Little Monsters of the Ocean: Metamorphosis under the Waves
For Kadence may your own version of metamorphosis be miraculous
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Beware 4 CHAPTER 1 MONSTER MADNESS 6 What Is Metamorphosis CHAPTER 2 WHO MORPHS AND HOW Metamorphosis and Molting 12 CHAPTER 3 SURF'S UP DUDE Different Foods and Different Functions 18 CHAPTER 4 STUCK IN THE MUD 24 Why Do Larvae Need to Move Around CHAPTER 5 MOTHER KNOWS BEST Starting Life Right 30 CHAPTER 6 GROWING UP WILD What Controls Metamorphosis 36 CHAPTER 7 MORPHINS MYSTERIES 42 Questions for the Future 48 49 50 AUTHOR'S NOTE LIFE STAGES GLOSSARY SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY MORE TO EXPLORE INDEX 52 52 55
INTRODUCTION Beware Gooey or grimy spindly or spiny monsters lurk in every ocean on Earth They have guts to gobble venom mucus oozing from their rear ends and a habit of chomping on their brothers and sisters With all that weirdness you’d think we’d be on high alert at the beach You’d think we’d This zoea is a ten legged larva need to protect ourselves from those creatures Would you dare dip your toes in the ocean knowing monsters could be lurking nearby Instead most of us know nothing at all about these little creatures Yet billions of them live with us on Earth Why don’t we know all about them These animals are tiny Many are microscopic One million could hide in 1 teaspoon 5 ml of ocean water Who are these mysterious marine monsters They’re kids That’s right Cute little ocean kids waiting to grow up And as they grow they go through some pretty dramatic changes These changes are far more drastic than the changes you go through as you grow up they’re called metamorphosis 4
5 You've probably heard about butterfly metamorphosis egg caterpillar chrysalis and butterfly and frog metamorphosis egg tadpole froglet and adult But these marine animals don't go for the kind of metamorphosis everyone has heard about These guys go all out with their own unique take on metamorphosis Don't take my word for it though See for yourself by hanging out with these little monsters for a while that is if you are brave enough MEET THE MONSTERS trochophore TROK oh for plural trochophores veliger VEL ih jer plural veligers planula PLAN yuh luh plural planulae phyllosoma FIL loh SOH muh plural phyllosomas zoea zoh EE uh plural zoeae gnathiid praniza NA thee id prah NIZ uh plural gnathiid praniza
