European proteus 4 letters crossword puzzle. "Human fish" or proteus
Two species of this family, belonging to 2 genera, bear features of a larval character throughout their entire organization. Obviously, they are neotenic larvae of some ancient salamanders that have completely lost the ability to metamorphose. The elongated body of Proteus bears two pairs of weak (especially in the European Proteus) limbs. Tail with fin fold. Throughout life, 3 pairs of branched external gills are retained. The lungs are long, but smooth-walled. The eyes are very small, lacking eyelids or completely invisible under the skin. There are no maxillary bones, and the teeth are located on the lower jaw and on the premaxillary bones. The vertebrae are biconcave (ampicelous).
European proteus (Proteus anguinus) lives only in groundwater Yugoslavia. This is the monster - the “draconolm”, which, according to medieval legends, sometimes crawls out of the bowels of the earth and brings disasters. Proteus actually spends his entire life underground, and in rivers that come to the surface of the earth, it is extremely rare and only after very heavy downpours when Proteus is carried out of cave rivers by stormy streams.
Proteus has a somewhat unusual appearance. Its long, eel-like body, 25-30 cm long, pinkish or flesh-red in color, bears 3 pairs of bright red feathery gills and small weak limbs with 3 fingers on the front and 2 on the front. hind legs. The tail is noticeably shorter than the body and compressed laterally. On the head, shaped like a pike, the eyes are not visible, since they are completely hidden under the skin.
Proteus spends its entire life in complete darkness, in cold streams and lakes of caves, at a temperature of about 10°. It feeds in the water on small crustaceans and worms. It does not crawl onto land, but periodically rises to the surface for air. Despite the presence of lungs, it cannot breathe with them alone and, when taken out of the water, dies within a few hours. One of interesting features Protea is that it perceives light over the entire surface of the skin. In captivity, it hides in the dark, eats worms, small crustaceans and pieces of meat. Can go without food for many months.
In nature, at temperatures below 15°, the female brings two live larvae 9-12 mm long. They differ from adults, in addition to their size, by a shortened tail and eyes visible through the skin. The female’s ovaries produce about 80 eggs, but all of them, except two, in the lower section of the oviducts spread into a common yolk mass, which is used to feed two developing larvae.
In captivity, at a temperature of about 20°, females laid from 12 to 80 eggs, from which larvae up to 20 mm long hatched after 90 days. Fertilization is obviously internal.
Proteas were caught in large numbers from underground lakes and rivers for sale to zoos and tourists. Their numbers have dropped sharply, and currently the proteus is under protection and it is prohibited to catch it.
American protea(Necturus maculosus) forms a number of subspecies, which some consider to be 6 closely related species. Distributed in eastern half North America. Its dimensions range from 16 to 43 cm. Unlike the European Proteus, it has a more dense build, more powerful, especially forelimbs with 4 fingers on both the front and hind legs, and clearly visible, although small, eyes. The upper side of its body is brown-red or gray with bluish-black spots, sometimes merging into stripes. The color is very variable. Three pairs of feathery gills are bright red.
Lives in clean lakes with a sandy bottom and rich vegetation. Active at night, when it searches for small crustaceans, worms, insects and their larvae, as well as small fish and tadpoles. American proteas usually breed in September - November, less often in winter or spring. Fertilization is internal: the female captures the spermatophore deposited by the male with the cloaca. Typically, in May - June, several dozen eggs are laid, often under or between stones. The female remains near her eggs, protecting them. The eggs are light yellow, covered with three mucous membranes, 5-6 mm in diameter. The development of eggs, depending on temperature, lasts 38-63 days. Newly hatched larvae, 22-23 mm long, have well-developed forelimbs and rudimentary hind limbs, a wide swimming fold surrounding the tail. They reach sexual maturity in the 5th year, with a total length of about 20 cm.
Animal life: in 6 volumes. - M.: Enlightenment. Edited by professors N.A. Gladkov, A.V. Mikheev. 1970 .
