Sea Monkey Facts
The sea monkeys that are often advertised in the back of comic books and children's magazines depict undersea humanoids with smiling faces, hands and fins, and a long tail. Their fun-loving postures and bright eyes seem to hint at intelligence. Unfortunately, the reality of these tiny creatures is different from this depiction.
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Basics
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Sea monkeys are a unique species of brine shrimp (Artemia salina) that are packaged and sold under the brand name Sea-Monkeys.
Buying
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A variety of sea monkey kits can be bought for between $3 and $23, and include the eggs, food, water treatment and droppers for handling the creatures.
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Description
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Sea monkeys have three eyes, 11 pairs of legs and a tail, but no hands, feet or cute smiles. The male boasts two reproductive organs.
Gender
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The male has two large antennas and the female has one small antenna and a large egg sack.
Reproduction
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The female can produce 50 to 200 cysts (eggs) every five days. The offspring reach sexual maturity in 12 days if the environmental temperature is 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cryptobiosis
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Commercial Sea-Monkey eggs go through a state of cryptobiosis, a type of suspended animation, and are brought to life with the addition of water.
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References
- Photo Credit Erik Charlton/Flickr.com
