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On the Origin of Species: Chinchou and Lanturn (view source)
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[[File:Chinchoulanturn.png|200px|thumb|Chinchou, the Angler Pokémon, and Lanturn, the Light Pokémon]]Pokémon's {{bp|Generation IV|fourth generation}} brought us a number of additions to gameplay. Alongside major advances like {{bp|Global Terminal|global online trading}} and the {{bp|Physical move|physical}}/{{bp|Special move|special split}}, the games also introduced more subtle developments, like {{bp|List of Pokémon with gender differences|gender differences}}. In nature, animals of opposite genders frequently look quite different. This is called {{wp|sexual dimorphism}}, and I was very glad to see this incorporated into the games. There was one problem, though: previous generations had depicted different genders as identical to each other (with the exception of {{bp|Nidoran}}), so it seems {{bp|Game Freak}} were reluctant to make these new differences too obvious for fear of contradicting earlier games. As a result, the Pokémon games' equivalent of sexual dimorphism is expressed via quite subtle, often barely noticeable differences. | [[File:Chinchoulanturn.png|200px|thumb|Chinchou, the Angler Pokémon, and Lanturn, the Light Pokémon]]Pokémon's {{bp|Generation IV|fourth generation}} brought us a number of additions to gameplay. Alongside major advances like {{bp|Global Terminal|global online trading}} and the {{bp|Physical move|physical}}/{{bp|Special move|special split}}, the games also introduced more subtle developments, like {{bp|List of Pokémon with gender differences|gender differences}}. In nature, animals of opposite genders frequently look quite different. This is called {{wp|sexual dimorphism}}, and I was very glad to see this incorporated into the games. There was one problem, though: previous generations had depicted different genders as identical to each other (with the exception of {{bp|Nidoran}}), so it seems {{bp|Game Freak}} were reluctant to make these new differences ''too'' obvious for fear of contradicting earlier games. As a result, the Pokémon games' equivalent of sexual dimorphism is expressed via quite subtle, often barely noticeable differences. | ||
And this is a shame, really, because there are many real life creatures with fascinating gender differences that have also inspired Pokémon. We'll meet such a creature today: an ocean-dwelling predator with a highly original method of catching its prey. | And this is a shame, really, because there are many real life creatures with fascinating gender differences that have also inspired Pokémon. We'll meet such a creature today: an ocean-dwelling predator with a highly original method of catching its prey. | ||
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If this sounds like a bizarre arrangement... well, it is. But it also seems to have evolved for a reason. In the deep sea, finding a mate can be difficult, due mainly to the lack of light at such depths. Male Ceratiidae have developed an extremely acute sense of smell, allowing them to seek out females. And so, once the male discovers a female, it will latch on and never let go. The male's comparatively small size makes this process easier, since the female can still swim quite happily with a much smaller male attached to her. This system has become so fundamental to the fish that mature males actually lack a functional digestive system, meaning that their only hope for survival is to latch onto a female and obtain nutrients directly from her bloodstream. | If this sounds like a bizarre arrangement... well, it is. But it also seems to have evolved for a reason. In the deep sea, finding a mate can be difficult, due mainly to the lack of light at such depths. Male Ceratiidae have developed an extremely acute sense of smell, allowing them to seek out females. And so, once the male discovers a female, it will latch on and never let go. The male's comparatively small size makes this process easier, since the female can still swim quite happily with a much smaller male attached to her. This system has become so fundamental to the fish that mature males actually lack a functional digestive system, meaning that their only hope for survival is to latch onto a female and obtain nutrients directly from her bloodstream. | ||
Now, while it's not in my nature to describe any creature as 'ugly' – no, not even these – it's obvious that Game Freak decided to prettify the anglerfish somewhat upon turning it into a Pokémon. They still bear many similarities to their inspirations: both Chinchou's English name, as well as its Japanese name, Chonchie (チョンチー) are derived from chouchin-ankou (チョウチンアンコウ), a term referring to anglerfish of the {{wp|Himantolophidae}} family. But it can't be denied that Chinchou and Lanturn look more like the cheery stars of a Pixar movie than the deep sea horrors they're actually based on. Anglerfish could just as easily have been turned into a more sinister Pokémon along the lines of {{p|Carvanha}}, and I wonder if, at some point in the future, we might see another family of anglerfish that draws more heavily upon their spookiness. | Now, while it's not in my nature to describe any creature as 'ugly' – no, not even these – it's obvious that Game Freak decided to prettify the anglerfish somewhat upon turning it into a Pokémon. They still bear many similarities to their inspirations: both Chinchou's English name, as well as its Japanese name, ''Chonchie'' (チョンチー) are derived from ''chouchin-ankou'' (チョウチンアンコウ), a term referring to anglerfish of the {{wp|Himantolophidae}} family. But it can't be denied that Chinchou and Lanturn look more like the cheery stars of a Pixar movie than the deep sea horrors they're actually based on. Anglerfish could just as easily have been turned into a more sinister Pokémon along the lines of {{p|Carvanha}}, and I wonder if, at some point in the future, we might see another family of anglerfish that draws more heavily upon their spookiness. | ||
{{Origin}} | {{Origin}} | ||