Amazing Simpsons predictions. Three-Eyed Fish Requirements and Conditions

Hatteria - a three-eyed reptile that survived dinosaurs March 31st, 2017

The most ancient reptile preserved from the time of dinosaurs is the three-eyed lizard hatteria, or tuatara (lat. Sphenodon punctatus) - a species of reptile from the order Beaked.

For the uninitiated, the hatteria (Sphenodon punctatus) is simply a large, impressive-looking lizard. Indeed, this animal has greenish-gray scaly skin, short strong paws with claws, a crest on its back consisting of flat triangular scales, like agamas and iguanas (the local name for tuatara is derived from the Maori word meaning “spiny "), and a long tail.

Photo 2.

Tuatara live in New Zealand. Now its representatives have become smaller than they were before.

According to the memoirs of James Cook, on the islands of New Zealand there were tuataras about three meters long and as thick as a person, which they feasted on from time to time.

Today, the largest specimens are just over a meter long. At the same time, the male tuatara, together with the tail, reaches a length of 65 cm and weighs about 1 kg, and the females are much smaller than the males in size and half the weight.

The tuatara is distinguished as a separate species of reptile, standing apart from all modern reptiles.

Photo 3.

Although in appearance the tuateria resemble large, impressive-looking lizards, especially iguanas, this similarity is only external and has nothing to do with tuateria lizards. In terms of their internal structure, they have much more in common with snakes, turtles, crocodiles and fish, as well as the extinct ichthyosaurs, megalosaurs and teleosaurs.

The peculiarities of its structure are so unusual that a special order was established for it in the class of reptiles - Rhynchocephalia, which means “beak-headed” (from the Greek “rynchos” - beak and “cephalon” - head; an indication of the premaxillary bone curving down).

A very interesting feature of the tuateria is the presence of a parietal (or third) eye, located on the crown between the two real eyes*. Its function has not yet been clarified. This organ has a lens and a retina with nerve endings, but is devoid of muscles and any devices for accommodation or focusing. In a baby tuatara that has just hatched from an egg, the parietal eye is clearly visible - like a bare spot surrounded by scales that are arranged like flower petals. Over time, the “third eye” becomes overgrown with scales, and in adult tuatara it can no longer be seen. As experiments have shown, the hatteria cannot see with this eye, but it is sensitive to light and heat, which helps the animal regulate its body temperature, dosing the time it spends in the sun and in the shade.

Photo 4.

The tuatara's third eye has a lens and retina with nerve endings connected to the brain, but lacks muscles and any devices for accommodation or focusing.

Experiments have shown that the hatteria cannot see with this eye, but it is sensitive to light and heat, which helps the animal regulate its body temperature by dosing the time it spends in the sun and in the shade.

A third eye, but less developed, is also found in tailless amphibians (frogs), lampreys and some lizards and fish.

Photo 5.

The tuatara has a third eye for only six months after birth, then it becomes overgrown with scales and becomes almost invisible.

Photo 6.

In 1831, the famous zoologist Gray, having only the skulls of this animal, gave it the name Sphenodon. After 11 years, a whole specimen of a tuatara came into his hands, which he described as another reptile, giving it the name Hatteria punctata and classifying it as a lizard from the agamas family. Only 30 years later did Gray establish that Sphenodon and Hatteria are one and the same. But even before that, in 1867, it was shown that the resemblance of the tuatara to lizards is purely external, and in terms of its internal structure (primarily the structure of the skull), the tuatara stands completely apart from all modern reptiles.

And then it turned out that the hatteria, which now lives exclusively on the islands of New Zealand, is a “living fossil”, the last representative of a once widespread group of reptiles that lived in Asia, Africa, North America and even Europe. But all other beaked heads became extinct in the early Jurassic period, and hatteria managed to exist for almost 200 million years. It is surprising how little its structure has changed over this huge period of time, while lizards and snakes have achieved such diversity.

Photo 7.

As excavations show, not so long ago tuataria were found in abundance on the main islands of New Zealand - North and South. But the Maori tribes, who settled in these places in the 14th century, exterminated the Tuatara almost completely. The dogs and rats that came along with the people played an important role in this. True, some scientists believe that the hatteria died due to changes in climatic and environmental conditions. Until 1870, it was still found on the North Island, but at the beginning of the 20th century. has been preserved only on 20 small islands, of which 3 are located in Cook Strait, and the rest are off the northeastern coast of the North Island.

