#21 Phronima spp. (Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Malacostraca, Order: Amphipoda, Family: Phronimidae)
Pram bug Phronima sp. is a nasty deep-sea amphipod that carves its home from the guts of an unfortunate salp. It’s small, less than one inch, but like most amphipods, its ugly and ferocious. After consuming the innards of the pelagic jelly, Phronima crawls inside it like a new translucent mobile home, and there she lays her eggs. Don’t get between an ovigerous pram bug and a double-wide. You’ll regret it.
Pram bugs usually inhabit the deep-sea, but they have been known to invade Scotland. Cause to worry? “Yes," you might say, "run for your lives! They’re the evil inspiration for HR Giger’s Aliens, with four compound eyes that scan 270 degrees, so there’s no escape. Scotland’s doooomed."
But actually, “no”, the part about Aliens is a rumor. Wikipedia says the Xenomorphs in Aliens were inspired by the painting Necronom IV. It does not resemble Phronima. HR Giger’s agent says Giger never “inspired himself by animals, terrestrial or marine”. Oh well, his loss. This YouTube link shows video of a living specimen trapped in a jar. – PE
Images courtesy Natural Visions, UK and National Geographic
Sweeeeet! The ultimate amphipod!
Wow, that really is his loss, and not sure I would believe the agent to say he was NEVER inspired by animals terrestrial or marine…
Yeah, I agree its a little hard to believe. I mean, how can an artist avoid being inspired by nature?
Though Giger’s aliens are amazing, truth is almost always cooler than fiction.