The 8 Oddest Freaks of Nature Showcased in “Life at the Limits” [Slide Show]
The exhibit displays organisms at the extreme ends of normal evolutionary distributions
![The 8 Oddest Freaks of Nature Showcased in “Life at the Limits” [Slide Show]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/A2839768-BDBB-493E-9A32CD6A74EE1A6E.jpg?w=590&h=393)
The 8 Oddest Freaks of Nature Showcased in “Life at the Limits” [Slide Show]
- BLACK SWALLOWER Because food is so scarce thousands of meters below the ocean’s surface, the black swallower ( Chiasmodon niger ) has adapted to make the most out of every meal opportunity. The fish’s highly elastic stomach and widely hinged jaws allow it to eat prey 10 times its own weight... Credit: AMNH/R. Mickens
- MICROBE-PINK SALT CRYSTAL This salt crystal is naturally pink from the microbes that flourish in ultrasaline Searles Lake in California. Few animals can live in such a high-salt environment but these microbes dominate the lake, changing the color of the water and the salt crystals that it produces... Credit: AMNH/R. Mickens
- RAFFLESIA FLOWER You probably wouldn’t want to get this close up to a real Rafflesia arnoldii flower. Spectacularly stinky, it is found in the rainforests of Southeast Asia and exudes a powerful scent similar to that of rotting meat, which attracts carrion flies to pollinate it... Credit: AMNH/R. Mickens
- MIMIC OCTOPUS Discovered in 1998 the mimic octopus ( Thaumoctopus mimicus ) is not easy to spot. By shifting the shape of its boneless body and the color and patterns on its skin, this octopus frequently assumes the form of venomous and poisonous predators such as sea snakes and lionfish... Credit: AMNH/ 5W Infographics/P. Velasco
