Sea Monkeys, a term for brine shrimp, are a common type of sea creature sold as novelty aquarium pets since the 1950s. Initially marketed as "Instant Life," they are sold in packets of dust with brine shrimp eggs.
They are often given as gifts, making them a popular choice for those who want to add a touch of novelty to their aquariums.
The wisdom behind them being sold in stores and given as gifts was that Sea Monkeys do not die whether frozen, dried, or deprived of air. They merely enter a condition of suspended animation and reactivate when placed in water, allowing them to be readily kept and transported.
A packet of eggs, a water tank, a water purifier packer, a food pouch for the creatures, and a spoon were included in the package.
You’d simply empty eggs into water, and observe the little things grow from their suspended animation over the months.
Von Braunhut also created glasses that advertised see-through clothes, a monster card that developed hair when water was added, and an 'invisible goldfish,' which was a glass bowl with some sea plants and a sign that warned 'Invisible Goldfish: Do Not Feed.'
He sold an invisible goldfish, promising nobody would ever see it. People bought it, similar to pet rocks. The 'real invisible goldfish' is just an empty fishbowl and fish food, creating an invisible goldfish.
However, the popular practice pet has a terrible history, as they were designed by an American named Harold von Braunhut.
Von Braunhut became involved with white supremacist groups by purchasing guns for a Ku Klux Klan subgroup and attended the annual meeting of the Neo-Nazi group Aryan Nationals.
Despite having a Jewish upbringing, inventor Von Braunhut's name was altered to sound more Germanic.
In the late 1980s Washington Post exposé his mad support for the white supremacists, leading distributors to cancel their licenses for Sea Monkeys.
What's worse, he didn't even hesitate to publicly express his support for white supremacists, "You know what side I'm on. I don't make any bones about it."
