This is a
tardigrade (also known as a water bear or a moss piglet!), a REALLY cool aquatic invertebrate. It's one of my favorite organisms. Yes, this is a
real image of one. Here are some facts about them:
- They are about the size of a poppy seed (1.5 mm).
- They were first described by a German pastor named J.A.E. Goeze in 1773.
- They can be found in just about every habitat on Earth.
- They are extremophiles. They can survive in boiling water, solid ice, and in outer space (without oxygen)! Find out how here.
