#Coastal goth

[bad-wolf-circe]

actually i'm anti aesthetic. actually i don't believe in living my life according to the mandate of the same 500 pinterest images. actually i think my life has some meaning, some shades of color to it, outside of a set of rules and stereotypes that are presented to me in a tidy little package. actually, maybe i'm the ugly color gradient and that means there is nuance to the way i live. actually, i don't want to JUST be a witch, or a clean girl, or a mythic bitch, or the feminine mystique, or a coastal grandmother, or a cottagecore lover of women, or punk, or rock, or death metal, or goth. actually being a girl hasn't been anything like what's been shown to me -- and so i will be a girl on my own terms. actually i think being a girl has been nothing like the movies or the moodboards. actually FUCK your moodboards and your makeup too. actually i'm nothingandeverythingcore. actually im alive im alive im alive and that requires no aestheticization. it requires no sanitization of existence. actually life is most beautiful when it is diverse. actually i will try everything and know everything and nothing will stop me; my life will be varied and beautiful and messy and chaotic and occasionally organized and exactly the way it ought to be, you FUCKERS.

#personally? i think living life strictly and entirely according to an aesthetic is STUPID and DUMB #why would you limit your life like that?? why would you only dress and eat and wear makeup and read a certain way?? why? #why would you deprive yourself of the beauty of LIVING?? #i will take the meaningful parts of everything #and live my life by the values that resonate with me! #life is nothing if you can't try something new! #anti aesthetic #cottagecore #punk #goth #rock #clean girl #witchcore #coastal grandmother #messy girl #aesthetic #girlhood

[forestgreenivy]

You can find me here.

#lowcountry #south carolina #southern #southern goth aesthetic #southern gothic #gothic #outdoors #nature #naturecore #adventure #spooky #mossy woods #spanish moss #moss #forestcore #forest path #forest green #coastal #beachcore #southern aesthetic #lowcountry lore #spooky aesthetic #dm me #me #message me #dms #photography #let’s talk #hiking #camping

[mantaray7]

practical magic my fav movie 🤍

#grunge #goth aesthetic #trad goth #soft grunge #practical magic #sandra bullock #nicole kidman #witches #coastal #whimsigoth

[prismatic-skies]

#art #vmt #artist #big cartel #vt #pastel goth #small business #goth #wax melts #home fragrances #blue #ocean #sea #water #waves #mirror #nautical #coast #coastal

[rocksanddeadflowers]

thinking about jonny's backstory in CoCaL and the fact that i stupidly romanticize and love writing about drowning....

#the consequences of creation and love #have a few different drafts of different characters that's just the pov of the character drowning #i am NOT insane i swear i always functioned this way #this is just what happens to kids who grew up gothic and coastal and fixated on mermaids #and pirates and ghosts #fae too but that irrelevant i was a goth kid growing up in Galveston what do you expect

[eonars]

The coffee shop I go work at is probably the single most tourist riddled one in town but I have to go here bc the other one is in a phone signal dead zone for me and I keep missing calls so I'm posted up here rn frequently in outfits that can only be described as nadja of antipaxos casual friday watching a bunch of sand covered sunburnt confused people file in and stare at me for way too long

#regret to inform you all that even coastal retirement towns in california produce goths

[bellheadband]

Saturday October 8th BELLHEAD | Coastal Satellites | Corporate Mascot Al’s Bar | Lexington, KY 8pm | $7 | 21+

#BELLHEAD #Coastal Satellites #Corporate Mascot #tour #local music #live music #chicago band #chicago music #indie music #industrial music #goth music #alternative music #postpunk #coldwave #darkwave #spooky

[lizzisimss]

Chic Dark Academia Apartment CC List:

