Allosaurus VS Camarasaurus Diorama

[Scar]

I've actually heard of Peacock Mantis' killing and eating eels. They aren't true shrimp, and in point of fact aren't even closely related by a long shot, and have a completely different phylogenetic pathway. They're known for wiping out the whole contents of tanks, and are the primary reason it's recommended saltwater tank owners thoroughly inspect any piece of coral they introduce, as a Peacock Mantis could be concealing itself within. They're some of the most spectacular, formidable, and little know aquatic predators. :emperor

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Not to mention wiping out tanks themselves..lol

I've read at least one article on them..max size is about 7" right ? Must have smaller eels...a medium sized funebris or moringa would consider them chow..heh heh eels really don't have many predators..having toxic flesh helps that..but their only tools are teeth..so every problem is viewed as food.

 

[Scar]

Not to mention wiping out tanks themselves..lol

I've read at least one article on them..max size is about 7" right ? Must have smaller eels...a medium sized funebris or moringa would consider them chow..heh heh eels really don't have many predators..having toxic flesh helps that..but their only tools are teeth..so every problem is viewed as food.

Every problem isn't necessarily food, per se. It's just the only way in which the eel has to interact with its environment. It's the common misconception people have with "dangerous" animals is that anything and everything is on their menu, when simply its their curiosity which makes them seem like these mindless beasts which just kill and eat indiscriminately.

There are well over 400 species of Mantis shrimp, and some can get to be up to 14-15" long, 10" around the average. Eels actually do have predators in the wild. Aside from sharks, large octopi have been known to prey on them regularly. As much as I love eels, they are still another link in the food chain. Shot an e-mail to a friend who keeps a fair number of saltwater tanks, as well as a number of eels and stomatopods, along with a glut of other creatures. He said he's been forced to keep his large adult Peacock Mantis separate from all of his other aquatic pets, as it regularly decimates them, eels inclusive (doesn't help that he's had to replace two tanks now because of the Mantis' claws, which strike with the strength of a .22 bullet). He said once when one of his Whitemouth morays, known to specialize in crustaceans, made an attack on his Peacock Mantis (apparently at least 5" smaller than its present 13" at that time), the Mantis literally wheeled aside, delivered a few quick blows just behind the eel's head, and he was out $130. And he couldn't get the eel out of the tank. The Mantis dragged it half into its coral den and devoured it over the course of several weeks, attacking any net he attempted to put in until he just gave up. Both are exceptional predators, but I make a practice not to bet against stomatopods. The spearer varieties of Mantis shrimp have been known to kill 5' nurse sharks.

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Not really what I was saying..it was more a joke anyway..an adult eel in it's natural habitat basically only has food as an issue...it doesn't worry about a lot. People won't eat it ( usually ), even the predators that do occasionally try to eat an eel find there is better fare out there...there really isn't any specialist species that finds adult morays a delicacy you know ?


After being suitably ticked off..I would have been concerned about the toxin in their blood hurting my mantis shrimp... that stuff is quite lethal..even killing people who injest it's flesh... but if he couldn't get it out he couldn't do it..I couldn't stop my 3' Moringa from injesting a snake eel that been in tank for years with him..that shark I mentioned made one pass around the tank and there was a 50.00 meal.

My last eel was Snowflake, cheap, easy to keep, no HUGE tank required...but no matter how secure they always find a way out. This one went up the filter and crawled out the back..I didn't find him in time unfortunatly. :/

 

[Scar]

Eel blood has been shown toxic to humans and other mammalian species and can be harmful in large enough quantities. A large number of aquatic species don't have a problem with it; it's often used as an example of acquired immunity and evolution on a generational level. The Mantis seems one of the adapted species to not have the issue, along with numerous other species of shark and octopi. In the wild, most predators near the top of the food chain don't have wholesale species of other predators which specialize in predating upon them. Individual organisms in other predatory species, yes. We've seen that countless times, but it's not common for one entire species to specialize in hunting, killing, and eating large eels, cetaceans, sharks, stomatopods, etc. Large members of these classification tend to be beyond hazard from most... with the exception of members of their own species.