Photo 8.

The appearance of these islands is gloomy - cold leaden waves crash on the rocky shores shrouded in fog. The already sparse vegetation suffered greatly from sheep, goats, pigs and other wild animals. Now, every single pig, cat and dog has been removed from the islands on which tuateria populations have remained, and the rodents have been destroyed. All these animals caused great damage to the tuatara by eating their eggs and young. Of the vertebrate animals on the islands, only reptiles and numerous seabirds remain, establishing their colonies here.

Photo 9.

An adult male tuateria reaches a length (including tail) of 65 cm and weighs about 1 kg. Females are smaller and almost twice as light. These reptiles feed on insects, spiders, earthworms and snails. They love water, often lie in it for a long time and swim well. But the tuatara runs poorly.

Photo 10.

Photo 11.

Hatteria is a nocturnal animal, and unlike many other reptiles, it is active at relatively low temperatures - +6o...+8oC - this is another interesting feature of its biology. All vital processes in tuateria are slow, metabolism is low. There is usually about 7 seconds between two breaths, but a tuatara can remain alive without taking a single breath for an hour.

Photo 12.

In winter - from mid-March to mid-August - tuataria spend in burrows, hibernating. In the spring, females dig special small burrows into which, using their paws and mouth, they transfer a clutch of 8–15 eggs, each of which is about 3 cm in diameter and enclosed in a soft shell. The top of the masonry is covered with earth, grass, leaves or moss. The incubation period lasts about 15 months, that is, much longer than that of other reptiles.

Photo 13.

The tuatara grows slowly and reaches sexual maturity no earlier than 20 years. That is why we can assume that she is one of the outstanding long-livers of the animal world. It is possible that some males are over 100 years old.

What else is this animal famous for? Hatteria is one of the few reptiles with a real voice. Her sad, hoarse cries can be heard on foggy nights or when someone is bothering her.

Another amazing feature of the tuatara is its cohabitation with gray petrels, which nest on the islands in self-dug burrows. Hatteria often settles in these holes, despite the presence of birds there, and sometimes, apparently, destroys their nests - judging by the finds of chicks with their heads bitten off. So such a neighborhood, apparently, does not give the petrels much joy, although usually birds and reptiles coexist quite peacefully - the hatteria prefers other prey, which it goes in search of at night, and in the daytime the petrels fly to the sea for fish. When the birds migrate, the hatteria hibernates.

Photo 14.

The total number of living tuataria is now about 100,000 individuals. The largest colony is located on Stephens Island in Cook Strait - 50,000 tuatara live there on an area of ​​3 km2 - an average of 480 individuals per 1 hectare. On small islands with an area of ​​less than 10 hectares, the population of tuateria does not exceed 5,000 individuals. The New Zealand government has long recognized the value of this amazing reptile for science, and there has been a strict conservation regime on the islands for about 100 years. You can visit them only with special permission and strict liability is established for violators. In addition, tuatara are successfully bred at the Sydney Zoo in Australia.

Hatterias are not eaten, and their skins have no commercial demand. They live on remote islands, where there are no people or predators, and are well adapted to the conditions existing there. So, apparently, nothing threatens the survival of these unique reptiles at present. They can easily while away their days on secluded islands, to the delight of biologists who, among other things, are trying to find out the reasons why the hatteria did not disappear in those distant times when all its relatives became extinct.

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See the interpretation: by the names of the fish, as well as the net, the trap.

Fish in a dream symbolize coldness, illness, and indifference.

Seeing a gnawed fish skeleton in a dream is a harbinger of misfortune, collapse of plans and disappointments.

Fishing in a dream is a sign of ingratitude, useless work, a waste of time and effort.

Seeing a fish caught by others in a dream foreshadows illness, and for women, pregnancy.

If in a dream you watch the float of your fishing rod, which is calmly swaying on the water, then the fulfillment of your desire is postponed.

If in a dream the float twitches and you catch a fish, then you can count on your plans being fulfilled.

Catching a big fish in a dream means that a profitable marriage awaits you. Sometimes such a dream predicts a big and profitable business.

Watching the fish you catch means that you will soon have serious plans for the future.

Catching a lot of fish in a dream is a sign of big profits. The larger the fish, the more money you will receive.

Catching a lot of small fish in a dream is a sign of a lot of trouble, from which there will be little benefit or little money.

