inverts Archives | Earth Life

Cephalopods

Gordon Ramel — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 07:28:17 +0000

Cephalopods (Cephalopoda) Cephalopods are a remarkable class of marine invertebrates, including octopuses, squid, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. Ranging from shallow tropical waters to cold ocean depths, over 800 extant species exist worldwide. Cephalopods are characterized by prominent heads, beak-like jaws, and arms or tentacles used for grasping prey. They evolved from shelled ancestors, but most living …

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Velvet Worm Life Cycle

Katarina Samurovic — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 21:53:43 +0000

Velvet worms are intriguing – bizarre even – in many ways. Onycophorans are surprisingly skillful hunters. They are the only invertebrates that can shoot slime as a weapon. Their skin is velvety and waterproof, and despite being called “worms,” they move more like millipedes on their chubby legs with tiny claws. Some species are social …

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Are Velvet Worms Rare?

Katarina Samurovic — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 21:47:38 +0000

Velvet Worms are curious and evasive invertebrate critters. Scientifically speaking, they belong to a unique phylum called Onychophora, consisting only of velvet worm species. Despite their name and looks, Velvet Worms are neither worms, insects, centipedes, or slugs. They’re not even arthropods – although the two groups are related. Their closest of kin seem to …

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Are Velvet Worms Dangerous?

Katarina Samurovic — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 21:39:02 +0000

Velvet worms have a gentle name and disposition – moving tenderly on their chubby legs and carefully examining the world with their rounded, smooth antennae. Yep, Onychophorans seem like toy-like creatures – until you see them in action. Are Velvet Worms Dangerous? Although their common name is related to their soft texture, the Latin name …

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What Eats Velvet Worms?

Katarina Samurovic — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 21:33:38 +0000

As cruel as it sounds, the saying “eat or be eaten” is established in the animal world. However, eating doesn’t precisely prevent you from being eaten – most of the world’s predators, no matter how powerful or skillful, can end up becoming prey themselves. The same is true for velvet worms – all 230 known …

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How Does the Velvet Worm Catch Its Prey

Katarina Samurovic — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 21:24:29 +0000

Velvet worms are tropical invertebrates that look like a mix of a caterpillar, a centipede, and a slug – although they are not directly related to any of these creatures. Besides their strange origins and looks, the way Velvet Worms catch their prey is also stunning – and one of their most attractive traits. In …

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Squid Anatomy

Gordon Ramel — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:34:27 +0000

Squid Anatomy In Detail Squid are cephalopods, and as such, they possess the same anatomical base as other cephalopods, including a syphon, a beak, and a pair of large digestive glands. Beyond this, they are also Coleoids, which means they share characteristics with Octopuses and particularly with Cuttlefish that they do not share with their …

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Octopuses: Geniuses of the Invertebrate World

Gordon Ramel — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 08:56:16 +0000

Octopuses are, hmmm well how can I put this? Octopuses are amazing, incredible, magnificent, wonderful, fascinating, in many ways unique and mind-blowingly intelligent. They are also cephalopods, and within that coleoid cephalopods. Cephalopod Genetics – Californian two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) – first to have genome sequenced – expanded genes for neuron development. The only truly …

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Jellyfish survive (& thrive) without a brain or heart

Mattea Pauc — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 09:00:43 +0000

Jellyfish survive (& thrive) without a brain or heart – here’s how! Jellyfish. An ancient, sea dwelling, ‘stinging machine’ located in the majority of the worlds waters, in infinite numbers, have no brain or heart to keep them alive…true or false? TRUE! Jellyfish have no brains but don’t worry, we’ll explain all about their unbelievable …

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Squid: The Ocean’s Fast and Furious

Gordon Ramel — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 14:55:58 +0000

Squid are fast, diverse, colourful, dynamic, intelligent and delicious. According to the Catalogue of life there 298 species of squid, divided between three the orders known to science. Squid are far more numerous in our oceans than their other cephalopod cousins. Some squid are so common they support immense fisheries, half a million tonnes of …

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