13 Days of Halloween: Animals Named After Famous Monsters
Filed under: Discovery,News & Resources
(Excerpt from Discovery News / by Amy Enchelmeyer) — Legend, lore, mythology — whatever you choose to call it — has left us with a world rich in fabled monsters. So it’s no surprise that when we recognize these monsters in real animals, we name them accordingly.
The Dracula Fish
The Dracula Fish (Photo courtesy of NHM, Getty Images)
Less than an inch long, the Dracula fish, Danionella dracula, was discovered in a single Burmese stream by researchers from London’s Natural History Museum, according to the BBC. The fish’s fangs, which bear a striking resemblence to the famous count’s, are not true teeth, but protruding bone. And, perhaps surprisingly, given their name, these bones are not used for sucking blood. Researchers have observed male Dracula fish using them to spar — without drawing blood.
The Yeti Crab
The Yeti Crab (AP Photo/Ifremer, A. Fifis, AP Photo)
The Yeti crab, Kiwa hirsuta, was discovered in 2005 in the deep darkness of the South Pacific, during a Marine Life Census survey. Its “fuzzy” appearance led to its name — after the mythical monster, also known to us as Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, and, of course, the Yeti. The “fuzzyness” is really setae, which may help the animal catch prey.
The Frankenfish
The Frankenfish (Credit: AquaBounty, AP Photo)
Not a recognized species unto itself, the Frankenfish is actually the nickname for genetically modified salmon — and the cause of much recent controversy. The fish is actually named AquAdvantage and is the product of a company called AquaBounty, which combined a gene from the ocean pout with traditional salmon. The result is a salmon that grows nearly twice as fast as nature’s counterpart. The Food and Drug Administration has concluded that the new salmon is safe to eat and safe for the environment. Frankenfish may be served on a dinner table near you sometime soon!
