Sea-Monkeys

Sea-Monkeys are a trademark given to sell a variant of brine shrimp or Artemia salina, now called Artemia salina x nyos that originate in salt lakes and evaporation flats and are members of the phylum Arthropoda.

Taxonomy

Sea-Monkeys are a breed of Artemia salina sometimes classified as a "new species" called "Artemia nyos" ("nyos" being an acronym for "New York Ocean Science Laboratories" where the first "Sea Monkey" Artemia were bred). This is in absence of a formal description fulfulling the ICZN requirements. As such, the correct name would be Artemia salina × nyos if Sea Monkeys are (as is sometimes reported) interspecific hybrids between A. salina and an indeterminate species of Artemia.

History

Sea Monkeys were first marketed in 1957 by Harold von Braunhut as Instant Life, though Braunhut changed the name to "Sea-Monkeys" on May 10, 1962. The name "Sea-Monkeys" was chosen because of their playful behaviour. Braunhut is also the inventor of X-Ray glasses. For many years, they were known for their exaggerated advertisements and packaging, which featured smiling anthropomorphic creatures who bore little resemblance to their true appearance. Underneath these pictures, which appeared on large numbers in comic books during the 1970s, was a disclaimer that stated, "Caricatures shown not intended to depict Artemia." The present disclaimer on the package states, "Illustration is fanciful, does not depict Artemia nyos."

Sea Monkeys were bred for their larger size and longer lifespan, making them more suitable as pets than the original breed of brine shrimp. The granted in 1972 describes this as "hatching brine shrimp or similar crustaceans in tap water to give the appearance of instantaneous hatching."

Many types of Sea-Monkey kits are now available. The company produces the original Ocean View tank as well as a variety of other products. The Sea-Monkeys company is now part of the Educational Insights corporation, and as of 2005 it is headed by George C. Atamian and son-in-law David Horvitz.

Other companies have distributed pets/toys 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.

Life cycle

The key ability of unhatched "Sea-Monkeys" to be packaged, shipped, and handled is that, in certain easily prepared environments, they enter cryptobiosis, a natural state of suspended animation. When released into the prepared aquarium they leave this state and emerge from their cysts. The genetic variant of brine shrimp, the Sea-Monkey, was given the term "instant life" to reflect the instant hatching seen when the cysts are added to the correctly balanced saltwater medium.

Sea-Monkeys can reproduce both sexually (requiring a male and a female) and asexually. When the eggs are produced, there are fewer males than females. Females stop reproducing when there are too few males. Sea-Monkeys have a biological life cycle of one year, but thanks to their ability to enter cryptobiosis, the product guarantees that the Sea-Monkeys live for up to 2 years. This should be understood as the colony being able to sustain itself for two years.

To start the process, the 'water purifier' package is added to water on day one. The user is typically unaware that this package already contains eggs in addition to the salt. At day two, one adds the 'instant life eggs' package, containing Epsom salts, borax and soda ash, in addition to eggs, yeast, and sometimes a blue or green dye. The dye is used to enhance the 'instant life' experience by making the freshly hatched animals more visible.

The Sea-Monkeys seen on the fifth day after adding the 'eggs package' are derived from the eggs added with the 'purifier' package. The food package is a mixture of Spirulina and dried yeast. The 'boost' packages mainly contains salts, which induce increased sexual activity in artemia.

References

External links

• The official Sea-Monkeys website