CC used (list below) San Myshuno 2 bed, 1 bath $98,970

charly pancakes - https://www.patreon.com/charlypancakes

Maple & S Constructions part 3 merged

The Lighthouse Collection merged

Lavish Merged

Soak merged

Faded-springs – https://www.patreon.com/fadedsprings

William morris-ish prints

Felixandre – https://www.patreon.com/felixandre

Fayun part 3

Gothic revival interior

London Interior

Greenllamas – https://www.patreon.com/greenllamas

KERV

house of harlix - https://www.houseofharlix.com

Orjanic

Bafroom

Baysic Bathroom Merged

Baysic Merged

Livin’Rum Merged

The Kichen

harrie - https://www.patreon.com/heyharrie

Brownstone Collection Complete merged

Coastal part 1, 2, and 4 merged

Octave part 1 and 3 merged

Shop the look

Stockholm

Josh Jo Se Oh – https://www.patreon.com/jo_se_oh

Recolors Tall Order Vintage Set

Joyceisfox – https://www.patreon.com/Joyceisfox

Claude Monet – Paintings#1

Simple Live

Summer Garden

Van Gogh Paintings#1

Kiwisim - https://www.patreon.com/Kiwisim4

Piha

KKB – https://www.patreon.com/user?u=15789815

Citrus Room

Karlstad

leaf motif - https://leaf-motif.tumblr.com

Aubrey Office

Botanic Boudoir

Calliope Bathroom

Eloise Living

Starlight Crystals

Lilis-palace – https://www.patreon.com/lilis_palace

Folklore set off the grid

Intarsia – Biedermeier Set

Littlecakes – https://litttlecakes.tumblr.com/downloadspage

Poor Bunny

littledica - https://www.patreon.com/littledica

Eco Kitchen Stuff Pack Merged

Rise & Grind Café Merged

Sleek Slumber Stuff Pack Merged

Lumen-Niveus – https://lumenniveus.tumblr.com/

Millennia Merged

Lustrousims – https://www.patreon.com/lustrousims

Oil paintings

Runner hallway table

Photo ladder

MadameRia – https://www.patreon.com/MadameRia

Basic Luxe Add ons

Basic Luxe Plants

Lucky Man Folded Shirts Override

Madlen – https://www.patreon.com/madlen

Goth book

Goth ink bottle

Nuri rug

Marvell – https://marvell-world.tumblr.com/TOU

PS Painting merged

Mechtasims - https://www.patreon.com/mechtasims

Bathroom set

MycupofCC - https://www.patreon.com/mycupofcc

MapleManor Part 1

myshunosun - https://www.patreon.com/myshunosun

Serene bathroom

Daria bedroom

Dawn living

Lottie

Bake it up

Herbalist kitchen

Thrifted tv

ONI – https://www.patreon.com/oni28

Antique Country Dining

peacemaker - https://peacemaker-ic.tumblr.com/TS4O...

Bayside Bedroom Set

Eloise Seating

Elsie Bedroom Basics

Futura Merged

Hinterlands Bedroom

Hudson Bathroom

Kingston Dining merged

Kitayama Living merged

pierisim - https://www.patreon.com/pierisim

Calderone bedroom

Oakhouse part 1, 2, 4, 5 merged

The office mini kit

Auntie vera bathroom merged

Coldbrew coffeeshop

David apartment part 1 merged

Domaine du clos part 2 merged

MCM part 2, 3 and 5 merged

Winter garden part 1

Pralinesims – https://www.patreon.com/pralinesims

Pavement terrain 5

S-imagination – https://www.patreon.com/simagination

Nota living room merged

simplisticsims - http://simplisticsims4.com

Art ronai woman with vase

Botanical framed art

Rusticrug

Vintagecountryartllb

SYB – https://www.patreon.com/Syboubou

Galileo

Nothingtowear

Painter Studio

TaurusDesign – https://www.patreon.com/taurusdesign

Cassandra Bathroom

Elsa Kids Room

Jade build

Nina Living Room

Clutter Cat - https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/thec...

