You think Popeye was going to say it looks like Luidia senegalensis?
hemidactylussays
A more interesting echinoderm nemesis for Popeye would be a sea cucumber. As the sea cucumber preemptively eviscerates itself Popeye is intensely repulsed by the sight and pukes up his spinach leaving him weak and defenseless. The sea cucumber’s caustic viscera entangle Popeye leading to a rather unpleasant experience…
birgerjohanssonsays
The entity facing Popeye has nine limbs.
As it is also bipedal I assume it is an extra-terrestrial which has clumsily camouflaged itself as a predator the computer listed as a common Earth species, without checking the size (or maybe the units were incorrectly translated).
.
The inflated arms of Popeye are housing the symbionts that allow him to have bouts of extreme strength without suffering harm. It is a more convenient arrangement than that of the Hulk.
Sea cucumbers and frigate birds (I think) share the habit of using vomit.
woodsongsays
Sea cucumbers and frigate birds (I think) share the habit of using vomit.
So do vultures. And their stomach acids are really nasty.
Fun fact: If a predator shrugs off the vulture puke and keeps coming, the bird’s next defense is to play dead. Why that would deter a hungry predator is a good question! I’ve seen speculation that it works because there literally isn’t such a thing as food poisoning for a vulture (unless its meal died with man-made poisons in its system), so when the vulture pukes its guts out and apparantly falls over dead, a moderately intelligent predator is going to recognize that something is wrong, and decide not to take a chance.
As for Popeye and the critter he’s looking at, no, that doesn’t look like a spider. Only two eyes? Nine limbs, with hands? One body segment? Nope. It doesn’t look particularly sturdy, either, although looks may be deceiving. With that build, I’d expect more speed than strength.
You want to try stepping on it, Popeye? I don’t think it will be where you think it is by the time your foot gets there, and you’re likely to find yourself flat on your back with it sitting on you before you know it.
weylguy says
That spider got his revenge. Wimpy died shortly after from clogged arteries, while Popeye passed away from cancer-ridden forearms.
hemidactylus says
Wouldn’t Popeye’s excessive spinach consumption put him at risk of kidney stones because the oxalic acid content?
chigau (違う) says
It has nine appendages.
PZ Myers says
You think Popeye was going to say it looks like Luidia senegalensis?
hemidactylus says
A more interesting echinoderm nemesis for Popeye would be a sea cucumber. As the sea cucumber preemptively eviscerates itself Popeye is intensely repulsed by the sight and pukes up his spinach leaving him weak and defenseless. The sea cucumber’s caustic viscera entangle Popeye leading to a rather unpleasant experience…
birgerjohansson says
The entity facing Popeye has nine limbs.
As it is also bipedal I assume it is an extra-terrestrial which has clumsily camouflaged itself as a predator the computer listed as a common Earth species, without checking the size (or maybe the units were incorrectly translated).
.
The inflated arms of Popeye are housing the symbionts that allow him to have bouts of extreme strength without suffering harm. It is a more convenient arrangement than that of the Hulk.
Sea cucumbers and frigate birds (I think) share the habit of using vomit.
woodsong says
So do vultures. And their stomach acids are really nasty.
Fun fact: If a predator shrugs off the vulture puke and keeps coming, the bird’s next defense is to play dead. Why that would deter a hungry predator is a good question! I’ve seen speculation that it works because there literally isn’t such a thing as food poisoning for a vulture (unless its meal died with man-made poisons in its system), so when the vulture pukes its guts out and apparantly falls over dead, a moderately intelligent predator is going to recognize that something is wrong, and decide not to take a chance.
As for Popeye and the critter he’s looking at, no, that doesn’t look like a spider. Only two eyes? Nine limbs, with hands? One body segment? Nope. It doesn’t look particularly sturdy, either, although looks may be deceiving. With that build, I’d expect more speed than strength.
You want to try stepping on it, Popeye? I don’t think it will be where you think it is by the time your foot gets there, and you’re likely to find yourself flat on your back with it sitting on you before you know it.
cjcolucci says
Whose kid is Swee’Pea?