Triops

My Ickle Sis does some cool things as part of her now-almost-finished PhD. She also, due to hanging out with some strange biology/ chemistry types with beards, also comes across some rather excellent things.
This week's excellent thing is discovering a whole new type of pet: triops. Check out the freaky things in the picture to the left!
Apparently these things are way cooler than Sea Monkeys (you remember, you get them in a packet, just add water). Triops hang upside down when they feed. I am hooked - Ickle Sis is maybe buying some for her boyf, Ian, as a present. I am thinking Ed needs some as a way of weaning him off the worms.
Talking of which, check out www.thewormman.com He sells triops! And hermit crabs, and all sorts of weird thingies! And people buy this stuff too! You can get kits to grow sea monkeys [sea monkeys on Mars???] and triops in your own home (if you're brave enough to tackle sea monsters in your own house, and some of the oldest living prehistoric creatures. Oh, the species is the oldest, not the actual ones you will have - they will live between 20 and 90 days apparently, although they can also double in size every day, which is kind of scary.... what if they didn't stop?! :-O).
Oh, wait! Did I mention they have 3 eyes?! They are sooo cool!