ow. fern boy

A pair of giant or Humboldt squid in a mating embrace. by Brian J. Skerry

Striped pyjama squid burying itself in sand, Sepioloidea lineolata.

So cute…

Promachoteuthis sulcus is a deep-sea squid known from a single specimen, collected in 2007 at 2000 meters (6,600 feet). Despite this, its photograph has spread far and wide because it looks like it has a pair of human teeth! The scientists describe these “teeth” as “dentures,” but they are actually lips that surround its sharp beak (not seen in photo).

Photograph by Richard Young.

(via: Promachoteuthis sulcus)

StubbySquid by Damian D.

Banded Piglet Squid

(Helicocranchia pfefferi)

the banded piglet squid is a small 4in long species of squid of the family Cranchiidae (glass squids) found in the North Atlantic. This species of squid is unique in that they have a pair of small tentacles above their eyes which expose their beak, these tentacles and their exposed mouth give them the animal their name as apparently people think the squid looks like a piglet (although i don’t see it).

Phylogeny

Animalia-Mollusca-Cephalopoda-Teuthida-Cranchiidae-Helicocranchia-pfefferi

Source,Source

Loligo pealei | Carl Zeiss Microscopy

Confocal image of squid, Loligo pealei, embryo stained for for F-actin (green; phalloidin), Acetylated tubulin (red), anti-HRP (yellow), and DAPI (blue; nuclei)

The Firefly Squid (Watasenia scintillans),

also called the sparkling enope squid, has special deep-blue light producing organs called photophores - by flashing the lights on and off, it can attract prey before trapping it with its tentacles. It’s also only cephalopod species which have color vision! Each year off the coast of Toyama Bay, Japan, billions of these tiny squids will gather to spawn, creating a cool lights show. Boiled firefly squids is also a common food item in Asia.

Learn More About the Firefly Squid Here

Vampire Squid. By: fouramegous

Carribean Reef Squid (by Blake Corcoran)

Freshly killed squid will flail when exposed to sodium, such as the salt in this soy sauce, because their motor neurons are still functional.

Sodium ion influxes are a major component of action potentials, or what many laypeople think of as neurons firing. Because the animal is no longer alive to actively regulate the amount of sodium that can enter each cell, pouring an extremely salty substance like soy sauce over them can cause these neurons to fire spastically and repeatedly, prompting the uncoordinated tentacle movement seen above.

Aw yeah, neuroscience. B)