Busy bee 2

Busy bee

CatMilkNo1Reloaded

Dandy Diary Bathroom

Dany Diary Part i

Dandy Diary part ii

JapanJuice

MellowMoods

TUDS -https://www.patreon.com/TudTuds

Ema Dining Room merged

Ind Merged

Wave merged

Awingedllama – https://www.patreon.com/awingedllama

Apartment therapy inspired stuff v2 merged

Tray files are available on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lizzisimss

Please consider supporting if you wish :)

#lizzisimss #ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 #sims 4 cc #sims cc #cc #sims 4 custom content #sims custom content #custom content #sims 4 cc list #sims cc list #cc list #sims 4 cc finds #sims cc finds #cc finds #sims 4 cc links #sims cc links #cc links #apartment #sims 4 apartment #patreon

[patheticbatman]

As of Chapter 81, this is crew of the Courageous from Time to Orbit: Unknown, a marvellous space drama and mystery by @derinthescarletpescatarian . Original sketches & character guide below. Many of the character appearances are based on headcanon, but the ones with asterisks are based on canon sources.

I drew Celi first! I figured I would do the people in front, who I would have to draw most of their bodies, and work from left to right. Celi has had multiple organ issues, so she looks a little drawn (lol) and is still recovering in her wheelchair :). I drew her with small braids just hanging from the top of her head, as I imagine she’s too tired to take care of her hair very often, but still wants to keep some, so she has a sort of cap of braids. There’s probably a term for the style, but idk. Celi is of North African descent.

Next to Celi is Renn. His head looks wonky because I was drawing at an angle at the time. He’s been mostly depilated, and I imagine him in a sort of Aang-meets-European-in-a-tracksuit outfit because he’s calm and tries not to do much drama, but is condescending. Renn is of West Asian/American/Tarandran descent.

Then we have Public Universal Friend (PUF) 2 with the twists. I figure it doesn’t want a lot of hair to take care of, and this style keeps it out of its face. Same clothes as the other PUF. It is kneeling, with one leg propped up. It is of coastal Southern East African descent.

*Then laying on the ground is Tal. Ke is looking at kes tablet because ke doesn’t like focusing on other things. Tal is unfortunately at the wrong angle to show off ke’s face tattoo. Small afro kept stylishly kept, along with some garters and a short skirt. Ke is laying down because ke feels like it. Ke is of West African/American/Texan descent.

*Then we have Aspen, the POV character, smack dab in the middle. Canonically, they’d don’t have a headband as far as we know, but I think their hair looks nice pushed up like that. They are wearing a jumpsuit like last time, but this time has a belt for flair, because Tal and Sunset convinced them. Aspen sits cross cross because they can and it’s a common sitting posture in Arborea. They are of West African/American/Arborea Atlantican descent.

Lina is kneeling like PUF2, but facing the other way. I gave her buns and square jewelery because I based her off of a Hopi woman’s ’do that I really liked, and Lina can be short for names like Catalina. She has freckles because they’re fun. She’s gained some muscle and weight since the last picture, which is great! She is of Hopi/Latin American descent.

Last is Sunset. She is a zeelite, a subculture interested in replicating and investigating pre-Neocambrian (aka our time) cultures. She is largely inspired by what she knows of punk, pastel goths, drag, and to be honest, Barbie (2023). She is voguing because she knows and appreciates the importance of looking good. Sunset is of Central African/of Sirius descent.

Now for the top row, left to right again!

First, we have Heli. She wears functional but pretty clothes because she appreciates utility but always wants to show off what she’s got. The newest addition to the crew, she’s a little spiky, but has a soft spot for Adin. She was inspired by a picture of a Sistergirl from Australia (my headcanon, I only saw a picture of her and was unable to find more specific information). Heli is of Indigenous Australian descent.

*Next, we have Adin. I keep forgetting to draw him with tattoos, so I added a neck one last minute. His look has probably changed the most - his canon picture came out only a few months ago, so I drew him differently the first time. Adin cooks a lot, so he doesn’t try to wear anything or have a hairdo that could be ruined by cooking. Adin is of West African/Arborea Atlantican/American/Texan descent.

*Next up, the tallest of the bunch (and I forgot to draw his left arm until last minute, we have Denish! He’s doing the Arnold Schwarzenegger pose. The gentle Giant of the group, I was unable to recapture his face quite the same way as last time, but I still think he turned out well. He’s one of my favorite space pirates. I think he wears high collars to hide Tinera’s hickeys. Denish is of West African/American/Texan descent.

