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Sea-Monkeys

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Sea-Monkeys in an aquarium.

Sea-Monkeys is the brand name for brine shrimp sold in hatching kits as novelty aquarium pets in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom since 1960. Sea-Monkeys are often sold in plastic aquariums which include a water purifier and food. They can also be sold as eggs in a packet. They are sold under the title "The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys Ocean-Zoo". [1] They are a variant of Artemia salina, a species of crustacean which enters cryptobiosis, a natural state of suspended animation, allowing their cysts (dormant saclike embryos) to be distributed and sold as a dry powder. When these "eggs" are poured into saltwater, the Sea-Monkeys start to come out of their cysts.

History

Sea-Monkeys were originally marketed in 1957 by Harold von Braunhut as Instant Life, though Braunhut changed the name to "Sea-Monkeys" in May 1962. Braunhut also invented X-Ray glasses. Sea-Monkeys were known for their exaggerated advertisements and packaging, which featured smiling anthropomorphic creatures which were strictly for marketing (originally drawn by Joe Orlando) and bore little resemblance to their true appearance.[2] Sea-Monkeys were bred for their larger size and longer lifespan than the original breed of brine shrimp. A patent granted in 1972 describes this as "hatching brine shrimp or similar crustaceans in tap water to give the appearance of instantaneous hatching."[3] As of 2008, Sea Monkeys are a division of Transcience.

Other companies have distributed pets along the Sea-Monkey model, including one by Wham-O, and "The Swarm", a product from Dr. Jordan's formulae. In the late 1970s to early 1980s, sachets of "Sea Monsters" were sold in 25-cent gumball machines at A&P supermarkets. When added to water, the packet's contents provided the eggs, salt and nutrients to hatch the brine shrimp.

More recently, an Australian company, Little Aussie Products, has marketed "Itsy Bitsy Sea Dragons", with a different brine shrimp species, Parartemia zietziana, and other tank creatures to coexist with the Sea-Monkeys.

Criticism

Animal abuse.

Cryptobiosis

Unhatched "Sea-Monkeys" have the ability to be packaged and shipped as a dry powder because of cryptobiosis, a state of suspended animation that occurs naturally in Sea-Monkeys in order to help them survive until ideal conditions appear. Sea-Monkeys can stay in this state for up to 2 years. When released into water that meets the conditions needed for the Sea-Monkeys to survive, they leave this state and emerge from their cysts. A genetic variant of brine shrimp, Sea-Monkeys were given the term "instant life" to reflect the instant hatching seen when the cysts are added to the water medium.

The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys was a short-lived live action television series in 1992 about a professor (Howie Mandel) who accidentally brought three sea monkeys in to real-life human society.[4] The human-sized sea monkeys appeared as they do in many colorful advertisements depicting anthropomorphic creatures that do not resemble actual Sea-Monkeys.

See also

References

  1. ^ Barclay, Susan. 2001. The Ultimate Guide to Sea Monkeys. Street Saint Publications. 178 pages.
  2. ^ "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #24! | Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources". Goodcomics.comicbookresources.com. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  3. ^ Harold N. Braunhut, Method and Materials Used for Hatching Brine Shrimp. U.S. patent 3,673,986. 1972.
  4. ^ The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys at IMDb
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