Mathison Museum of Natural History

Species: Carcharhinus falciformis (Müller & Henle, 1839)
Common name(s): silky shark; olive shark; ridgeback shark; sickle shark; sickle silk shark, others

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Sealife
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 14.5 cm for a scale of 1:15.1-24.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure appears to be a standard-sized version of the 2019 Pelagic Fish TOOB silky shark.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide in tropical and subtropical oceans and seas
Habitat: Epipelagic, pelagic; often on the edge of continental and insular shelves at depths of 0-4,000 meters (usual range 0-500 meters)
Diet: Bony fish, cephalopods, crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many sharks, C. falciformis is viviparous, with females giving birth to 2-15 pups; newborn pups average 57-87 cm in length.

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Nice shark

Species: Zerene cesonia (Stoll, 1790)
Common name(s): southern dogface

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Major
Series: Butterflies
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan approx. 6.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen Z. cesonia in the Museum. The Toy Major butterflies are somewhat of an enigma. There are 12 sculpts, labeled A-L on the underside as well as the copyright year of 1996. Each sculpt has been painted multiple times, resulting in anywhere from 24-36 figures (maybe more?). Also, the different repaints may have been released over multiple years while retaining the 1996 mark. They were sold in sets of various numbers. They are not marketed at the species level, but most are painted to look like recognizable species (the identifications are mine or by other forum members).

The identification today is somewhat tenuous, and the figure can probably represent any number of pierids, including members of the genus Colias. I chose Zerene because of the size of the back eyespots and the infuscations near the base of the forewings, although it would have been nice if the black margins were more well-defined. Such as the case with many Toy Major butterflies, it clearly appears to have been influenced by an actual species, but misses specific characteristics. Several species produced by Toy Major have been produced by other companies of the same era (Club Earth, K&M International, early Safari Ltd., etc.), as these companies tend to copy one another, and it is sometimes difficult to determine who came first. K&M International also produced a figure of Z. cesonia, although in that figure the black margins of the wings are better demarcated.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern and western South America, north to southern United States; strays reaching most of the eastern and southern two-thirds of the US.
Habitat: Meadows, fields, forest edges, roadsides, disturbed areas
Diet: Larvae feed on several plants in the family Fabaceae (legumes), including Medicago (alfalfa), Amorpha (false indigo), Dalea (prairie clovers), Glycine (soybean), and Trifolium (clover). Adults take nectar from various flowers.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Zerene cesonia has three generations a year in the southern part of its range. In the northern part, which consists mostly of vagrants, migrants, and strays, there is only one generation.

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Species: †Kosmoceratops richardsoni Sampson et al., 2010

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Haolonggood
Series: 1:35 Science and Art Model
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Figure length approx. 12.5 cm. for a scale of 1:36
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Like all of Haolonggood's dinosaur's to date, this Kosmoceratops comes in two colors, the other being 'red'. I rarely seek out a specific color with Haolonggood's dinosaurs and usually just go with whatever appeals to me at the time of purchase.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of present-day western North America (Laramidia)
Habitat: Wet alluvial plains and adjacent swamplands and lakelands
Diet: Plants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: There have been numerous phylogenetic analyses of the relationship between K. richardsoni and other chasmosaurine ceratopsids since it's description in 2010. It's generally accepted that Kosmoceratops and Vagaceratops are sister taxa in the Chasmosaurus lineage and may be directly descended from Chasmosaurus. Speciation may have occurred as populations migrated north to south.

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A great little dino

Species: Stonogobiops xanthorhinicus Hoese & Randall, 1982
Common name(s): yellownose prawn-goby

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Coral Reef Fish
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Base 6.3 cm long. Body length of fish approx. 3.2 cm for a scale of 1:1.9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This is at least the second release of this figure and set. I don't know the original year, but likely 2008 or 2009. It may have even been reissued between then and my set in 2015. The fish is removable from its base, which contains a symbiotic snapping shrimp in the genus Alpheus (see below). I had always assumed the shrimp was the red-banded snapping shrimp, A. randalli but in nature that shrimp is usually associated with gobies in the genus Amblyeleotris. In captivity, A. randalli partners with other gobies, however. With around 330 species in the genus Alpheus, getting a species name on the shrimp might not be possible.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, coastal slopes, sand flats; at depths of 3-45 meters (usual range 20-45 meters)
Diet: Zooplankton, small crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Stonogobiops xanthorhinicus and other prawn-gobies and shrimpgobies have a symbiotic relationship with snapping shrimp (also called pistol shrimp) in the family Alpheidae, especially members of the genus Alpheus. The goby and shrimp share a burrow together. The shrimp maintains the burrow and in turn gets to feed on food scraps from the fish. The shrimp is nearly blind and is very sensitive to movements of the fish, often keeping an antennae in constant contact with the fish. If the fish retreated into the burrow to avoid danger, this shrimp follows!