Right in front of Denish is PUF 1, AKA Dr. PUF. Still has tousled hair, still has the same robe. PUF is kneeling. It is of European descent.

*Hanging off of Denish is Tinera! She’s changed also, as her official looks came out, though I think I’ve kept her pretty nice looking still! I forgot to give her glasses though :(. I gave her Garnet (Steven Universe) finger gloves because they look cool. Tinera is of Central African/Lunarian descent.

Under Tinera is Sam. He’s partly visually inspired by the Dad of some kids I watch, and Ballister from Nimona. He likes to gaze at the stars and wonder about all the stories that will be told about them. Sam is of South Asian descent.

*Lastly is Keldin (AKA Captain Sands). He’s always dressed well and keeps his hair well-coifed. Hardly anyone from the ‘first’ crew likes him. He is standing awkwardly farther away because he knows everyone near him isn’t his tan. Keldin is of West African/American/Trandran descent.

#time to orbit: unknown #time to orbit unknown #ttou #tto:u #Aspen greaves

[lifeafterartsch00l]

@impala-designs, okay!

My head canon for this vision of old man yaoi is that Sasuke is a silver fox who swans around in dark linen like a goth coastal grandma coz why not. Sasuke looks grumpy because he is an old man and because he is Sasuke but secretly he loves hugs from his ancient husband ❤️ Naruto is also still Hokage because he is a benevolent dictator ❤️

#naruto #Naruto fanart #old man yaoi #sns #sasunaru #narusasu #brooklyn nine nine #b99 #crossover

[forestgreenivy]

I love an Egret and a swamp :)

#bird photography #egret #coastal birds #swamp posting #i love the swamp!!! #swamp #birds #birdlr #nature #naturecore #goblincore #goblin #mossy woods #mosscore #moss #outdoors #adventure #wildlife #dm me #me #message me #dms #photography #nature photography #south carolina #lowcountry lore #lowcountry #southern goth aesthetic #southern gothic

[loreleywrites]

Loreley's TTRPG Characters: Kalliope Vex

I had y'all vote in a poll to see which of my TTRPG characters y'all would like to hear about first, and it was a clear win for the most problematic one. Good job, Tumblr! (Genuinely, good job; I love playing Kalliope.)

Kalliope Vex is my character in Armour Astir: Advent by Briar Sovereign, a PBTA game featuring magitech mechs called astirs, big-scope faction turns that change the course of your revolution, and narrative-first rules that embrace all the Cool Robots and War Is Bads a fantasy-bent Gundam-vibed game can offer. You can find it here.

ANYWAY.

Let's start with my favorite picrew I've made of Kalliope:

Kalliope (xe/xer) is 37yo, 6' tall, and weighs just under 200lbs. Xe's got lean muscle, a goth bob, dykey combat boots, and xer left eye has a glowing green iris and black sclera to reflect the power of xer patron. I'm playing the Witch playbook, which means in order to pilot xer astir, Kalliope struck a deal with a mysterious entity known as The Deep to access the powerful magic needed to construct and control such a large machine.

Xe's of the opinion that xe shackled this being in order to use its power, but The Deep has its own plans and helps and hinders Kalliope according to its own whims. Classic D&D warlock vibes.

Kalliope's whole deal at the beginning of our campaign is that xe wants to destroy the fascist empire, the Spellbound Republic, by any means necessary. Xe spent about a decade operating as a rogue astir pilot ambushing Republic squads whenever xe could hunt them down. Now, xe's part of the crew of The Adamant, a carrier operating with Fate's Inflection, the largest anti-fascist resistance force.

Xer astir is named Clatterhulk, and it's largely constructed from leviathan bones and obsidian. The cockpit is accessed by ribs opening up and granting entry. It boasts massive obsidian claws, a mounted cannon of focused bioluminescent light on top of its skull, and carries a sniper rifle that shoots bullets imbued with the crushing pressure of deep ocean trenches. Most notably, the upper arms, upper legs, sternum, and spine of Clatterhulk are etched with a series of arcane glyphs.

