Mathison Museum of Natural History

Ah, I would love to collect nudibranchs and other marine inverts. Good thing my bank account says no.

Species: Cambaroides japonicus (De Haan, 1841)
Common name(s): Japanese crayfish; Nihon zarigani

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen C. japonicus in the Museum. The brown figure was part of the main NMoJ collection, while the blue figure, which comes with a base, was a secret/chase figure.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Hokkaidō and northern Tōhoku)
Habitat: cool, clean montane streams and lakes
Diet: detritus; primarily leaves and branches that fall into the water
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: In nature, the blue morph of C. japonicus is considered rare, although in some sites it can make up 10% of the local population. Different colors in crayfish are the result of various protein conjunctions with the carotenoid astaxanthin. Astaxanthin, commonly found in shrimp, lobsters, and crayfish, usually expresses itself as the color red if unbound to a protein; when joined to a protein, however, it can express a variety of other colors, including blue.

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Interesting figure

Species: Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991)
Common name(s): vermiculated sailfin catfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 10
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:10
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Choco Q Animatales figures, some assembly is required; the fish is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America (Madeira River Basin in Bolivia and Brazil); adventive in India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, USA (Florida), Puerto Rico, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey
Habitat: Floodplain lakes, swamps, burrow pits, streams, rivers, canals
Diet: Algae, detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus is classified as a facultative air-breather. Its specialized stomach can be used as an accessory respiratory organ allowing to rely on breathing atmospheric oxygen for long periods of time.

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A very nice fish

The tv show River Monsters taught me to love catfish. There are so many gorgeous and unique species! In the US they are generally regarded as ugly/strange fish, but some species I think are quite attractive. Only the Wels catfish still freaks me out... a little eel like, while not being a proper eel.

Very nice model Blaine!

These plecos are an invasive where I live, and I've seen some truly huge ones. I think they're beautiful fish all the same.

Other nice picture with the kaiyodo fish.

Species: Vespa mandarinia Smith, 1852
Common name(s): Asian giant hornet

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Revogeo
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 14.5 cm for a scale of 4:1-3.6:1 for a worker
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we have seen V. mandarinia in the Museum. Today's model is large and articulated. It comes with two sets of wings, one for displaying the insect in a resting pose and one for displaying it in-flight (as shown here); otherwise, there is no additional assembly required. Each pose option (rested or in-flight) also comes with its own acrylic rod for display on a base.

BTW, I am happy spring is here and I can photograph large arthropod figures outside again :).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, Japan; recently introduced to the Pacific Northwest of North America, but it is unknown if populations are established
Habitat: Forests, woodlands
Diet: Larvae are feed insects provided by adults; adults are predaceous on insects, but will also eat tree sap, overripe fruit, and Vespa amino acid mixture produced by the larvae.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Vespa mandarinia is the only eusocial wasp species to attack beehives and other eusocial wasp nests. Colonies of bees and sympatric hornet species are targeted by V. mandarinia for group attacks. Honey bees, however, have a defensive strategy! When a hornet scout locates and approaches a honey bee hive, she emits specific pheromonal hunting signals. When the honey bees detect these pheromones, large numbers of bees gather near the entrance of the nest and set up a trap, while keeping the entrance open. This allows  the hornet to enter the hive. As the hornet enters, a mob of hundreds of bees surrounds it in a ball, completely covering it and preventing it from reacting effectively. The bees violently vibrate their flight muscles, raising the temperature and carbon dioxide levels to lethal levels for the hornet.

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Yikes, that is an intimidating insect.

Species: Dynastes hercules (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Hercules beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: DeAgostini
Series: World Insect Data Book
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including pronotal horn) approximately 13.7 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our eleventh time seeing D. hercules in the Museum. The DeAgostini insects are cast from actual specimens and are therefore all in the 1:1 range. The figures were sold as premiums with books and come in a plastic display box with their Latin and Japanese names. I am not sure what year the figures were released, and it is possible they were released over multiple years. The original set from Japan consisted of 60 species (59 male Scarabaeoidea and one dragonfly), plus four 'secret' figures representing females of select scarab males. Today's D. hercules is one of the species with a corresponding female, I just haven't acquired it yet. When the set was released in Italy, three of the standard set were replaced with other species, including a leaf insect. Between the two releases and secrets, I think there are 67 figures total representing 63 species. The figures are secured to the base of the box with a small screw, but can be safely removed if one choses to display them outside of the box.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, Caribbean
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood; adults are attracted to fresh and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: With a maximum length of approximately 18.8 cm (including the pronotal horn), D. hercules is the longest extant beetle!

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An old acquaintance!

Species: †Arizonasaurus babbitti Welles, 1947

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Prehistoric Museum Line
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: Total body length approximately 24 cm for a scale of 1:12.5. Using the dentary as a metric (n=~2.0 cm), scale also comes to approximately 12.5. Using the entire skull as a metric (n=~3.0 cm), the scale comes to approximately 1:10, although sometimes using the skull as a metric can be difficult depending on how much the figure is fleshed out (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was modeled after a display in, and was probably originally produced for, the Museum am Löwentor in Stuttgart, Germany. The scale above for the entire body length is based on an estimated 3.0 meter-long specimen. The scales above based on the dentary and skull are based on metrics in Nesbitt's 2003 rediscription of A. babbitti.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Triassic (Anisian) of present-day southwestern North America
Habitat: Arid and semi-arid floodplains, tidal flats, riparian areas, and surrounding uplands
Diet: Presumably predaceous on smaller animals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: The purpose of the hump/sail on A. babbitti is not known, but theories for other animals with similar structures can be applied, including thermoregulation, sexual selection, or fat storage.

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Beautiful unique model and picture!

ah how cute and what a coincidence! I was just looking at a small made in China model of this dinosaur that I have and wondering what it was called - and here it is!
I was thinking it's like a dimetrodon cousin with the sail, and looks like it eats plants and maybe small insects with it's small sharp teeth

Species: Allotopus rosenbergi (Snellen van Vollenvoven in Parry, 1872)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai Spirits
Series: Insects in the World - Desktop Model
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approximately 8.0 cm, within scale 1:1 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the sixth time we've seen A. rosenbergi in the Museum. Bandai Spirits insects are usually sculpted 1:1, albeit on the high end of natural ranges of the animal. No assembly is required, but the mandibles are articulated.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae breed in decaying wood; adults presumably feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had trouble researching information on this species. Allotopus rosenbergi is popular with collectors (and Japanese toy insect manufacturers) but not as common in terraria with breeders as larvae require wood infected with particular fungi.

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Wow, a golden beetle.

Superb Bully model, I hope to find one someday.

Species: Pseudanthias tuka (Herre & Montalban, 1927)
Common name(s): yellowstriped fairy basslet; purple queen; purple anthias

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Tropical Fish
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is only stamped 'wrasse' and the identification is my own. Pseudanthias tuka (family Serranidae) isn't related to typical wrasses (family Labridae). Confusion may have come from the common name 'queen purple wrasse' which is sometimes used for this species. Pseudanthias tuka is sexually dimorphic and this figure appears to have been painted to represent a female.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 2-40 meters (usually 10-35 meters)
Diet: Planktonic crustaceans, fish eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Pseudanthias tuka is a schooling species, often forming large aggregations along the upper edges of drop-offs and steep outer reef slopes. It is also a popular fish in aquaria.

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A very unique fish specie

Great to learn more about the play visions fish, I don't know much about fish and I was trying to find out about the species after getting them and some of them were quite tricky!