Well I'll be a sea monkey's uncle

http://flickr.com/photos/columbuslibraryteens/2587589671/

I was pleasantly surprised to find this enchanting image, posted by Megan, on the CML Teen Flickr site. It brought back memories from my childhood of advertisements in comic books for sea monkeys. The advertisements always made the monkeys look regal; there was always a castle in the background. I never got any of these marine primates; however, I did get some "castle crystals" which when dropped into water made miniature psychedelic spires of crystals which lasted about two days before they toppled into a dreary post-psychedelic soup.

In high school I got a big fish tank. I learned that a favorite food of tropical fish is brine shrimp. Brine shrimp I came to find out were also known as "sea monkeys," obviously a fantastical name used to shill to kids. I now wonder if Desmond Morris had seen sea monkey ads as a daydreaming child and thus his aquatic ape theory was first born. Anyway, I am glad I found out later instead of sending away for them as a whippersnapper only to feel duped when I got a package with some weird crustaceans that bare no resemblance to magical apes or any other mammals.