . , editor .
robins c . r . review : fishes of the western north atlantic . part 6 .
stamatakis a . raxml - vi - hpc : maximum likelihood - based phylogenetic analyses with thousands of taxa and mixed models .
walking rocks ? query : when i was in death valley earlier this year , i saw some enormous 750 - pound rocks that appear to travel across the desert on their own . i remembered your article about rock tortoises , and wondered if that’s what these rocks could be ?
corn of plenty ( part 4 of 4 ) : a field guide by dr . midas welby corns of the air : air - corns utilize their horns for jousting , playing tic - tac - toe , and spearing food in mid - flight . air - corns often lurk undetected in trees , wood piles , and rain gutters . when bored , they use their horns to ring the doorbells of unsuspecting humans . when the door begins to open , the air - corn flies away .
going on hiatus december 6 , 2014 : i am loving college , but i have to admit , i’m overwhelmed .
pine cone feeders a present for imaginaries : when winter comes , i get concerned about providing extra shelter from the elements for imaginaries . recently , i read about people who build wildlife brush shelters out of branches and plants in their yards , and thought this was a great idea .
range : small , widely - scattered populations in ocean , lake , and river waters in iceland , ontario , montana , maine , and the azores .
physical description : the most accurate description comes from a single hairyfish caught off the azores in the eastern atlantic in 1911 . covered in hair - like outgrowths , the fish had large fins near its throat that stuck up like wings , and the tail fin was divided into two overlapping parts . this particular hairyfish was dark brown and about 2 . 5 inches long , although a fish sighted in iceland in 1855 was reddish in color , and a hairyfish sighted in maine was reputed to be as large as a man’s foot .
characteristics : a great deal of folklore has grown up around the hairyfish , but no reliable information on the habits or behavior of this imaginary is known . as hairyfish have been reported in both fresh and salt water , it is possible that the presence of hair or fur on a fish is an adaptation , much like guyuscosity , rather than characteristic of a unique species of fish . all that we know about the habits of the hairyfish is that the one from the azores ate plankton .