Reversible Anglerfish Toy Doubles as an Interactive Anatomy Lesson

Unless teachers have a specimen ready for dissection, it’s hard to turn a lesson in fish anatomy into a hands-on experience. But artist and designer Rachel Ciavarella thinks she’s found a way. Her reversible plush dolls use different materials to bring the inner workings of an anglerfish to life through touch.

According to Colossal, the toy originated as a class project. After seeing the excitement it inspired, Ciavarella decided to take her product to Kickstarter with hopes of making it available to a wider audience.

Rachel Ciavarella / Kickstarter

From the outside, the fish looks like a normal stuffed animal, with a fleece body and jagged teeth cut from felt. But once you turn it inside-out, all the glorious guts are on display. Each part is crafted from a different touch-friendly material like canvas, sateen, faux sherpa, and chiffon. He even has a cute name. Ciavarella writes,

“Morris is named after all of my dead goldfish. As a child, every time I got a new goldfish I would name it Morris and it would inevitably die, as goldfish eventually do. Their memories can now live on through the immortal toy Morris fish.”

With a week still left to go in the campaign, Ciavarella has already raised more than $26,000 of her $25,000 goal. Backers can reserve a Morris of their own for a pledge of $40 or more with shipping set for June of next year.

[h/t Colossal]