See what "Protea Family (Proteidae)" is in other dictionaries:
- (Proteidae), family of tailed amphibians. Dl. from 16 to 40 cm. The body is elongated, the tail is long, paddle-shaped, with a fin fold. The limbs are weak (there are 3 fingers on the front, 2 on the back). Throughout life, 3 pairs of external... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary
This term has other meanings, see Proteus. ? Protea Proteus europaea ... Wikipedia
- (Proteidae) family of tailed amphibians. The body is very elongated; limbs are weak; the tail is edged skin fold. External gills are retained throughout life. The lungs are long, their walls are smooth. The eyes are hidden under the skin. 2 kinds... Big Soviet encyclopedia
- (Proteidae) family of fish-like tailed amphibians (Amphibia Urodela, Ichthyoidea), from the group Perennibranchiata, characterized by the presence of permanent external gills and gill slits and which, in addition to P., also contains a family of sirens... ... encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
Here is another “unknown” :) - European proteus (Proteus anguinus) or Olm. It has an extremely limited range and is found only in cold streams and lakes of underground karst caves in the coastal regions of the former Yugoslavia (Magdalena and Adelsberg caves) and in the foothills of the Venetian Alps (in the Vicenza region) in Northern Italy, where it was introduced in the middle of the last century.
This is the monster - the “draconolm”, which, according to medieval legends, sometimes crawls out of the bowels of the earth and brings disasters. Spends its entire life in complete darkness, in cold streams and lakes of caves, at a temperature of about 10°. But occasionally, during periods of heavy rain and river floods, it is brought to the surface. Fully aquatic view. It feeds in the water on small crustaceans and worms. It does not crawl onto land, but periodically rises to the surface for air. Despite the presence of lungs, it cannot breathe with them alone and, when taken out of the water, dies within a few hours.
Body length 25-30 (40) cm. The body is acne-shaped, reddish and bears small weak limbs with three toes on the front and two toes on the front. hind legs. On the sides of the head there are 2-3 pairs of feathery external gills. They are red because oxygen-rich blood shows through the unpigmented skin. Short tail laterally compressed and surrounded by a thin fin. Its body is covered with a thin layer of skin that contains very little of the pigment riboflavin, creating a yellowish-white or pink colors. Internal organs may be visible through the skin in the abdominal part of the body.
Its pear-shaped head ends in a short, flattened muzzle. The mouth is small, with tiny teeth that form a sieve to trap large particles in the mouth. The nostrils are so small that they are almost invisible, placed somewhat to the side near the end of the muzzle.
The eyes are small or hidden under the skin. Amphibians have very small or hidden under the skin and inconspicuous eyes and elongated lungs. Since the European proteus lives in almost total darkness, the development of its eyes stops in the early stages, and then additional reduction of the visual organs occurs. At the same time, Proteus is able to perceive light, but not with its eyes, but with the entire surface of its pinkish or cream-colored body - light-sensitive cells are found in its skin.
Proteus skin retains the ability to produce melanin. When it gets into a lighted place, it gradually becomes dark, and in some cases the larvae also become colored. Proteus also has elementary lungs, but their role in respiration is only complementary. Individuals of different sexes are similar in appearance, males have a slightly thicker cloaca than females.
Males have their own protected territory, where they deposit spermatophores and where other males are not allowed. Under these conditions, females are usually viviparous - and not only eggs, but also larvae develop in the oviducts (the so-called lecithotrophic viviparity).
Initially, from 12 to 80 eggs are formed, but only two of them begin to develop, and the rest form a single blurred yolk mass, which the two hatched larvae feed on. Fertilization is internal. The female produces up to 80 eggs, but all of them, except two, are lower parts the oviducts are resorbed (lysed); the lysis products are used by the two developing larvae. When the length is about 1 cm, the larvae emerge and begin to lead an independent life.
In nature, proteas lay eggs more often. According to some sources, the clutch is guarded by a male, and according to others, by a female. The development of larvae (when eggs are laid in captivity) lasts about three months.
Proteas are an unusual family of tailed amphibians, in which there are 2 genera: Necturu live in South America, and Proteu live in southern Europe.
Some scientists believe that Proteas are neotenic descendants of ancient salamanders that completely lost the ability to metamorphose. Neoteny is the ability of larvae to reproduce at an early stage.
And other scientists believe that proteas have been preserved since ancient times, and their terrestrial relatives have long since died out. In caves, living conditions have not changed for thousands of years, so proteas were able to survive. That is, the history of the origin of these unusual creatures, which people considered the ancestors of dragons, is still not known to science.
Why are proteas unusual?
Proteas live only in underground lakes and rivers, and therefore they can hardly be found in nature, unless an individual accidentally throws out a large stream of water.