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Nice

Species: †Liopleurodon ferox Sauvage, 1873

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 17.5 cm for a scale of 1:27.4-1:45.8 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Liopleurodon surged in popularity as toys and figures following an episode of Walking with Dinosaurs in 1999. That television depiction also spawned the color pattern we see here today, and a pattern was used for figures by Chap Mei, CollectA, Toyway, Geoworld, and Bullyland, to name a few. There have been very few figures of this species produced in the last 10-15 years. The scale above is calculated based on a body range of 4.8-8.0 meters.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle (Callovian) to Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian); probably in most seas and oceans of the time
Habitat: Pelagic
Diet: Fish, cephalopods, smaller marine reptiles (see below)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Stomach contents of L. ferox have revealed the presence of hooklets of teuthoid cephalopods, fish bones, and reptilian teeth. Three suggests of the diet of L. ferox have been proposed. One is that it feed primarily on squid, although since it's assumed the speed of Liopleurodon is much slower than squid, this would have been unlikely unless the pliosaur was an ambush predator, which it probably was not. Another theory is that L ferox was an opportunistic feeder. The third theory is that L. ferox fed on large predators of cephalopods, and that the hooklets are residual from the alimentary canal of the pliosaur's prey.

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Species: Nymphicus hollandicus (Kerr, 1792)
Common name(s): cockatiel; weero; weiro; quarrion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Bird Garden
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:4-1:4.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I cannot remember off-hand but some assembly may have been required. This set also included a cockatiel in the domestic Lutino color morph. Kaiyodo also released three cockatiels in the 2002 Choco Q Pet Series but they appear to be different sculpts than the Capsule Q figures.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia
Habitat: Open woodland, savanna, grasslands, agricultural fields, semi-arid and arid regions; usually around water holes and other reliable sources of water
Diet: Seeds, especially of Acacia, but also domestic crops of wheat, sorghum, sunflower
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Nymphicus hollandicus is a very social bird. Bonds between individuals form very early and birds tend to flock in groups of several to several thousand individuals. They usually do not stray too far from a reliable source of water. Larger groups may venture greater distances from nesting sites to forage for food, however. Nesting occurs in large tree holes, with Eucalyptus being the preferred host tree. Cockatiels have a strong parental drive and both sexes share parenting responsibilities. Both birds incubate eggs, with males typically incubating from early morning to late afternoon and females throughout the night. Both parents also feed the chicks via allofeeding, whereby food is passed directly between birds.

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Species: Aipysurus apraefrontalis Smith, 1926
Common name(s): short-nosed sea snake; Sahul reef snake

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yowie Group
Series: Wild Water Series
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Figure 5.5 cm across its widest points. Measured along midline, body length approx. 22.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.7.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: It is generally assumed this figure is unique for its species. Play Visions' 'Kakadu sea snake' is often thought to represent this species, although more likely that figure was modeled after the file snake (Acrochordus arafurae).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia; endemic to the Ashmore and Cartier Islands off Western Australia
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 0 to greater than 10 meters deep
Diet: Small fish, especially gobies
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: Aipysurus apraefrontalis was historically believed to be endemic to reefs around the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, where it hadn’t been seen since 1998. In 2010, the IUCN assessed the snake as Critically Endangered. In 2015, specimens were found in coastal Western Australia in Exmouth Gulf, Roebourne, and Broome, as well as the Arafura Sea and in 2018 the IUCN reassessed the snake as Data Deficient. Studies in 2021suggest that the coastal population may represent a new, undescribed species, which means true A. apraefrontalis may truly be endemic to the Ashmore and Cartier reefs and could be functionally extinct. However, also in 2021 ROVs with cameras recorded a live specimen of A. apraefrontalis in the mesophotic zone of the Ashmore Reef, suggesting the species is still extant. However, until specimens are collected and compared by morphologic analysis, there is no way to know if the current sea snakes in the Ashmore Reef are true A. apraefrontalis or members of the coastal population that have migrated to the reef.

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Wow!

Species: Enypniastes eximia Théel, 1882
Common name(s): pink swimming sea cucumber; Spanish dancer; headless chicken monster

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Deep Sea Animals MIU Series 2
Year of Production: 2001
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 3.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.7-1:8.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The sea cucumber is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide in most seas and oceans
Habitat: Benthic; at depths of 370-5,700 meters
Diet: Organic material in benthic sediment
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: While normally staying close to the ocean floor, E. eximia can propel itself upwards of 1,000 meters into the water column, possibly to find new feeding grounds or to avoid predators. It lifts itself up and propels itself with the use of its anterior veil and the posterior pair of webbed swimming fins.

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...by the way, today is the four-year anniversary of this thread!

