Weird and Wonderful: The giant seed shrimp looks like a swimming orange ping-pong ball

[@riverAmazonNZ]

I have a soft spot for ostracods. They look so unwieldy, it’s adorable.

[@luco5490]

Yea, so smol. No thoughts. Just swim.

[@shiveryshark3582]

IT'S SO CUUUTE!!!

[@emrazum]

so cool, who would've thought things like this are real?

[@namnueaintarabut7348]

Its real

[@peen2804]

@@namnueaintarabut7348they weren’t questioning whether it’s real or not lol

[@samuelsavary4895]

That thing is hideous, I love it

[@blintscav]

How do the embryos get out?

[@HLPC_2]

Good question!

[@IsaacKuo]

I think the outer shells simply open apart like clamshells. If you look up "giant ostracod", you can find photos where it's easier to see the seam between the two shells.

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

You rock my world MBARI!!!! Fantastic work!

[@--Paws--]

The freshwater-smaller species can wreak havoc in aquariums but are also good fish food.

[@aurumlupus1]

Yo sabia que no había soñado este animal. En una enciclopedia lo vi con el nombre de Gigantocíprido 🥺

[@nguyetnguyen4609]

how many ostracods are at the MBARI

[@thanhavictus]

Can you walk through the phylogeny of what this even is?

[@RScamble]

Wow, this is ways bigger and weirder than a freshwater seed shrimp in my tank.

[@rowansnaturechannel509]

one of my favorite animals

[@lucaskebow8368]

I want to hold him gently

[@luco5490]

Yes

[@ChristosGoulios]

Spoooky pumpkin.

[@benjmainthompson1322]

A flying ping-pong ball... What next

[@peen2804]

you might want to google “flying”

[@wash8533]

orange