Takara Tomy: The Deep Sea Creatures collection. Vol3 by Kikimalou

In the last months of 2015 Takara Tomy marketed its third ”Deep Sea creatures” series.

Like [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], it is composed of 6 regular models plus a Secret item.

Unlike the previous set, there isn’t any fish figure this time but some incredible citizens of the abyss.

I’m happy to show you this excellent set.  

Scotoplanes, commonly known as the sea pig, is a genus of deep-sea cucumber . They have enlarged tube feet that have taken on a leg-like appearance, and are the only instance of legged locomotion amongst the sea cucumbers, using water cavities within the skin to inflate and deflate the appendages.
Scotoplanes live on the abyssal plain in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean and Antarctic, typically at depths of over 3000–5000 meters. They  obtain food by extracting organic particles from deep-sea mud.

With 4,5cm long the Takara model is about 1:3 scale.

The predatory tunicate is a species of tunicate which lives anchored along the deep sea canyon walls and seafloor, waiting for tiny animals to drift or swim into its hood-shaped mouth. Looking something like a cross between a jellyfish and a Venus Flytrap, its mouthlike hood is quick to close when a small animal drifts inside. Once the predatory tunicate catches a meal, it keeps its trap shut until it is ready to eat again.
They are simultaneous hermaphrodites and can reproduce by themselves.

The Takara model is about 1:5 scale.

Bathynomus giganteus is often considered the largest isopod in the world, though other comparably poorly known species of Bathynomus may reach a similar size. These large crustaceans, distantly related to the shrimp and crabs, are thought to be abundant in cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

B. giganteus, reaches an average length between 19 and 36 centimetres (7.5 and 14.2 in), with a maximum weight and length of approximately 1.7 kilograms (3.7 lb) and 76 cm (30 in).
Their morphology resembles that of their terrestrial cousin, the woodlouse.

With 6cm long, the Takara model scale is between 1:3 and 1:6 in scale for an average animal. For the 76cm record, it would be at 1:12.

The glowing sucker octopus, is a species of small pelagic octopus found at great depths in the north Atlantic Ocean. It is one of a very small number of octopuses to exhibit bioluminescence.
They are deep sea species that have been relatively little studied. Some have been described on the basis of a single, poorly preserved specimen, and this makes deducing their phylogenetic relationships difficult.
The mantle length  is about 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) and its width about 4 cm (1.6 in). The fins are some 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in) in width. These are joined for two-thirds of their length by two webs, a dorsal complete membrane and a ventral partial one, giving the animal an umbrella-like shape.

The Takara Glowing sucker octopus scale is between 1:4 and 1:5.

Opisthoteuthis albatrossi  is a species of the Opisthoteuthidae (Umbrella octopuses). It is a far less known cousin of the flapjack octopus (the pink octopus in Finding Nemo).

Flapjack devilfishes have eight jointed legs which are affixed together in an umbrella shape "Gelatinous" body, which spreads into a parachute shape when maneuvering through dimly lit water. The Flapjack preys on small fishes and plank-tonic crustaceans.

I’m unable to find the O. albatrossi  size so I can’t calculate the Takara model scale. Maybe someone can help?  

Thank you to Laura aka wilorvise.    With a 20cm size in nature, the Takara model scale is between 1:6 and 1:7.

Common clione is a sea angel (pelagic sea slug) found from the surface to greater than 500 m (1,600 ft) depth. It lives in the Arctic Ocean and cold regions of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans.
The two subspecies that differentiate in body length. The northern subspecies matures at 3 cm and can reach a size of 7–8.5 cm. The size of the southern subspecies is 1.2 cm.
Adults feed almost exclusively on the sea butterflies of the genus Limacina. The feeding process of the common clione is somewhat extraordinary. The buccal ("mouth") apparatus consists of three pairs of buccal cones. These tentacles grab the shell of Limacina helicina. When the prey is in the right position, with its shell opening facing the radula of Clione limacina, it then grasps the prey with its chitinous hooks, everted from hook sacs. Then it extracts the body completely out of its shell and swallows it whole.
The common clione is hermaphrodite, maybe simultaneous.

Takara produced two figures for this set, one swimming and the other (secret item) in a feeding pose.

Since I don’t know which subspecies they are, the scale vary from 2:1 to 1:1,4 for the Northern subspecies and 5:1 for the Southern one.