Happy birthday

Species: Hypsibius dujardini (Doyère, 1840)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: The Minimum Coexistence: Microbe
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 4.0 cm for a scale of 800:1-24:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure loosely sits on a round, flat base with it's Japanese and Latin names and size (see inset). The scale above is calculated based on the range on the figure's base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cosmopolitan
Habitat: Sediment of freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams
Diet: Phytoplankton
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Hypsibius dujardini, as commonly known, is probably a species complex rather than a single cosmopolitan species. Like other tardigrades, H. dujardini can respond to environmental stressors through cryptobiosus, a stress response whereby an individual halts development and metabolism. In this tardigrade, it is specifically driven by anhydrobiosis, a form of cryptobiosis that is induced by desiccation. The tardigrade will come out of its desiccated state after being exposed to water again.

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Species: Shinkaia crosnieri Baba & Williams, 1998
Common name(s): hydrothermal vent squat lobster

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Deep Sea Creatures
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Base approx. 4.0 cm across its widest points. Carapace length approx. 2.0 cm, with scale 1:1 for a small specimen or up to 1:2.6 for a very large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The squat lobster is removable from its base. I had a challenging time photographing this figure and getting the colors and lighting right, especially since the lights in my apartment have a yellowish cast. I ended up turning off all the lights and only having a little ambient light from outdoors! I have to remember this technique for future pale critters of the abyss!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Habitat: Benthic; at depths of 1,200-1,760 meters
Diet: Nutrients derived from epibiotic bacteria living on the crustacean's setae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Invertebrates that live among deep-sea hydrothermal vents have associations with epibiotic bacteria. The bacteria are able to oxidize sulfur from the vents and their chemolithoautotrophic and methanotrophic products provide nutrients for the host animal. The bacteria that have been associated with S. crosnieri include members of the genera Epsilonproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. Shinkaia crosnieri has been observed frequently combing its setae, and it is now understood that in doing so they are ingesting the bacteria in the process and acquiring the byproducts of sulfur oxidation.

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Species: Melanosuchus niger (Spix, 1825)
Common name(s): black caiman

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toymany
Series: 12PCS Reptile Figurine Set
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 19.3 cm for a scale of 1:11.4-1:25.9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The lower jaw is articulated. The proportions are those of an adult, although the color of the lower jaw and tail are more like that of a juvenile. However, M. niger tends to retain juvenile coloring into adulthood, more commonly than other caimans. The scale above is calculated based on a range of 2.2-5 meters.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America; Amazon Basin of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru
Habitat: Slow-moving rivers, lakes, wetlands, blackwater swamps, and seasonally flooded areas of the Amazon River
Diet: Young primarily eat small fish, frogs, mollusks, crustaceans; adults primarily eat larger fish and mollusks, but are general apex predators on many animals, including snakes, turtles, birds, mammals, and other smaller species of caimans.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Melanosuchus niger is the largest member of the family Alligatoridae and the largest predator in the Amazon Basin. Most adults are 2.2-4.3 meters in length, but some older males may exceed 5.0 meters. There are widely reported, but unconfirmed and possibly  anecdotal, records of males growing over 6.1 meters in length and weighing up to 1,100 kilograms.

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Species: Calappa lophos (Herbst, 1782)
Common name(s): red-streaked box crab; common box crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Seaside Creatures Vol. 2
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Carapace width approx. 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:2.9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen C. lophos in the Museum. The claws (chelae) are fused together.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs; in sandy or muddy areas at depths of 10-100 meters
Diet: Hard-shelled mollusks, hermit crabs residing in gastropod shells
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Members of the genus Calappa are commonly called 'shame-faced' crabs because the way they hold their large chelae, it looks as though they are covering their faces in shame.

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Species: Isoptera, gen. sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Funrise Toys
Series: World of Nature Insect Collection
Year of Production: 1989
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approx. 4.0 cm for a scale of 1.6:1 for the maximum size of a king termite (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare [as a group]
Miscellaneous Notes: Funrise Toys only marketed this figure as a 'king termite'. A species-level identification would be an exercise in futility. With my current collecting practices, I normally wouldn't retain generic insects like this, but termite figures are so rare in our hobby. The information below is for termites generally.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide
Habitat: Highly variable depending on dietary requirements, including subterranean burrows, dead trees and stumps, canopies of living trees, and manmade wooden structures, including wood used for fencing and housing
Diet: General detritivore, including living and dead plants, lumber and wood, animal feces
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A
Miscellaneous Notes: Termites have been historically placed in the order Isoptera, which was allied with Mantodea (mantids) and Blattodea (cockroaches). They were especially considered close to wood-eating cockroaches in the genus Cryptocercus based on morphologic similarities, habitat and diet, and sharing symbiotic gut flagellates. Molecular analyses starting in the early 2000s showed that termites are nestled within Blattodea and they are essentially highly specialized eusocial cockroaches! Blattodea (including the infraorder Isoptera) and Mantodea are sometimes combined into a single taxon, Dictyoptera, which is given either superordinal or ordinal rank.

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