Ooooh, what lovely fun: it’s a short photoessay of a squid dissection. I think the photo of the gut contents ought to be made available in a much larger size so it can be used as a desktop image, though.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
You could tile that puppy.
Great read for the early morning. I knew I should have had my coffee before checking out the updates.
Best line from the writeup, of course, is the claim that the picture of the stomach contents has an approval rating above 29%
I laughed so loud when I saw that n > 29% approval rating that my wife demanded an explanation from the other end of the house. Note to self: In future, do not attempt to explain the relationship between the contents of a squid’s stomach and political fortunes before breakfast.
I’ve been waiting for an open thread so I can ask this question; but this seems to be squiddy enough. All right, O experts, can anyone identify this specimen?
http://monado2.blogspot.com/2006/05/cuttlefish-mystery.html
Thanks in advance (TIA) (=”Spanish aunts”)
It’s sad that a Google search on “cuttlefish” turns up sushi links first, but here you go:
Sushi Gallery
You can also look at a Google image source, but you won’t easily find your exact cuttlefish uncooked:
Cuttlefish images
In one of my Jaques Cousteau books he talks about the bizzare appendages that assist in camouflage. Regarding “cryptic coloration” with cuttlefish and fish in general, he states that “it is remarkable, considering the variety of colors fish can assume, that there are actually only four variables within their color repertory. They possess only three pigments–black, white, and orange–and special reflective cells. It is these cells that permit fish to become an iredescent green or blue.” He goes on to talk about chromatophores.
Because of “your” cuttlefish’s long tendrils, I would think it’s of the “Kaminariika” variety, which is of the Sepia labiada family or commonly, the kisslip cuttlefish (from searches).
See: http://www.cephdev.utmb.edu/spdb/cuttle.cfm
I’m not much into squids, but they do look prettier in water…though I won’t scoff at a plate of calamari. Hope that helps a little.
Great story:
Several years ago, I was talking with two of my friends, one of whom has a low-grade cephalopod phobia, and we were telling him about the various feats of intelligence performed by octopuses (octopi is, I’ve been told, a false Greek word). We then advanced to cuttlefish, and the naïf had actually never heard of such a fish, and refused to believe it existed. So naturally, we went over to a computer, and brought up Google to find a picture. It was several years ago, so we had to wait a few minutes for a dial-up connection.
My friend sits down, opens a browser, and types in “snuggle fish.”