Cats -  Aquarium -  Pond -  Hamster

Sea Monkeys

Yes, these "instant pets" really do exist. Dan got them as a Christmas present and they come as dried eggs. In a process known as cryptobiosis, the eggs come to life when added to water. Currently the Sea Monkeys (actually a kind of shrimp related to brine shrimps and daphnia - their long "tails" were thought to make them look like monkeys) are 12 weeks old and about 1cm long.

Over the past couple of weeks the Sea Monkeys have been changing: the "backbone" that first appeared in them at 9 weeks is now clearly a body, and some are turning pink as their bodies become thicker. More strangely, some have developed mysterious bulges in their bodies and others are pairing up and swimming around in twosomes. Are these facts connected? Is Spring in the air?

Anyway, click on the following photo to see an enlargement of the Sea Monkeys living in their very tasteful lime-green tank.

And here is a close up of one of the pairs of Sea Monkeys who are, for what ever reason, swimming around in tandem.