Proteas are rare animals listed in the Red Book. Previously, people brutally killed the Proteas because they considered them the spreaders of misfortune. People were frightened by their appearance, which looked like a smaller copy of a dragon. In fact, these are completely harmless creatures.
Since proteas live in caves, they do not need vision, their eyes are covered with skin, but they have an excellent sense of touch and smell. They are capable long time starve, because there are not many living creatures in the caves. Only in spring time they feed in abundance when the remains of dead worms and insects fall from above.
Proteas reproduce in a very unusual way: if the temperature is below plus 15 degrees, they give birth to live young, and if the temperature is higher, they lay eggs.
Description of Proteas
Proteas have an elongated body. There are 2 pairs of poorly formed limbs, they are especially poorly developed in European proteas. The tail has a fin fold.
![](https://i1.wp.com/animalreader.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/protei-neobychnye-peshhernye-sushhestva-animal-reader.-ru-004.jpg)
Distinctive feature Proteus is the presence of 3 pairs of external gills, which do not disappear throughout life. Another feature of Proteas is their eyes: they are very small, hidden under the skin and without eyelids. There are no bones in the upper jaw, so the teeth are located only on the lower jaw.
American Proteas
This species forms several subspecies; some scientists classify them into 6 separate related genera.
American proteas are common in the eastern part North America. They reach 16-43 centimeters in length. American Proteas, unlike their European relatives, have a denser body, and the forelimbs are better formed, they have 4 fingers, and their eyes are also small. The color of the upper side of the body is red-brown or gray with black and blue spots, which sometimes merge into stripes. The color of American proteas is very variable. The feathery gills are bright red.
![](https://i2.wp.com/animalreader.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/protei-neobychnye-peshhernye-sushhestva-animal-reader.-ru-003.jpg)
The habitat of American proteas is clear lakes with a lot of plants and a sandy bottom. They lead a completely aquatic lifestyle. They are active at night, searching for small crustaceans, insects, larvae, worms, tadpoles and fish.
The breeding season for American proteas is September-November; in more rare cases, they breed in winter or spring. Females lay several dozen eggs in May-June. Masonry is most often done under stones. The mother does not leave the clutch and protects her eggs. American Protea eggs are light yellow in color and are protected by three mucous membranes, the diameter of which is approximately 6 millimeters.
The incubation period lasts from 38 to 63 days. The length of the hatched larvae is 22-23 millimeters. They have well-formed front and hind legs, as well as a swim fold around the tail. Puberty in young individuals it occurs at approximately 5 years of age, when the total body length is 20 centimeters. Today, some species of American proteas are protected by the US government.
![](https://i0.wp.com/animalreader.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/protei-neobychnye-peshhernye-sushhestva-animal-reader.-ru-005.jpg)
European proteas
Representatives of this species have a limited habitat; today they are found only in groundwater in the former Yugoslavia. They live in underground rivers, which come to the surface of the earth, while proteas are found on the surface very rarely, only after heavy rains, when turbulent streams the waters carry them out of the caves.
The body shape of the European Proteus is elongated and eel-like. The body length is 25-30 cm. The color is pink or reddish.
At the back of the head there are 3 pairs of feathery gills of a bright red hue.
![](https://i1.wp.com/animalreader.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/protei-neobychnye-peshhernye-sushhestva-animal-reader.-ru-.jpg)
The limbs are small and poorly developed. The hind paws have 2 toes, and the front paws have 3 toes. The tail is short, much shorter than the body, and is compressed at the sides. The shape of the head resembles that of a pike.
The eyes are practically invisible, as they are located under a layer of skin. Proteas do not need eyes, since they spend their entire lives in complete darkness. The uniqueness of Proteas is that they can perceive light through the entire surface of the skin.
European proteas live in water whose temperature is approximately 10 degrees throughout the year. Proteas periodically rise to the surface of the water for a breath of air. Proteus has lungs, but it cannot exist only by breathing with its lungs, so if a proteus is pulled out of the water, it will die after a few hours.
![](https://i1.wp.com/animalreader.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/protei-neobychnye-peshhernye-sushhestva-animal-reader.-ru-002.jpg)
European proteas feed on invertebrates: worms and small crustaceans that are found in cave lakes. They can go months without eating.
Proteus europaea, also known as olm. An amphibian that lives only in certain places, namely in the caves of Slovenia and Croatia. Consequently, for many it seems like a curiosity.