Your umbrella octopus seems to be approximately 200 mm / 20 cm long. I'd cite a source, but I'm too lazy. tree of life or something

Wilorvise wrote:

Your umbrella octopus seems to be approximately 200 mm / 20 cm long. I'd cite a source, but I'm too lazy. tree of life or something

Thank you Laura Unfortunately the 20cm size is for Opisthoteuthis californiana the flapjack octopus. it doesn't mean Opisthoteuthis albatrossi has the same size...

Very interesting creatures! Thanks for the presentation!!

You are welcome Anne

Nice and interesting figurines :)

Very, very interesting

They almost look a little like critters from a Miyazaki -film
Or perhaps it is the other way round

Beautiful set! I like the sea pig and clione especially, so cute!

Ana wrote:

Beautiful set! I like the sea pig and clione especially, so cute!

Thank you for looking andreas, Susanne, Anna and Sergey.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]: Miyazaki must have spent time with so incredible critters

@Anna and Sergey: I am sure that all the cliones and, even more, all the sea pigs are happy to know that someone in the world think they are cute

Beautiful and amazing creatures! Congratulations Christophe

Thank you Jean-Luc

Thank you Laura for your help about the Flapjack devilfish. I've changed the data in the suitable post

Now I know why Safari released a piglet in their Incredible creatures collection. I am sure someone suggested a sea pig and they misunderstood it as "See? Pig!"
Seriously, I wished these creatures were released for a major brand lifesized, the sea pig, particularly, could work very nice in the mentioned line above. Every single creature is incredible... is, incredible because we almost don't believe that they exist. These small miracles are very well done and the concept is fabulous, thanks for presenting them to us with you usual perfect pictures!

A 1:1 Sea pig would be nice indeed especially with all the details Takara is able to show on their models, for exemple the transparency which allow us to see the inside organs.

A 1:1 clione would be fine too, as a Godd luck mini

Kikimalou wrote:

A 1:1 Sea pig would be nice indeed especially with all the details Takara is able to show on their models, for exemple the transparency which allow us to see the inside organs.

A 1:1 clione would be fine too, as a Godd luck mini

Why not?
Safari is able of using several manufacturing resources, there are translucent figures among their releases as well as there are those glow-in-the-dark. I am not sure they can achieve the same level of detail but it is much easier in a large figure. :)

Nice additions and pictures, of beautiful and unusual creatures. My favorites may be the sea pig, sea angels, and glowing sucker octopus. I'm partial to cephalopods so I'm curious: does this octopus detach easily from its post/base?

I love it when figurines use translucent material. This is a special instance where manufactured figures achieve something that a homemade sculpture cannot do better. So I agree that it would be good to see more of these types of creatures (and others) from more companies. The Safari deep sea toob looks like a good start- it just needs a sequel. I've thought for a while that a bioluminescent set/tube would be excellent. ("Toys that teach" is a good slogan but I usually learn the most from forum members' Japanese brand additions.   )

Those are neat figures--at first I was surprised that a TOMY deep sea set got by me, but without any fish in it, that explains how I missed it! It is funny, though, that many (not all) of those animal appear in many Japanese sets.

A.R.Garcia wrote:

Nice additions and pictures, of beautiful and unusual creatures. My favorites may be the sea pig, sea angels, and glowing sucker octopus. I'm partial to cephalopods so I'm curious: does this octopus detach easily from its post/base?

Yes, it is even made in two parts, I don't have enough time now but I will make some pics asap.

A.R.Garcia wrote:

I love it when figurines use translucent material. This is a special instance where manufactured figures achieve something that a homemade sculpture cannot do better. So I agree that it would be good to see more of these types of creatures (and others) from more companies. The Safari deep sea toob looks like a good start- it just needs a sequel. I've thought for a while that a bioluminescent set/tube would be excellent. ("Toys that teach" is a good slogan but I usually learn the most from forum members' Japanese brand additions.   )

Translucence is one thing, quality level is another. I like very much Safari ltd productions but obviously the toob's quality level is below the Japanese series's one, for a similar price.

sbell wrote:

Those are neat figures--at first I was surprised that a TOMY deep sea set got by me, but without any fish in it, that explains how I missed it!  It is funny, though, that many (not all) of those animal appear in many Japanese sets.

Looking at the sea animal toys production, it is obvious Japan is far more maritime than Occidental countries.