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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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More articles by PZ Myers can be found on Freethoughtblogs at the new Pharyngula!

Friday Cephalopod: Twenty appendages at once

Category: CephalopodsOrganisms
Posted on: September 14, 2007 6:00 AM, by PZ Myers

sepioteuthis_sepioidea.jpg
Sepioteuthis sepioidea

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

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Comments

#1

Posted by: Deborah | September 14, 2007 6:09 AM

But what does it use them all for?

#2

Posted by: Fernando Magyar | September 14, 2007 6:38 AM

Deborah, it's not *IT* it's them. Use your imagination ;-)

#3

Posted by: Fernando Magyar | September 14, 2007 6:40 AM

Crimminy, I meant to say THEY not them. Where's my coffee?!

#4

Posted by: Doug | September 14, 2007 6:43 AM

While researching these fine specimens (especially curious about the morphological implications of the title) I came across this sad fact:

"Like other cephalopods, the Caribbean Reef Squid, is semelparous, dying after reproducing."

What a shame.

(Of course most of you may have known this - but why didn't anyone tell me!)

#5

Posted by: Deborah | September 14, 2007 7:19 AM

Deborah, it's not *IT* it's them. Use your imagination ;-)

Gulp... I don't think I want to.

#6

Posted by: The Mad Patriot | September 14, 2007 8:40 AM

Like other cephalopods, the Caribbean Reef Squid, is semelparous, dying after reproducing.

Yet another reason to stretch foreplay out as long as possible!

#7

Posted by: Caucasian Jesus | September 14, 2007 9:33 AM

As an upstanding Christian, I am appalled at such promiscuous fornication.

#8

Posted by: TheBrummell | September 14, 2007 10:53 AM

I knew that female cephalopods were semelparous, because they stop feeding around the time of breeding, and (my understanding is) they just starve to death as their offspring mature to the point they can survive. Pelagic squids might do it a little differently.

Anyway, for benthic octopuses at least, I thought it was unknown how long males live, and whether they can mate multiple times over a period of, say, years.

#9

Posted by: Robert Thille | September 14, 2007 12:37 PM

Caucasian Jesus, are you kidding? This isn't promiscuous at all, it's for reproduction only, and hey, it has to be because it's the only chance they get!
If only we could convince teenagers that it was true for them as well, then we wouldn't have to rely on scaring them with AIDS and denying them access to condoms and HPV vaccines!

#10

Posted by: Sili | September 14, 2007 6:25 PM

This seems like the best thread to go off topic in (well, more than usual).

You can't prove that! It's only a theory.

#11

Posted by: Nes | September 14, 2007 7:35 PM

Fry: So you have to choose between life without sex and a hideous, gruesome death?
Dr. Zoidberg: Yes.
Fry: Man, tough call.

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