what are sea monkeys

Sea-Monkeys are a marketing term for brine shrimp sold as novelty aquarium pets. They were developed in the United States in 1957 by Harold von Braunhut and are sold as eggs intended to be added to water. The animals sold as Sea-Monkeys are claimed to be an artificial breed known as Artemia NYOS, formed by hybridizing different species of Artemia. They undergo cryptobiosis, a condition of apparent lifelessness which allows them to survive the desiccation of the temporary pools in which they live. Sea-Monkeys are known for their unique life cycle, hatching from eggs that can remain dormant for years until they are exposed to water. Once the eggs are in water, they hatch into nauplius larvae, which eventually develop into adult sea monkeys. The entire life cycle takes around 8–10 weeks. Sea-Monkeys are a hybrid breed of brine shrimp and have been engineered to live longer and grow larger than ordinary brine shrimp. They are sold as freeze-dried eggs, and when placed in water, they gradually emerge and grow over the next few weeks, feeding on a diet of yeast and spirulina. Sea-Monkeys are not monkeys, but rather a type of brine shrimp that have been marketed as "instant pets" for children.