 

[Dyscrasia]

I wasn't aware that large quantities of eel blood can be harmful even though I did heard about them being toxic at a certain degree...
Since various eels (including moray eels) are served as a cuisine here, I don't think ppl actually care about the dangers of eating such creatures (since we often eat the deadly pufferfish and even the stonefish(Synanceia))...

 

[dansdinosaurs]

You must eat well. I thought fugu was expensive?

 

[Dyscrasia]

You must eat well. I thought fugu was expensive?

It depends on how it's served. Dried pufferfish or pufferfish used in soups or stews aren't expensive at all, but if they are prepared at a very fresh state, they become quite expensive.

Btw, the folks here and the folks from Japan eat almost anything that comes from the ocean as long as it's digestible

 

[dansdinosaurs]

So if you intend to collect every Dinosauria statue, we can assume it's dried fugu for you then?

 

[Dyscrasia]

Sadly, yes.

 

[Scar]

I wasn't aware that large quantities of eel blood can be harmful even though I did heard about them being toxic at a certain degree...
Since various eels (including moray eels) are served as a cuisine here, I don't think ppl actually care about the dangers of eating such creatures (since we often eat the deadly pufferfish and even the stonefish(Synanceia))...

I wouldn't worry about it. Cooking at high temperatures destroys the proteins responsible for the toxicity.

Meat is a staple of my diet, but on principle I wouldn't ever eat a carnivore, particularly one which is an apex predator in its environment like the Green Moray. It's a disruption of the ecology by removing the topmost predator, allowing mid-level predators and disease incumbent in those organisms to proliferate, and also gradually wear down those species which the mid-level predators prey upon to dwindling numbers. Also, bear in mind with predators, if you're eating them you have to worry about bioaccumulation. Simply put, toxins will be absorbed by aquatic organisms, and that level of toxins is multiplied exponentially by animals which prey on them and accumulate those toxins in their bodies. Organismal toxicity is staggering when you get to the levels of sharks and eels. Not a good idea to feast on critters meant to do the feasting, not only for the sake of the environment, but for your own personal health. I know it's a cultural thing, but it's just my opinion on the matter.

 

[dansdinosaurs]

Think it would be dangerous to eat a dinosaur?

 

[Scar]

I'd wager it's dependent upon the species, but I guess we'll never really know, unless Horner is right.

 

[dansdinosaurs]

I'd be afraid of the alien physiology. If it was meant to live millions of years ago, who knows how that might interact with our digestive tract?

 

[Agent0028]

Who cares what it would do to your digestive tract, I'd be more concerned about the bodily harm that would come in catching it. Did you not see The Lost World?

 

[PRTCLR]

Is this dio - the exclusvie - taking longer than the previous one to sell or is it the norm with this line. I hope SS puts a very low quantity on this one.

 

[Atheris]

Is this dio - the exclusvie - taking longer than the previous one to sell or is it the norm with this line. I hope SS puts a very low quantity on this one.

I was thinking the same thing......usually these pieces sell out in a few days. Its been like 2 weeks now......SS better not be getting greedy and put an ES of like 900 on this

Chris

 

[mikkipog]

thanks goodness this thread is back on track!

 

[Scar]

I'd be afraid of the alien physiology. If it was meant to live millions of years ago, who knows how that might interact with our digestive tract?

Just imagine the symbiotic microbes living within the bodies of dinosaurs, particularly those bacteria in the guts of large theropods to aid in the digestion of tightly-knit tissue and bone. Just makes you want to dig right in.

I was thinking the same thing......usually these pieces sell out in a few days. Its been like 2 weeks now......SS better not be getting greedy and put an ES of like 900 on this

Chris

I doubt it. Especially if they're selling fewer. Better likelihood to close and cap the order rather than wait months to close it and stack the orders. This shows the lack of commitment most consumers have with a price tag that high.

 

[The Craw]

maybe they'll cap it in tonight's newsletter. i wish this line did better. i'm worried it won't be around for much longer.