Kalliope has the exact same glyphs carved into xer upper arms, upper legs, sternum, and spine. These are glyphs associated with The Deep, and they link Kalliope's magical power to the astir and allow xer to do simple things like control the astir and complicated things like sense the heartbeats of every person in Clatterhulk's range while xe's piloting it.

Born in the slums of Glass Harbor, a coastal city built inside the rim of a massive caldera that embraces Crater Bay, Kalliope endured a childhood under rule of Amaurosia, the Goddess of Fear. Ever defiant, xe didn't understand why even adults let fear rule their lives. Young Kalliope reveled in scaring other children, and as a teenager began to truly understand the power one could gain through fear. Xe watched the Spellbound Republic leverage Amaurosia's power to control the populace, so xe joined an insurgent group called the Shatter Fists. When Kalliope was about 18, the Republic managed to capture and publically execute most of the Shatter Fists, leaving xer functionally alone in the world. This is when xer quest for power brought xer in contact with The Deep, xe constructed Clatterhulk, and xe began a bloodthirsty campaign of vengeance and violence against the Republic.

To Kalliope, all that matters is power. Xe's surly, rude, and arrogant (all to a fault), shielding xerself from having to genuinely connect to another person ever again. Xe doesn't do romance; sadistic hookups are all xe thinks xe needs (Kalliope carries a ritual knife carved from whale bone on a thigh strap, and xe does not practice safe kink with it.) Kalliope doesn't just want to kill fascists, xe wants to hunt and humiliate them. Xe wants to sow fear in their ranks the same way they used fear to rule a city.

Besides breaking pathetic women, Kalliope does enjoy live music and frequents dive bars for the music as much as the women and alcohol (Xe is a heavy drinker.) Despite Kalliope's rough edges, xe is a brilliant engineer and a talented scrimshaw artist (Xer ritual knife depicts a whale locked in combat with a kraken.) Xe also loves lollipops. I don't know why. I think I just loved the idea of xer flirting with someone by taking a lollipop out of xer mouth and shoving it into the other person's. Or crunching it in one bite. Mean ladies can like candy too.

ANYWAY.

Since we've been playing (a few months now), nobody in the crew really likes Kalliope any more than they did at the beginning except Captain Archer Mulligan, the captain of the carrier. He understands that Kalliope has turned xerself into a weapon, and so long as he can aim xer, xe'll be an asset to the war effort.

Xe literally broke xer against the wall trying to punch a squadmate who was laying into xer after xe had to retreat from a sortie xe recklessly launched xerself into.

Kalliope is starting to understand that working with other people, trusting them, can be an asset for xer goals too. The more people xe can leverage in combat, the bigger fights xe can win.

Xe's also started thinking about what happens when there's no more blood to shed. It's not a thought that ever crept into xer mind before (I think xe has internalized that xe's going to die fighting in this war, despite how much xe blusters about killing every last fascist in the world.)

The big development happened only last session, as I have declared a rival for xer! There's this sniper working for the council of fascist demigods whose gun can literally take down astirs, Ririka. Ririka has escaped from multiple sorties, so during the last downtime, Kalliope hunted her down to a dive bar and confronted her with the intent to intimidate her before xe inevitably kills xer. This is the most genuine way Kalliope has ever flirted with anyone, but I don't think xe knows it yet. I'm looking forward to seeing how badly Kalliope and Ririka fuck up each other's lives. Maybe they kiss! Maybe they don't. Gotta play to find out what happens.

Well, I think that about covers what I was planning on sharing. I hope y'all enjoyed hearing about this mess of a character I'm currently playing. Happy to answer questions about xer if folks are curious.

#loreleys OCs #kalliope vex #armour astir #ttrpg #wlw #lesbian #sapphic

[beastie-bones]

Hi! Could I request a masc 80s trad goth/punk inspired outfit board for a dark colored coastal wolf? (If that’s not too much to ask, ty in advance!!)

