Strange animal pics

Thunderbird · #**121** (**permalink**) 07-21-2008

Strange Fish Walking On Seabed - Video

Quote:

The tiny spotted handfish, is one of Tasmania's most critically endangered marine fishes.
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is calling for immediate action to preserve one of the most unusual marine creatures found off the coast of Tasmania.

The spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) is a small and slow-moving fish species that uses its pectoral and pelvic fins to Ã¢â‚¬ËœwalkÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ rather than to swim. The species is endemic to the lower Derwent Estuary and its bays and channels, meaning that its is found nowhere else in the world. It occurs in only three small colonies of less than 200 adult fish each.

mynah · #**122** (**permalink**) 07-22-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeztar

Do you have a link to a cladogram?

The entire clade is known as the Afrotheria, and is more or less completely accepted - though I'm not sure that the exact placement of some groups have been fully resolved. All groups are shown.

Thunderbird · #**123** (**permalink**) 07-22-2008

Thunderbird · #**124** (**permalink**) 07-22-2008

Thunderbird · #**125** (**permalink**) 07-23-2008

MOTTLED SCULPIN

This fish above was the inspiration for my Moss agate carving below, the stone however had its own internal view on what this fish would ultimately look like. I actually ended up with a fish that does not exist in nature.

Ichthyic agatius ?

freeztar · #**126** (**permalink**) 07-23-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by mynah

The entire clade is known as the Afrotheria, and is more or less completely accepted - though I'm not sure that the exact placement of some groups have been fully resolved. All groups are shown.

Thanks Mynah!

Ironically, I just spent about 20 minutes trying to find a good cladogram before I saw this post. I did come across the Afrotheria name and found this great site which you might want to check out. It has lots of info as well as references to journal articles. According to that page, you are correct in stating that the groups have not been fully resolved (the info there is two years old though).