| "Plankton Monster" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | Unknown | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Amorphous | ||
| Average height | Variable | ||
| Average length | Variable | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sapience | Non-Sapient | ||
| Aggressivity | Extreme | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | Open seas | ||
| Habitat | Likely seawater, but is able to live on land | ||
| Diet | Carnivorous | ||
| Locomotion | Crawling | ||
| Status | Destroyed | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | ||
| Created by | Harlan Ellison Irwin Allen | ||
The "Plankton Monster" is a giant amorphous mutation formed from an amalgam of microscopic planktonic organisms. Its appearance is that of a large bulging mass covered in tendrils which devours everything in its path, consuming entire human bodies and leaving no bones or other leftovers.
The monster was the accidental result of experiments performed with plankton samples by Dr. Pennell in a scientific research facility in Antarctica, with the goal of creating a plankton-based food source to end world famine. The organism is strong enough to tear through a metallic wall, and grows at incredible rates when exposed to heat, but is susceptible to cold, which causes it to revert to its original stage.
Appearances[]
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, s01e05, "The Price of Doom" (1964)
Gallery[]
The creature begins to form
Notes[]
- It is stated in the episode that the elimination of anaerobic bacteria was the factor that resulted in the formation of the Plankton Monster, as these bacteria are usually responsible for keeping plankton organisms in check and the heat destroys the inhibitor produced by them, causing plankton to grow uncontrollably. This has little to no parallel in real world science: although anaerobic bacteria have been found associated with planktonic organisms, and might even play important ecological roles as photosynthesizers and nitrogen fixators [1], there's no evidence of them being directly related to the inhibition of planktonic growth.