It is not intentionally very difficult to meet them, because proteas spend almost their entire, one would like to say conscious, life in caves, under water, in complete darkness. That's why they are blind; they don't need eyes in the dark. Although they actually have eyes, they atrophy even at the initial stages of development as unnecessary. Proteas can see, but not with what is left of their eyes, but with their skin, which contains cells sensitive to light. By the way, the skin of Proteas is almost transparent; if you wish, you can even see the abdominal cavity.
It seems that olmas or proteas do not have a muzzle at all, but they do have one, just of such a microscopic size that it is difficult to see. The mouth is tiny, the teeth look like a sieve, the eyes are closed, the nostrils are tiny, in general, everything is minimal.
There is evidence that olms live up to 100 years, and they need to eat once every 10 years. How reliable this is, I don’t know. But their habitat clearly serves very modest dishes: worms and small crustaceans. And they live at a temperature of +15, which is not conducive to the development of life.
The Olms managed to adapt to this temperature in a unique way. If it’s below 15 degrees outside, then female proteas give birth to cubs, and if it gets hot there, well, for example, +5, then they already lay eggs.
The adaptations of these amphibians are really top level, if grown on land, then olms become Brown and gradually open their eyes. Scientists don't reliable information about the origin of the Olms, but local residents There is. They believe that the Proteas are the small ancestors of the dragons that lived here in ancient times. Or maybe the dragons themselves, only very much adapted to natural conditions.
I came across this interesting creature on the Internet. Something immediately reminded me . But today we are talking about this... -
In the Middle Ages, there was a legend that a monster lived in the depths of the earth - the “olm dragon”. Its appearance on the surface means an imminent disaster and flood. Here he is, the hero of these legends, the European Proteus. This is a small tailed amphibian that lives in underground caves in the western Balkan Peninsula. It’s hard to even call him a dragon. This sweet and defenseless creature is painful. But scientific world very interested in this animal.
What is the reason? In his extraordinary long duration life. After all, the age of some individuals can be about a hundred years.
Photo 2.
The European proteus (Proteus anguinus) lives in the cold waters of underground caves, where pitch darkness, and the water temperature is no more than 10 degrees Celsius. Its distribution area is limited. It is found in the Magdalena and Adelsberg caves (Yugoslavia) and the foothills of the Venetian Alps ( Northern Italy) (he was brought there).
Photo 3.
Its size does not inspire fear or horror. The length of the serpentine body is 30 centimeters, it weighs no more than 20 grams. Due to lack of light, the Proteus has no pigmentation, and the body has a pale pink or pale yellow color. But it has 3 pairs of bright red feathery gills, just like those, and small weak limbs with fingers. The tail is short and slightly compressed laterally. Since the olm spends its entire life in the dark, its eyes are underdeveloped.
Photo 4.
In addition to feathery gills, Proteus has lungs, but it cannot breathe with them for a long time. An animal removed from the water may die within a couple of hours. Therefore, the proteus rises to the surface of the water only for a breath of air.
Despite his blindness, he can still perceive light, but not with his eyes, but with light-sensitive cells located throughout the surface of the skin.
Photo 5.
While observing these amphibians, scientists were able to find out that average duration Their lifespan in nature is 69 years, some individuals can live up to 100 years. But they still don’t understand what causes this longevity. After all, this is not typical for such small animals. Assumptions regarding slow metabolism and the synthesis of large amounts of antioxidant substances are canceled. Scientists have put forward the point of view that this is possible thanks to a calm and inactive lifestyle. After all, these animals have practically no natural enemies.
Photo 6.
They also develop slowly. Puberty occurs only at 15.6 years. And proteas produce offspring only once every 12 years. These animals have lecithotrophic viviparity. This means that females are both viviparous and can lay eggs. Initially, from 12 to 80 eggs mature in the body, but only 2 of them begin to develop and turn into larvae, while the rest form a yolk mass and serve as food for these two. Viviparity is most often found in nature, but in captivity, proteas in most cases lay eggs, from which small larvae are born after 3 months.
Photo 7.
In captivity these " medieval dragons“They feed on small crustaceans and worms. A large number of They can go without food for a while.
Now the number of European Proteus has fallen sharply. This is caused by catching them in large quantities for sale to tourists and zoos. The animal is currently under protection and its catching is strictly prohibited. The European proteus is included in the IUCN Red Book.
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