9MONSTERS

REALHALLOWEEN

THE VAMPIRE

THE VAMPIRE

THE VAMPIRE SQUID

scientific name

ACTUALLY IT’S…

vampyroteuthis infernalis

1

ACTUALLY IT’S…

• The vampire is an ancient species and is a phylogenic relic meaning that it is the only surviving member of the order Vampyromorphida.

• One of the most unique behaviors of the Vampire Squid is that they seem to be flying through the water.

• Such movements are the result of how they flap their fins to move around, kind of like Dracula.

THINGS TO KNOW

THE VAMPIRE1

THE ALIEN

ACTUALLY IT’S…

THE ALIEN2

macropinna microstoma

scientific name

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THE PACIFIC BARREL EYE

• The Pacific Barreleye has a see through head. Its eyes are tubular and point forward, with the ability to rotate upwards, which gives it amazing binocular vision. !

• When prey is spotted, the Barreleye moves in the exact same direction as its line of sight to catch them. Its flat fins help it swim very precisely. !

• This method is so efficient that it is sometimes able to snatch food away from other deep sea creatures. Its transparent shield renders it immune to stings.

THINGS TO KNOW2 THE ALIEN

THE GHOST

THE GHOST

ACTUALLY IT’S…

scientific name

ACTUALLY IT’S…

mnemiopsisleidyi

THE WARTY COMB JELLY

3

scientific name

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• Comb jellies are beautiful, oval-shaped animals with eight rows of tiny comblike plates that they beat to move themselves through the water. As they swim, the comb rows diffract light to produce a shimmering, rainbow effect. !

• Comb jellies will eat other comb jellies larger than themselves by biting off chunks with special cilia structures in their mouths. !

• The jellies have exceptional regenerative powers, capable of repairing up to 50 percent of their bodies.

THINGS TO KNOWTHE GHOST3

THE FAIRY

ACTUALLY IT’S…

THE FAIRY4

scientific name

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arachnocampa luminosa

THE GLOW WORM

scientific name

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THE FAIRY4• When the Waitomo Glowworm

Caves were first explored in 1887, the first discovery was the Glowworm Grotto with its myriad of tiny bright lights emitted by the glow worms dotting the cave ceiling, reflecting off the water below. !

• Glowworms can survive only in very damp, dark places where their light can be seen. They need a ceiling that is fairly much horizontal from which they can hang their sticky feeding lines, and a sheltered place where wind does not dry them out or tangle their lines.

THINGS TO KNOW

THE CHUPACABRA

scientific name

ACTUALLY IT’S…

THE CHUPACABRA5

daubentonia madagascariensis

THE AYE AYE

!• Many people native to

Madagascar consider the aye-aye an omen of ill luck. !

• For this reason they were often killed on sight. Such hunting, coupled with habitat destruction, have made the aye-aye critically endangered. Today they are protected by law. !

• While perched aloft, the aye-aye taps on trees with its long middle finger and listens for wood-boring insect larvae moving under the bark.

THINGS TO KNOW

THE CHUPACABRA5

THE MERMAID

THE MERMAID6

trichechus

THE MANATEE

scientific name

ACTUALLY IT’S…

• Christopher Columbus and other early explorers claimed to have seen female figures swimming in the ocean—the mermaids in the writings and drawings of this era. Whether they had been at sea for too long or it was a trick of the light, we now know that many of these encounters were with manatees. !

• The manatee belongs in the order Sirenia, the Greek name for this order is derived from the sirens of Greek mythology. Sirens were sea nymphs who lured sailors to their island with their mesmerizing songs.

THINGS TO KNOWTHE MERMAID6

THE ZOMBIE

leucochloridium paradoxum

THE FLATWORM PARASITE

scientific name

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7 THE ZOMBIE

THE ZOMBIE7• This parasitic worm invades a

snail’s eyestalks, where it pulsates to imitate a caterpillar. !

• The worm larva changes into a sporocyst and mind-controls its host out into the open for hungry birds to pluck out its eyes. Healthy snails seek darkness to hide from predators, but the zombie snail will climb into sunlight. !

• The worm breeds in the bird’s guts, releasing its eggs in the bird’s feces, which are happily eaten up by another snail to complete the whole bizarre life cycle.

THINGS TO KNOW

THE DEMON

scientific name

THE DEMON

THE ANGLER FISH

ACTUALLY IT’S…

lophiiformes

8

• The Angler Fish lives in the one of the Earth’s most inhospitable habitats, the lightless bottom of the sea. !

• Their most distinctive feature, worn only by females, is a piece of dorsal spine that protrudes above their mouths like a fishing pole—hence their name. Tipped with a lure of luminous flesh this built-in rod baits prey close enough to be snatched. !

• Their mouths are so big and their bodies so pliable, they can actually swallow prey up to twice their own size.

THINGS TO KNOWTHE DEMON8

THE WEREWOLF

THE LYKOI CAT

felis silvestris catus

scientific name

ACTUALLY IT’S…

9 THE WEREWOLF

THE WEREWOLF9• The Lykoi Cat is a natural

mutation from a domestic shorthair cat and resembles a werewolf. It is a partially or almost entirely hairless depending on the moulting season. !

• These cats have temperaments like hunting dogs. They are extremely loyal to their owners, scent motivated, and very intelligent.

THINGS TO KNOW

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