Here you go anon, hope you like it!

#otherkin #image board #therian #aesthetic #moodboard #otherhearted #board #animal #otherkith #wolf #black #goth #punk #black wolf #trad goth

[thethirdromana]

My journey is all mapped out: a two-week Dracula tour of Europe

A fun fact about me is that I enjoy planning holidays that I have no intention of taking. So, if I had two free weeks and more money than I actually do, here's the Dracula-inspired journey around Europe that I might consider.

(Spoilers under the cut)

Days 1-3: Whitby

This is the opportunity to visit all the key Dracula locations, from a coastal walk to Robin Hood's Bay to gazing out over the village and the sea from Mina and Lucy's favourite spot in the graveyard of St Mary's.

In non-Dracula things, Whitby Goth Weekend happens twice a year in April and October. I recommend the Magpie Café for fish and chips.

Day 4: travel to London

Most of the long train journeys in this plan are delightful overnight sleeper services that will make you feel like you're right there with Jonathan and Mina rattling across Europe. Unfortunately, the journey from Whitby to London is not one of them.

Services are infrequent and the journey takes a solid 5 hours. But the start, where you go very very slowly through the beautiful North York Moors, isn't too bad.

Days 5-7: London

There's a whole heap of things to see in London on a theme by either Dracula or Bram Stoker:

The Lyceum Theatre, where Bram Stoker worked for 27 years

The various houses that Bram Stoker lived in

Golders Green Crematorium, where Bram Stoker's ashes can be visited by appointment

Assorted Dracula settings, such as those the Harkers visited on their London day trip

I'd also suggest a visit to Highgate Cemetery, which may have been part of the inspiration for Lucy's tomb (pop in on Karl Marx and Douglas Adams while you're there), and the British Library for general literary joy.

Exeter is a 2.5 hour train journey from London, so you could also go there, either overnight or for a speedy day-trip, if you're a completist. But personally I'd skip it and spend the time going to see the Lion King at the Lyceum or a Shakespeare play at the Globe instead.

Day 8: Paris

The characters in Dracula take a number of different routes to get across Europe, but I've gone with the route that the Crew of Light take as they go to hunt Dracula down in his home.

That means following the Man in Seat 61 guide for travelling from London to Romania by train, taking an early Eurostar to get yourself to Paris. You'll only have a few hours in Paris before the evening sleeper train, but it should be enough to visit Père Lachaise Cemetery, where Oscar Wilde is buried.

Day 9: Vienna

You'll arrive in Vienna around 10am, then have the day to spend there until another evening train. Personally, I'd spend the time visiting the Hofburg Palace and Sisi Museum; Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Austria was famous in the late 19th century and her tragic life story feels fitting for a Dracula tour.

Yes, this plan involves fast trains crossing multiple European countries without much of a breather. Just like they do in Dracula :)

Day 10: Cluj-Napoca

Note: I've visited all the other destinations in this guide, but never been to Romania, though I'd really like to go to Cluj in particular. So from this point on, this is based on googling, not first-hand knowledge.

Cluj, referred to by the German name of Klausenburg in Dracula, is the unofficial capital of Transylvania. Your sleeper train from Vienna should get there around 8.20am, in time to hop on a tram to the Old Town's cluster of breakfast places. I've been told that Cluj is a lively, student-y city with great nightlife and festivals.

Days 11-14: Romania

Time to explore Romania! At this point there's a decision to make. On the one hand, there's strict adherence to the settings of Dracula, in which case you'll want to head to Bistrița, or maybe even extend your journey on to Varna or Galați.

On the other hand, you could go more on vibes. In which case, hire a car to drive through the remoter parts of Transylvania, then turn south to Bran Castle, which has very little actual connection to Dracula but certainly looks the part.

-------

In the unlikely event that anyone actually does this journey off the back of this post, please let me know how it goes. I'd be so thrilled to hear about it!

