A NEW SPECIES OF GHOST SHARK JUST DROPPED!!! AAAAAAAAAA

A NEW SPECIES OF GHOST SHARK JUST DROPPED!!! AAAAAAAAAA

LOOK AT IT!!! AAAAAAA!!! IT'S CALLED HARIOTTA AVIA!!! IT'S SO PRETTY AND COOL!!!

Dr. Brit Finucci, who discovered this species, said :

“Harriotta avia is unique due to its elongated, narrow and depressed snout; long, slender trunk; large eyes; and very long, broad pectoral fins. It is a lovely chocolate brown colour."

and

“Ghost sharks like this one are largely confined to the ocean floor, living in depths of up to 2,600m. Their habitat makes them hard to study and monitor, meaning we don’t know a lot about their biology or threat status, but it makes discoveries like this even more exciting."

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Note: despite the common name, ghost sharks aren't actually sharks, they are chimaeras. They are a group of cartilaginous fish closely related to sharks and rays.

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You can read more about Harriotta avia here:

NIWA

New species of NZ ghost shark discovered

Scientists have found a new ghost shark that lives exclusively in the deep waters of Australia and New Zealand. 

And here:

CNN

New species of ghost shark discovered by New Zealand scientists | CNN

Scientists have discovered a new species of ghost shark that lives in deep ocean waters near Australia and New Zealand.

I forgot to mention, this species of fungi is actually edible when young.

Beefsteak mushroom - Fistulina hepatica

Which slasher got to this mushroom? Michael Myers? Ghostface?

Fruitbody

The cap is 7 to 20 centimetres across and 7 to 14 centimetres deep, it is irregularly shaped but often semicircular, fan-shaped, or tongue-like, with a lobed and wavy margin. The surface is wet and sticky when fresh, finely bumpy and bald. The cap has a liver red, reddish orange, or brownish red colour.¹

The pore surface is white to pale pinkish in colour, becoming yellowish and eventually reddish brown in age, bruising brown. The tubes are up to 1.5 centimetres long and distinctly separated with circular mouths.¹ This is unlike most polypores in which the pores are bonded together.²

The stipe is absent, or rudimentary and lateral. It is colored like the cap above, covered with the pore surface and firm in texture.¹

The flesh is whitish, streaked with reddish areas. It has a thick, soft and watery texture, exuding a reddish juice when squeezed.¹

Microscopic features and spore print.

The spores (seen below) are ovoid, smooth and about 4.5-6 x 3-4µm.² The spores are also hyaline to yellowish in KOH. The basiadia are 4-sterigmate, the hyphal system is monomitic and clamp connections are present.¹

The spore print is pale pinkish to yellow in colour.²

Ecology

This species saprobic and sometimes weakly parasitic on the wood and deadwood of oaks and other hardwoods, causing a brown rot. Fistulina hepatica is annual, growing from summer to fall. It grows alone or in small groups near the bases of trees and on stumps.¹

Distribution

It is widespread throughout Britain and Ireland and is found throughout the mainland of Europe and is widely distributed throughout North America.²

Note: the links to the images are in the image discription.

References

1.

2.

Mutuals

@squidsandthings

@fungus-gnats

@fairy-tales-of-yesterday

@flamingears

@lameotello

@lovelyalicorn

@writingraccoon

@edukincon

@emmakapla

It's that time of the season again . . . . .

Coprinus comatus a.k.a the shaggy ink cap has returned!

Where I live they're in nearly every grassy meadow! It's awesome! A great start to October:)

Planned post

I will make a post on the ghost pipe a.k.a. monotropa uniflora soon. With its ghostly colour and dried out seed heads ressembling pumpkins it seems like a great way to kick off the spooky season!

The post :)

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The images are from wikipedia btw:)

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Mutuals

@squidsandthings

@fungus-gnats

@fairy-tales-of-yesterday

@flamingears

@lameotello

@lovelyalicorn

@writingraccoon

@edukincon

@emmakapla

The 'bleeding tooth fungus' in the new HBO series 'The Penguin' . . .

It is literally Hydnellum peckii a.k.a devil's tooth fungus, or, well it is based on it . . .

Visually they are pretty much the same, but in 'The Penguin' the 'bleeding tooth fungus' has psychoactive properties, which is why they are used for drugs. The actual Hydnellum peckii does not have psychoactive properties, it does however have other medically relevant compounds.

In my post about Hydenllum peckii, I wrote:

" The red sap contains a chemical compound called atromentin, which has anticoagulant properties and is commonly used to help prevent blood clots from forming. The pigment-producing compound found in several fungi species, atromenin also acts as a smooth muscle stimulant and has antibacterial and antineoplastic (anticancer) properties. "

I must say, this is not medical advice of any kind and it should not be treated as such.

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Mutuals

@squidsandthings

@fairy-tales-of-yesterday

@fungus-gnats

@flamingears

@lameotello

@lovelyalicorn

@writingraccoon

@edukincon

@emmakapla

I painted a plant pot today! It was awesome!

The beetles were based on pine chafers a.k.a. Polyohylla fullo, but because of the colours and the vertical stripes on the wings they don't really look like them.

Below a photograph of a pine chafer I made some time ago:)