http://amphidrome.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/acanthogammarus-aetosaurs-of-baikal/ (http://amphidrome.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/acanthogammarus-aetosaurs-of-baikal/)
Have I ever talked about Lake Baikal here before? I'm not sure I have.
Lake Baikal is the worlds largest and deepest freshwater lake, and also one of the world's oldest. Located in Siberia, Baikal hosts one of the most diverse endemic freshwater ecosystem in the world. This includes the only known species of freshwater seals, many endemic fishes, huge reefs of freshwater sponges that look like underwater saguaro cacti, and the feature of this article, 1/3 of all the worlds gammarid species.
(http://www.uwpresse.com/SERVER/reportages/NATURE/LAC_BAIKAL/images/prevs/prev6.jpg)
Thats not CGI, folks. Thats a Lake Baikal reef.
Now, the critter in the picture is a gammarid, a sort of freshwater crustacean more commonly known as a scud, or freshwater shrimp. Its not really a shrimp, its a whole different group of crustaceans outside the Decapoda.
In other parts of the world, Gammarids are generally small, and are often called sideswimmers or scuds because of their tendency to scuddle around in the water on their sides. Heres a more common European specimen:
http://www.waterwereld.nu/images/vlokk.jpg (http://www.waterwereld.nu/images/vlokk.jpg)
The Gammarids of Lake Baikal have diversified in isolation, leading to many strange adaptations and body forms, including some very large and prehistoric looking species.
(http://www.uwpresse.com/SERVER/reportages/NATURE/LAC_BAIKAL/images/prevs/prev11.jpg)
(http://www.uwpresse.com/SERVER/reportages/NATURE/LAC_BAIKAL/images/prevs/prev21.jpg)
(http://www.uwpresse.com/SERVER/reportages/NATURE/LAC_BAIKAL/images/prevs/prev13.jpg)
The above is a Acanthogammarus sp.
Lake Baikal, it just keeps amazing me.
http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2009/02/size_and_number_of_tortuous_sp.php (http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2009/02/size_and_number_of_tortuous_sp.php)
Also, BARBED BEETLE PENII.
Kai,
Delivers.
Edit: ooopse, fixed.
"Dive Lake Baikal" has long been on my list of things to do before I die.
My mom went there to study... something. I don't really know what. She's a freshwater something something specializing in groundwater. She wrote a book about it. A really boring book.
freshwater invertebratologist specializing in groundwater?
Freshwater hydrologist specializing in groundwater?
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 01:10:02 PM
http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2009/02/size_and_number_of_tortuous_sp.php (http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2009/02/size_and_number_of_tortuous_sp.php)
Also, BARBED BEETLE PENII.
Kai,
Delivers.
Edit: ooopse, fixed.
Still broke. Now fixed.
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 09:58:12 PM
freshwater invertebratologist specializing in groundwater?
Freshwater hydrologist specializing in groundwater?
Must be hydrologist, because she studies the movement of water.
Quote from: Nigel on February 26, 2009, 10:51:46 PM
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 09:58:12 PM
freshwater invertebratologist specializing in groundwater?
Freshwater hydrologist specializing in groundwater?
Must be hydrologist, because she studies the movement of water.
yeah, that sounds about right
Hydrologists can be fascinating scientists, or dull as pounding gravel into your forehead with a five dollar hammer.
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 11:32:20 PM
Quote from: Nigel on February 26, 2009, 10:51:46 PM
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 09:58:12 PM
freshwater invertebratologist specializing in groundwater?
Freshwater hydrologist specializing in groundwater?
Must be hydrologist, because she studies the movement of water.
yeah, that sounds about right
Hydrologists can be fascinating scientists, or dull as pounding gravel into your forehead with a five dollar hammer.
Yeah... she's more the latter kind.
I mean, what she does is interesting, especially the slogging around in marshes part, but that book was mostly technical stuff oriented toward water quality specialists, and it was exactly as interesting as the least interesting possible interpretation of that could be.
Quote from: Nigel on February 27, 2009, 02:10:19 AM
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 11:32:20 PM
Quote from: Nigel on February 26, 2009, 10:51:46 PM
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 09:58:12 PM
freshwater invertebratologist specializing in groundwater?
Freshwater hydrologist specializing in groundwater?
Must be hydrologist, because she studies the movement of water.
yeah, that sounds about right
Hydrologists can be fascinating scientists, or dull as pounding gravel into your forehead with a five dollar hammer.
Yeah... she's more the latter kind.
I mean, what she does is interesting, especially the slogging around in marshes part, but that book was mostly technical stuff oriented toward water quality specialists, and it was exactly as interesting as the least interesting possible interpretation of that could be.
You know, my undergrad was in that stuff,
at least half of it anyway.
Well, I PASSED hydrology. don't know how much I actually remember.
Quote from: Kai on February 27, 2009, 02:29:37 AM
Quote from: Nigel on February 27, 2009, 02:10:19 AM
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 11:32:20 PM
Quote from: Nigel on February 26, 2009, 10:51:46 PM
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 09:58:12 PM
freshwater invertebratologist specializing in groundwater?
Freshwater hydrologist specializing in groundwater?
Must be hydrologist, because she studies the movement of water.
yeah, that sounds about right
Hydrologists can be fascinating scientists, or dull as pounding gravel into your forehead with a five dollar hammer.
Yeah... she's more the latter kind.
I mean, what she does is interesting, especially the slogging around in marshes part, but that book was mostly technical stuff oriented toward water quality specialists, and it was exactly as interesting as the least interesting possible interpretation of that could be.
You know, my undergrad was in that stuff,
at least half of it anyway.
Well, I PASSED hydrology. don't know how much I actually remember.
Funny thing is, she got her grad in it, and now she's an artist.
Go figure.
sometimes it just works out that way.
You learn a lot more than just whats in your field, in grad school, if you are good about it. I know I am, I'm just SWIMMING in all the shit I'm learning about all kinds of stuff. Life isn't long enough to learn it all.
Quote from: Kai on February 26, 2009, 12:48:32 PM
(http://www.uwpresse.com/SERVER/reportages/NATURE/LAC_BAIKAL/images/prevs/prev21.jpg)
The above is a Acanthogammarus sp.
kinda looks like a Tyranid
Fun fact: Lake Baikal contains 1/5th of all the world's fresh water.
That's a LOT of fresh water.
Quote from: Nigel on October 14, 2009, 07:48:07 PM
That's a LOT of fresh water.
Someone tell Tom DeLay...we have somewhere new to dump dioxin.
:horrormirth:
this is an awesome thread
real cool pix, kai