Number four in the occasional series of Professor Lovecraft's Odd-Fish Fact File this time featuring a couple of tidbits about eyes.
The eyes of the common scallop are bright iridescent blue and number over sixty arranged along the edges of its shell where they watch out for threats such as starfish. Any eye that gets damaged can be regrown in a matter of days!
This particular scallop seems to be a reincarnation of Old Blue-Eyes himself, the late Frank Sinatra.The Anablep, quite apart from having a wonderful comedy name is a very odd-fish indeed. It's eyes are horizontally divided and have two pupils and two retinas each, giving the fish individual views of above and below the water from its preferred vantage point at the surface. The upper eye even has an iris adaptation to shade the eye from the glare of the sun on the water.
But that's not the only thing that makes the Anablep odd. Each individual has it's genital opening on either its left or right side, forcing it to seek for a partner with the matching opposite before it can mate. And you thought being left handed could cause difficulties!
On top of all this the Anablep doesn't lay eggs but instead gives birth to live free-swimming baby Anableps!
Odd fish has been privileged to have received a couple of reviews in the last few days, one from The Webcomic Digest and one From Webcomic Asylum. Both are favourable and I'm very grateful to JonEric and Jack for their kind words and constructive feedback. Thanks guys!
