A word regarding my keeper species

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Second Mate Stubb.  Lovable crayfish.  Thoughtful.  Popular.  Compliant.  A willing participant in this alleged ecosystem model at the Seascape Modeling lab.

So it would seem.

I have heretofore discussed the conditions of my residence, and their conduciveness to musing, composition, and self-reflection.  Yet there is more to be gained from my unique position.  While my focus is introspection, I keep one compound eye turned outward at all times.

Stubb07.jpg
(The view from my window.)

To what do I bear witness?  My aspiration is twofold.

Firstly, to collect data on the behavior of my keeper.  I maintain a mental record of his feeding schedule, his social behaviors, and his diel and sennightly rhythms.  I have yet to determine whether he is benevolent, but it is clear that he observes me nearly as scrutinously as I him.  In any case, this information will be critical if I am, eventually though not presently, to orchestrate an escape.

Members of his genus are uniquely identifiable both by visage and by scent.  The one who provides my daily sustenance may be referred to as "Nick Record".  Within his social group, his role is to gather and interpret evidence regarding the natural world.  This he appears to do with some success, though his other social functions are carried out awkwardly and with limited skill.

Secondly, his species is invasive to the state of Maine, which I call my home.  To be precise, from what I have thus far gleaned, he himself is a native, but only because of a lineage of invading populations of Homo spp.  Due to hinderances associated with my incarceration in a 37.85 liter tank, I have yet to determine how many Homo species have invaded Maine, but it is manifest that they have exacted incalculable ecological and environmental damage.

Yet these hominids are an iconic and fundamental part of our land--for who among us can utter the phrase "coastal Maine" without conjuring images of this noble and complex creature.  So integral are they to our image of Maine that we scarcely think of them as "from away".  It is a dilemmic and conflicted state of affairs, and therefore I gather as much information as possible regarding these fascinating beasts so that we can better understand their role in our ecosystem, perhaps retaining their benefits while mitigating their damages.

It would be a shame and a great expense to have to eradicate them.


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Stubb
NOTICE!

If you have found other crayfish like me in Maine, or have questions about Maine crayfish, please contact Karen Wilson at the University of Southern Maine.

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Second Mate Stubb published on January 31, 2009 2:07 PM.

Ode to Melanogrammus aeglefinus was the previous entry in this blog.

Chapter 1: Loomings is the next entry in this blog.

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