Re: Newtlings

From: TTrotsky_at_aol.com
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 17:49:06 EST


In a message dated 7/2/99 7:52:16PM, you write:

<< 4. Some Newtlings never loose their gills or develop lungs. If there isn't a lot of competition for food the tadpoles stay in a neotenous (according to an old tropical fish magazine this means they're adult with some larval charateristics) state - developing arms and legs but still 100% aquatic.>>

      They can't strictly speaking be neotenic (as dragonewts are), since that implies they are sexually fertile while appearing more or less larval. At any rate, I doubt that they grow arms and legs and increase in size etc. since this would require rather a lot of water to live in, which they don't generally appear to have. That they might be able to delay metamorphosis depending on the environmental conditions/hormones/their parents doing the right ritual/etc. is however not implausible. OTOH, that dragonewts have a means of preventing the transformation into the sexual stage in order to keep their slaves for longer seems quite believable, provided they have access to a source of young newtlings.

Forward the glorious Red Army!

    Trotsky    


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