Buzzstuff: My friends, the cliones.

November 29, 2004

My friends, the cliones.

Ok, I really have no reason to post this picture, I just thought it was an awesome shot. So to make the post at least educational I looked these little buggers up.

They are called cliones and they are really really little, about 3 to 8 cm long. They are, obviously, shell-less pteropods. I mean, who didn't know that? Pshaw! And, as if I had to tell you this, they have three pairs of feeding structures known as buccal cones, which are normally retracted. Clearly.

These little dudes feed almost exclusively on the small thecosome pteropod, Limacina, which I'm sure you already knew, and they are in the Class Gastropoda / Subclass Opisthobranchia / Order Gymnosomata / Family Clionidae.

Yeah, I barely have any idea what I just said, but damn, these little fellas are cute. Heh.

Posted by Buzz at November 29, 2004 12:38 PM

Comments

As long as the little darlings don't drink my beer we're gonna get along just fine.

Posted by: Kathy Howe at November 29, 2004 12:54 PM

That was Science for $1000, wasn't it?

Posted by: lucy at November 29, 2004 01:08 PM

I don't like the looks of 'em. I'm getting my "bug slapper" ready...

Posted by: MJ at November 29, 2004 02:09 PM

Damn, them little fellers is cuter than Sea-Monkeys!

Posted by: Steve at November 29, 2004 02:21 PM

I thought they was two burnin balloons falling from the sky, but I'm happy they are not, because that's not good!

Posted by: Rockchild at November 29, 2004 02:40 PM

I've seen these before, sauteed with a remoulade glaze.

Posted by: UncleHornHead at November 29, 2004 02:41 PM

I wonder how Noah got them in the ARK ?

Posted by: MIKE at November 29, 2004 02:44 PM

Guess what I'm gonna be for Halloween next year?

Posted by: jjjjb at November 29, 2004 03:10 PM

They are more commonly known as "frozen sea angels." But of course I am only stating the obvious.

Posted by: Michele at November 29, 2004 03:19 PM

Awww, they look like little floating angels!

I wonder what they taste like?

Posted by: Jeff A at November 29, 2004 03:32 PM

Do they swim up nostrils?

Posted by: etherian at November 29, 2004 03:47 PM

so they won't spread massive disease?

Posted by: Meeta at November 29, 2004 05:05 PM

Oh my gosh those sure are cute! I have to agree with the posts above, they look like little angels but with antannae. lol

Posted by: groovebunny at November 29, 2004 05:10 PM

Oh and for Hanks, a couple of my favorite movies of his are The Money Pit, I could never see it too many times and The Burbs, I just love em!

Posted by: jenn at November 29, 2004 05:50 PM

They look like angels, alright...fallen angels. Just look at the pointy horns on the tops of their heads! Not to mention the devil-red pigmentation...

Posted by: Mellie Helen at November 29, 2004 08:12 PM

bah! elementary. Wait till you see my big toe!

Posted by: kev at December 1, 2004 06:57 PM