Monday, September 3, 2007

Inspirations


Yes, this is my latest inspiration for a new toy design. This delightful creature is a blackdevil angler fish. Angler fish are members of the order Lophiiformes, an order that includes monkfish, coffinfish, and the the hairy angler. Thankfully, these fish are quite small, and most females of the species are less than 6 inches in length. The males, on the other hand, are tiny and lack a digestive system. Using their amazing olfactory senses, they sniff out a female in the oceanic gloom. Once they have found the lucky lady, they latch onto her, and in some species, the circulatory systems of the male and female fuse. Henceforth, the male ceases to exist independently, and remains a sperm-producing parasite, incapable of sustaining himself without his mate.

What amazing adaptations for a life in the depths! I am always spellbound at the creatures that we are lucky enough to share this planet with.

Presently, I am working on a plush rendition of this creature. For tales of the trials and tribulations of the design process, stay tuned...

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