Wednesday, July 1, 2009
??!! / Science / Wilderness A Question for Science
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 12:51 PM
I've been thinking about octopuses these days—not octopi, for reasons explained here—and found this disconcerting bit of information on Wikipedia:
Some cephalopods are able to fly distances up to 50 m. While the organisms are not particularly aerodynamic, they achieve these rather impressive ranges by use of jet-propulsion; water continues to be expelled from the funnel while the organism is in flight.
The reference for this troubling "fact"—a fucking octopus can fucking fly? and wrap its wicked suckers around your fucking face? and chew off your fucking nose?—is the academic abstract to a journal article that I, a mere dumb-ass, an-academic, am not allowed to read without paying for the privilege.
Can anybody out there in Slogland get me a copy of this article? Or any other scientific evidence—or even pseudo-scientific evidence—that this crab be your nose?
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1
Wish I could help - my UW email access (and subsequent online library research access) expired TODAY.
3
Cephalopods can swim, jet, 'fly', or walk... 'Flying', more properly gliding, is limited to a few oceanic squids, such as Ommastrephes, Onychoteuthis, and Dosidicus, which can accelerate out of the water and apparently travel for distances of up to 50 m (Lane, 1957; Cole & Gilbert, 1970; Packard, 1972).
-- Cephalopod Behaviour, by Roger T. Hanlon, J. B. Messenger
-- Cephalopod Behaviour, by Roger T. Hanlon, J. B. Messenger
4
Of course you can read it. Go to the library. You just can't read the electronic version for free.
5
'cephalopod' and 'octopus' are not interchangeable terms.
google says it's these guys: Onychoteuthis and Thysanoteuthis spp. they're squids and they look like this: http://tolweb.org/images/Onychoteuthidae…
google says it's these guys: Onychoteuthis and Thysanoteuthis spp. they're squids and they look like this: http://tolweb.org/images/Onychoteuthidae…
11
An earlier paper in Natureby the same author, "Jet propulsion and the giant fibre response of Loligo" is pretty interesting but doesn't say anything specifically about propulsion out of the water into the air.
I should really be working.
I should really be working.
13
Here's teh salient part:
(iii) Flight. A number of the oceanic squids (particularly ommastrephids and
Onychoteuthis) take to the air when being chased, and have been likened to flying fish.
Probably the distance covered in the air is never great, although some of the smaller
squids that fly in shoals have been estimated to cover horizontal distances of over
50 m. (Lane, 1957). The design of these squids, with fins and coriaceous arm mem-
branes at opposite ends of the fuselage, is aerodynamically acceptable - although now
looking unorthodox it is the way some of the earliest aircraft were designed - and confers
great stability but low manoeuvrability. But the lifting surfaces are surprisingly small
compared with the ‘wings’ of a flying fish of the same body length (Fig. 9c). The
explanation appears to be that the main lift comes from continued expulsion of water
from the funnel after take-off rather than from the aerofoil surfaces. Cole & Gilbert
(1970) have recently published a film record of a Chilean giant squid, Dosidicus, that
accelerated in air to a momentary maximum velocity calculated as 14 knots before
dropping back into the water. Their conclusion that water is being ejected during the
acceleration is born out by the eye witness accounts reported in Lane (1957). These
squids provide the only instance of rocket- or jet-propelled flight by an animal other
than man.
(iii) Flight. A number of the oceanic squids (particularly ommastrephids and
Onychoteuthis) take to the air when being chased, and have been likened to flying fish.
Probably the distance covered in the air is never great, although some of the smaller
squids that fly in shoals have been estimated to cover horizontal distances of over
50 m. (Lane, 1957). The design of these squids, with fins and coriaceous arm mem-
branes at opposite ends of the fuselage, is aerodynamically acceptable - although now
looking unorthodox it is the way some of the earliest aircraft were designed - and confers
great stability but low manoeuvrability. But the lifting surfaces are surprisingly small
compared with the ‘wings’ of a flying fish of the same body length (Fig. 9c). The
explanation appears to be that the main lift comes from continued expulsion of water
from the funnel after take-off rather than from the aerofoil surfaces. Cole & Gilbert
(1970) have recently published a film record of a Chilean giant squid, Dosidicus, that
accelerated in air to a momentary maximum velocity calculated as 14 knots before
dropping back into the water. Their conclusion that water is being ejected during the
acceleration is born out by the eye witness accounts reported in Lane (1957). These
squids provide the only instance of rocket- or jet-propelled flight by an animal other
than man.
14
Only squid use jet propulsion of this sort. And, for what it's worth, while they can strike "beak-first" they typically only cover long distances on jet propulsion with their beak-y ends facing backwards. My understanding is that they use it to travel (migrate) and run away, not to hunt.
15
Brendan -- flying cephalopods are nothing. Look up Humboldt Squid. If you dare. AND they've been seen in the waters off Washington. Now see if you can sleep at night.
17
Goddam. Octopuses are damned smart and incredible creatures.
Stop eating them, y'all. They're smarter than most of you.
Stop eating them, y'all. They're smarter than most of you.
18
@Posted by kresblamania on July 1, 2009 at 1:04 PM
unfortunately it's unlikely that the sea pub lib has access to this article in any form (print or electronic)
unfortunately it's unlikely that the sea pub lib has access to this article in any form (print or electronic)
20
as an ex-research scientist, it really bothers me that i can no longer access most scientific journal articles (for free, natch). the open sharing of knowledge is supposed to be one of the hallmarks of the scientific method.i know there isn't a huge general audience for primary lit, but still...
but, yeah, cephalopods are my favorite invertebrates. totally. the flying is cool, but their skin is the best.
but, yeah, cephalopods are my favorite invertebrates. totally. the flying is cool, but their skin is the best.
21
Not only do they have a wicked beak, but they're venomous
"All Octopuses Are Venomous"
http://www.livescience.com/animals/09041…
"Folks who harass octopus run risk of being bitten" (duh)
http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch1996…
I've watched small ones while snorkeling, they're pretty cool. They usually can tell when you're staring at them, and get annoyed when their camouflage doesn't work.
"All Octopuses Are Venomous"
http://www.livescience.com/animals/09041…
"Folks who harass octopus run risk of being bitten" (duh)
http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch1996…
I've watched small ones while snorkeling, they're pretty cool. They usually can tell when you're staring at them, and get annoyed when their camouflage doesn't work.
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