Sea Monkeys

Sea monkeys are amazing invertebrate creature that lives in saltwater. These sea creatures are named brine shrimp. They became a famous type of pet in 1957 when Harold von Braunhut became interested in them. He thought they were a great way for kids to learn about nature.

 

Sea Monkeys and Cryptobiosis

Sea monkeys have an amazing trait. They can live in suspended animation for up to two years. That means when the saltwater they live in evaporates or dries up, they continue to live. They survive because they have an outer casing that protects them. This ability to live in suspended animation is called cryptobiosis. The eggs hatch immediately when they are put into the water again.

 

Amazing Sea Monkeys

Sea Monkeys have other interesting features as well. First, they breathe through their feet! Another wild thing about sea monkey bodies is that they are born with just one eye. As they develop, they grow two more eyes. Baby sea monkeys are only about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.

 

Male and Female Sea Monkeys

Male sea monkeys and female sea monkeys may be tiny but they aren’t the same. If you look closely you will notice that male sea monkeys have whiskers under their chin while female sea monkeys do not. You might also see two male sea monkeys fighting with each other over a lady sea monkey. A lady sea monkey will develop a pouch when she is pregnant.

They also don't have kidneys in their stomach like humans.  Their kidneys are in their head.

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They also can give birth to live babies and lay eggs.

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These adaptations help them to survive in their harsh environments.

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