biomedicalephemera: Axolotl - Larval and Adult The larval form of the axolotl is the form we’ve all seen in aquariums. The adult form is very rarely seen in captivity, and axolotls can only be reliably induced to metamorphose with injections of thyroxine hormone or iodine. In the wild, larval axolotls still display neoteny (the reaching of sexual maturity without metamorphosis, in species that “normally” metamorphose), though adult forms were found in almost equal proportion. These days, axolotls are almost extinct in the wild. Natural History of the Animal Kingdom for the Use of Young People. W.F. Kirby, 1889.

biomedicalephemera:

Axolotl - Larval and Adult

The larval form of the axolotl is the form we’ve all seen in aquariums. The adult form is very rarely seen in captivity, and axolotls can only be reliably induced to metamorphose with injections of thyroxine hormone or iodine.

In the wild, larval axolotls still display neoteny (the reaching of sexual maturity without metamorphosis, in species that “normally” metamorphose), though adult forms were found in almost equal proportion. These days, axolotls are almost extinct in the wild.

Natural History of the Animal Kingdom for the Use of Young People. W.F. Kirby, 1889.