Seed Media Group

Pharyngula

Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal

Search this blog

Profile

pzm_profile_pic.jpg
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
zf_pharyngula.jpg …and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
a longer profile of yours truly
my calendar
Nature Network
RichardDawkins Network
facebook
MySpace
Twitter
the Pharyngula chat room
(#pharyngula on irc.synirc.net)

tbbadge.gif
scarlet_A.png
I support Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Random Quote

(Complete listing)

Secular schools can never be tolerated because such schools have no religious instruction, and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith . . . we need believing people.

[Adolf Hitler, April 26, 1933, from a speech made during negotiations leading to the Nazi-Vatican Concordant of 1933]

Recent Posts

A Taste of Pharyngula

(Complete listing)

Recent Comments

Archives

Blogroll

(Complete listing)

Other Information

Subscribe via Email

Stay abreast of your favorite bloggers' latest and greatest via e-mail, via a daily digest.

Sign me up!

« Good ol' Christian tolerance | Main | Here's a happy way to start your day »

Friday Cephalopod: Origin of the Octosquid?

Category: CephalopodsOrganisms
Posted on: July 13, 2007 8:43 AM, by PZ Myers

mastigoteuthis.jpg
Mastigoteuthis sp.

Since I recently pointed out the strange news reports of an "octosquid" that even went so far as to call it half squid/half octopus, I thought I'd show why the preliminary assignment to the genus Mastigoteuthis was suggestive. It probably did have 8 arms and 2 tentacles … before it got sucked up in a pipe and flung to the surface. Those two feeding tentacles are delicate.


Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.

TrackBacks

(TrackBack URL for this entry: )

Comments

#1

On the topic of Squid, I thought you might get a kick out of this:
http://skippyslist.com/2007/07/09/cephalopod-surprise/

Posted by: Ashaman | July 13, 2007 9:08 AM

#2

If you had said they'd just discovered this on Titan, I'd have believed you...

Posted by: astromcnaught | July 13, 2007 9:10 AM

#3

Thanks, Ashaman.

"PIE DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES!"

What a hoot...

Posted by: Chuck C | July 13, 2007 9:38 AM

#4

Oh, cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!! :-)

Posted by: Melissa G | July 13, 2007 11:23 AM

#5

Is it just me, or does this thing look like it's wearing shoes?

Posted by: Randy Tyson | July 13, 2007 11:46 AM

#6

Ashaman, I second Chuck C - what a hoot!!

Careful folks - don't be sippin' your morning coffee if you pop over to read Ashaman's link. Pretty damn funny.

Posted by: ctenotrish, FCD | July 13, 2007 11:49 AM

#7

Interesting, I thought the original picture of the octosquid looked like two of the tentacles were thicker than the others but I couldn't be sure it wasn't just due to the angle they were being held. Now the example above definitely has two tentacles thicker than the others.

Posted by: Peter Ashby | July 13, 2007 11:57 AM

Post a Comment

(Email is required for authentication purposes only. Comments are moderated for spam, your comment may not appear immediately. Thanks for waiting.)





Having problems commenting? (UPDATED)

Blogs in the Network

Advertisement

Top Five: Most German

Search All Blogs

Top Science Stories

powered by SEED - seedmagazine.com