Demise of the Triassic Triops

You may recall those ads at the back of comic books offering a chance to raise your very own sea monkeys. The ad showed adorable cartoon critters with big eyes, alien-like antennae, and long, curly tails scampering around a cute little aquarium. I think the largest one even had a cartoon crown.

If your mom was like mine, no amount of pleading and promising could change the answer from, "No!" followed by, "Because I said so!"

Well, I said yes to my youngest. Our first attempt met with disaster when the hatchlings were barely past the microscopic phase. Someone--who shall remain nameless--threw a ball into the kitchen and knocked the aquarium over. We were a sad scene, using slips of paper to scoop up tiny, wriggling white dots while Dylan sobbed hysterically. They didn't live much past that, and it was hard to imagine them reaching the promised 2-inch length.
Our second try was successful, as witnessed by these photos. The triops (their real name) are hard to film since they live in murky water and do cavort as advertised. We hatched 10 little critters, who were rather cute in their early weeks. Triops have a lifespan of 20-90 days, if they aren't eaten by their siblings, and our largest three survived 2 months with us. Sarah named them Bigito, Medito, and Smalito.

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At the 2-inch size quoted in the ad, they weren't so cute anymore. In fact, the kids found them downright creepy. Still, they were fascinating, using thousands of tiny appendages to sweep food into their mouths while swimming upside-down. Triops means "3-Eyes." The 3rd eye is located behind the front two. Their bodies feature a gray top-shell and an orangish underside.

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Our threesome passed away this week, and so we say a fond farewell to our triassic pets. And the next time Dylan asks, the answer will be, "No! Because I said so!"