The "Alternate" for the movie Alien??

Here is a fairly common shrimp from Indonesia, (Periclimenes tenuipes, as far as I know).

But this particular fellow I encountered behind the boat while moored in Maumere, Flores, Indonesia - last October 05.

Some interesting data I gathered from a little communication with him (it was a slow dive you know). Seems that this particular individual's ancestor was considered by the artist HR Giger, as the model for the original alien from the movie in 1979!!!

Can you imagine how the movie would have changed? This creature's take on it would have been more of a "human" alien - like, "Just another alien guy with cool claws, you know"....... <_< No yucky slobbering, dripping and dissolving, and obviously this "alien" doesn't eat cats........., maybe it would have been more like an alien chess match, with cigars and brandy you think??? It is hard to tell which way it would have developed???? Alas we shall never know..............

Of course the movie went the other way and became a classic with the "other" alien, so this fellow and all his fellows were relegated to obscurity........ behind our boat in the harbor, thinking of what "could have been".

At least till I found him and am now telling his side of the story - Carol

Shrimp from Maumere Harbor - a "different" candidate for the movie part:

His closeup - "moustache" and all, would have made a much more handsome "Alien":

Nicely composed. Interesting creatures. Slowly approached, I assume?

Joe

One thing I always liked about Alien was the eversible proboscis. When I need to explain to schoolkids how polychaetes feed I always use it as an example!

There's a whole group of species like this and I think you need to be a specialist to separate them. Pictures of similar shrimp are usually labelled either P. tenuipes or P. platycheles. Regardless of the species, this whole group was recently moved to a new genus Kemponia.

Leslie the worm girl your knowledge is equally as impressive as these pics, any thoughts of going on Jeopardy or something?

Leslie the worm girl your knowledge is equally as impressive as these pics, any thoughts of going on Jeopardy or something?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So I can freeze & make a fool out of myself in front of zillions as opposed to the 5203 members of WP? No thanks!!

Thanks again Leslie and all!!!!!! And as far as I'm concerned Leslie and the work "fool" don't equate at all in the same sentence.

Isn't it great how the "names keep changing", we wouldn't want to get bored and think we have it all figured out now, huh???

It was funny photographing these guys. This was the last dive of the 12 days and it wasn't an official dive at that!!! Graham said there were mating ribbon gobies, unusual to be so shallow, in the muck behind the boat in Maumere Harbor. Photoed and observed those, then found a whole chorus line of these shrimp (Kemponia now?????), anyway I had never seen so many lined up together, too mucky to get them all in one shot, but I got some good ones close. I loved their expressions! See what can be "lurking" right behind the boat as we sleep????

Carol