#dracula daily #dracula daily spoilers

[pleasanttaleswithkaityb]

Pleasant Cameos

Spotted: In the heart of Veronaville, Ezra enjoyed a meal with his enigmatic "Uncle Don." The pair dined in quiet companionship, their connection shrouded in secrecy. Nearby, as Veronaville's Regan Capp and Antonio Monty heatedly debated, Albany Capp keenly observed the unfolding drama. General Buzz, a formidable figure from Strangetown, loomed in the background, adding mystery to the scene. Meanwhile, the ever-mysterious Cassandra Goth watched silently, intensifying the enigma. From the coastal town of Bluewater Bay, the enigmatic Ian Moody completed this intriguing tableau. Suddenly, a brawl erupted, capturing the attention of all present except the love birds off in the corner.

#maxis premades #pleasantview #strangetown #veronaville #ts2 to ts4 #pleasantview legacy #pleasant cameos

[schizochroal]

These are some of my favorite, less well known, non-malacostracan crustaceans!

Mystacocarids

They are usually placed in a group with Ostracods, that is basal to all other extant crustaceans, meaning crabs, barnacles, and bees are all more closely related to each other than they are too Mystacocarids. They live in between grains of sand on beaches in many parts of the world. They get up to 1 millimeter long. I like how they kinda look like feather dusters, or like stretched out lice with too many legs.

Cephalocarids or Horseshoe shrimp

These guys were only discovered in the 1950s century and since then have been grouped with the remipedes, although recently they typically are instead placed in their own group! They are benthic organisms that live in all kinds of sediment from the shore to the deep sea, and typically eat detritus. They are hermaphroditic, have no eyes , and get up to 4 mm long! I think they look a lot like some primitive, Cambrian era arthropods, and despite being small and probably not likely to fossilize, their fossil record extends back to Ordovician, so the appellation of them being "Cambrian survivors" may very well be accurate.

Notostracans or Tadpole Shrimp

Consisting of the genera Triops and Lepidurus, this group of animals is most closely related to water fleas and clam shrimp , and more distantly to fairy shrimp (such as the famous sea monkey brine shrimp). Like brine shrimp, Triops are a common pet. Both genera are known to have populations in temporary pools of water, and have long lasting eggs that can survive desiccation and years without water before hatching again when the water returns. They also can live in shallow lakes, certain wetlands, and other more permanent ponds, and depending on species live in fresh, brackish or even salt lakes, but don't live in marine environments. They are omnivores and will basically eat anything, including smaller members of their own species. For a relatively small group of crustaceans, they have a wide variety of reproductive strategies, with some populations having sexually reproducing males and females, some having exclusively self fertilizing females, others being primarily hermaphroditic, and still others being different mixes of these. This variation is present even in different populations of the same species. They can get up to about 7 cm long , making them much larger than the previously mentioned crustaceans, but not big enough! They are so cute I wish they were big enough I could give them hugs. I think they should be the size of cats .

Remipedes

Remipedes are really special, the first living remipedes were only discovered in the late 1970s, and weren't properly described until 1981, meaning our knowledge of living remipedes is only as old as goth music. To be honest their lifestyle is pretty goth too, they exclusively live in caves and aquifers, typically in subtropical , coastal regions. As befitting creatures of the dark, they have no eyes or pigmentation, and instead have an advanced sense of smell. While they are also capable of filter feeding, they have venomous fangs that they use to predate on smaller organisms, and indeed are the only venomous crustaceans (outside of insects). Unlike the predatory adults, remipede larva don't seem to eat at all, and it's speculated that they may instead derive nutrition from symbiotic bacteria. Remipedes have 32 segments, and being hermaphroditic, have female and male openings on different segments of their bodies (7 and 14, respectively) . Despite their seemingly primitive bodies and strange lifestyle, remipedes have actually been discovered to be the group of crustaceans that are closest to the Hexapods, including the insects! They get up 4 cm long but I wish they were as long as eels.

I also kinda wanted to write about clam shrimp here but their phylogeny is a bit of a mess right now and I'm not even sure what qualifies as a clam shrimp anymore. They basically look like little clam shells with a crustacean swimming around in them.

#crustaceans #remipedes #triops #informational