mc_squared Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Is this the ugliest creature beneath the waves? Say hello to the plump pink sea pig By Gavin Allen Last updated at 4:03 PM on 22nd September 2010 Add to My Stories Depending on your point of view, this alien-looking entity might resemble a potato that's been left in the cupboard too long and sprouted shoots. You could mistake it for a fat slug with legs. You might even think it's cute. But these fascinating creatures are sea pigs, and they lives 1,000 metres down on the deep sea bed. Oink! Sea pigs are usually found in groups of 300 to 600 on ocean floors all over the world The bizarre looking life forms are scotoplanes, but earned their nicknames because of their little legs and plump, pinkish appearance. However, the 'legs', arranged in a circular row around the its base, are actually elongated feet which are used to push food into their mouths. Sea pigs feed on organic particles which they extract from deep sea mud and studies have shown a particular taste for food that has freshly fallen from the ocean's surface. That's handy: Sea pigs are big enough to hold in the open palm of your hand At home: Sea pigs grow into a weird and wonderful variety of shapes on the sea bed And what might appear to be antennae on the front of the head are also actually feet, which help them tread water in the oceans of the world. About the right size to hold in the open palm of your hand, sea pigs are classed as Holothurians from a division of creatures called Echinodermata, popularly known as sea cucumbers. Upturned: From underneath you can see how sea pigs use a row of feet to push food into their mouths They live alongside starfish, coral, clams, sponges and sea urchins and thrive best on the abyssal plains of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Scientists from the New Zealand’s National Institute Of Water And Atmospheric Pressure (NIWA) collected 30,000 deep sea animals including the sea pigs during a marine census of southern Antarctica. Sea pigs abound in most parts of the world but not in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean or eastern part of Pacific Ocean, or in central and South America. They come in a variety of shapes but all have a thin exoskeleton - a sort of natural armour - just beneath the skin. They behave like slugs do above sea level and while they may look exotic and rare they are not an endangered species. On the contrary, sea pigs reproduce freely and form the majority of deep sea marine population. They are often found in huge numbers with early collections yielding 300 to 600 per trawl. However, trawling is the main threat to the creatures and, being a substantial part of the nutrition of deep sea predators, that represents a serious threat to deep sea life. If anyone feels sympathy for the put-upon sea pig, these less than beautiful creatures, then you'll be pleased to know they are not considered a threat to humans. But if you want one as a pet you'll need a pretty deep fishbowl. What a set of pins: Sea pigs' feet can look like legs because they grow to such varying lengths Rulers of the deep sea: This little piggy measures around 12cm Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314184/Sea-pigs-The-ugliest-creature-beneath-waves.html#ixzz10HCnXSLB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ainsley Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Oh my gosh, it's so cute :cheesy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Oh my gosh, it's so cute :cheesy: :stunned: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyan Kat Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Sea Piggy :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Oh my gosh, it's so cute :cheesy: Was about to say that! :cheesy: So squishy and awkward looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianaRM Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 I would tickle that belly at the 4th pic! :laugh3: just to see what would happen :wacky: but seriously, no it's not cute.... :confused: ok... kinda! :heart: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aniskywalker Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 It's not cute but a creature, so it's okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumbersGirl Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 It kind of looks like those toys that were in cereal boxes when I was a kid. You throw them on the wall, they'd stick, and then they would kind of "crawl" down the wall. Of course they'd quickly get all dirty and linty, so they wouldn't stick after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViVA Child Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 i want a seahorse and a sea pig and a chicken of the sea and then i will have a sea farm. :smug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianaRM Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 i want a seahorse and a sea pig and a chicken of the sea and then i will have a sea farm. :smug: that would be a new facebook game: Farmville Sea version :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViVA Child Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Ew nooo farmville needs to die People keep sending me invites and im like "NO!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianaRM Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 I just gave up on facebook... simple :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViVA Child Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 I just treat facebook updates like a stream of conscious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyan Kat Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 They would look so Cool on Doctor Who :blush: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianaRM Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 They would look so Cool on Doctor Who :blush: at least they would look REAL... :wacky: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.McFly Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 I seriously don't know if those creatures are cute or disgusting :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted September 23, 2010 Author Share Posted September 23, 2010 Wonder how they taste..................................... :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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