But fishing with nets, drags or seines means that you should be wary of risky activities. However, such a dream portends success for those people who have lost something (or someone) and are trying to find it.

Not catching anything in a dream means that your plans will not come true.

Fishing hooks in a dream portend danger. Such a dream may mean that your enemies have prepared a cunning trap for you.

A motley, brightly colored fish in a dream warns you of the danger of poisoning or deception. For patients, such a dream foreshadows death. Such a dream can also foreshadow insult or quarrels.

A red fish in a dream predicts great experiences, inflammation, or the discovery of some secret.

If you dream that you take a fish in your hands, and it slips out of your hands, then you will have to deal with such a cunning person whom you will never be able to catch or expose.

It is also believed that lake fish seen in a dream portends happiness and prosperity.

A dream in which you caught a bony fish predicts obstacles in business and failures in the implementation of plans.

Eating fish in a dream is considered a good omen, as long as it is not raw.

Eating raw fish in a dream means that losses, obstacles in business and disappointment await you. But if it is also full of bones, then disappointment or failure awaits you.

A dead fish floating on the water predicts that your wishes will not come true.

Watching a fish splashing in the water portends receiving a gift or very good news. Sometimes such a dream predicts anxiety and troubles associated with your work.

Feeding fish in a dream is a sign of reconciliation with enemies whom you will charm with your charm.

Seeing fish in your bed in a dream is a sign of illness. For those who go on a journey by water, the dream foretells the danger of a shipwreck or other misfortune.

For pregnant women to dream that they gave birth to a fish, the dream predicts that their unborn child will be in poor health and will not live long. Sometimes such a dream foretells them a miscarriage.

It is believed that rotten fish in a dream foreshadows failures in business or in your personal life.

If you saw fishing gear in a dream, then you should be wary of deception or some kind of cunning trap.

Fatty fish in a dream is a sign of diseases associated with tumors or inflammation.

Fishermen in a dream are a sign of unreliable friends who should not be relied on.

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Such an adaptation helps the fish search for food much more efficiently, and in addition, it gives an additional advantage over predators, since its entire life is concentrated in the upper layers of water, and threats lie in wait from two environments at once.

Requirements and conditions:

• Aquarium volume - from 200 l.
• Temperature - 24–30 °C
• pH value - 7.0–8.5
• Water hardness - from medium hard to hard (8–25 dH)
• Substrate type - any
• Lighting - moderate
• Brackish water - 1 gr. salt per 1 liter of water
• Water movement - weak

Fish parameters:

• Size - up to 14 cm.
• Food: meat products

Habitat

The four-eyed fish is common in the river systems of Central and South America, mainly in the mouths of rivers flowing into the sea. Most of life is concentrated in the upper layers of water, hunting for small insects and crustaceans.

Nutrition

Fish are carnivorous species, so in a home aquarium they should be fed with freeze-dried or frozen meat products from specialized pet stores, as well as live food: bloodworms, mosquito larvae. Please note that food will only be eaten if it floats on the surface of the water.

The pH and dH indicators are not so critical; the level of salinity is much more important; when preparing water, salt should be dissolved in a proportion of 1 g. per 1 liter. The equipment required is a simple mechanical filter, a heater, and an aerator. Lighting system set to moderate light intensity.
It is advisable to fill the aquarium half or three-quarters full and close it tightly to prevent fish from jumping out. When decorating, use rooted plants that are salt-resistant; if they begin to cover the surface, they should be shortened and trimmed. The Brazilian Four-Eyed must have room to swim. The soil and design of the lower tier of the aquarium is at your discretion; the fish are of little interest in what is happening below.

Social behavior

A completely peaceful schooling fish, however, can feast on small neighbors that can fit into their mouth. Prefers the company of its own kind, feels great in groups of 5-6 individuals. Compatible with species capable of living in brackish water and living in the middle or bottom layer of water.

Breeding/reproduction

The species reproduces quickly and does not require much effort from the aquarist. The fry appear already formed, without the caviar stage. The only condition is that after the juveniles appear, they should be removed to a separate tank, since the parents can eat their own offspring.

Diseases

Four-eyed fish are extremely susceptible to bacterial infections that are difficult to cure. The reason lies in fluctuations in the concentration of salt in water due to evaporation. Read more about the symptoms and methods of treating diseases in the section “Diseases of aquarium fish”.

Peculiarities

• School species
• Brackish water is required
• Carnivorous species