
Thaumelodone gunteri
Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: March 28, 2008 6:30 AM, by PZ Myers
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Comments
Posted by: craig | March 28, 2008 6:45 AM
well no wonder he's pissed, somebody cut all his legs off!
Posted by: Sam | March 28, 2008 6:56 AM
Good one, Craig!
I went to CephBase at http://www.cephbase.dal.ca/spdb/speciesc.cfm?CephID=658 to get more info about this species. It is smaller than it looks in the photo. CephBase says the body of Thaumelodone gunteri is to at least 4cm and the arms are to at least 8cm. It is found in South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands (UK).
Posted by: Lilly de Lure | March 28, 2008 6:56 AM
It's the coiled up tentacles that do it - he looks like he's making fists and banging them on the floor in a tantrum.
All he needs is a little spoon in each "fist" and he'll be a dead ringer for a toddler who doesn't want his greens!
Posted by: Bride of Shrek | March 28, 2008 7:00 AM
Nah, he's just trying to look all cool and disinterested. Gets the girl occies everytime.
Posted by: wazza | March 28, 2008 7:10 AM
I think it's the big forehead sort of look, like he's curled his eyebrows down...
Posted by: CC | March 28, 2008 7:24 AM
Am I the only person who immediately thought of this?
Posted by: Fernando Magyar | March 28, 2008 7:24 AM
Is this what you call a cephalopod chromosome display?
Posted by: Niobe | March 28, 2008 7:48 AM
Man I read his scientific name as "thumbeline" which would make sense.
Posted by: Falyne | March 28, 2008 8:40 AM
Yikes!
That is one creepy-ass looking mofo!
Of course, I was initially interpreting the big black dots in the *middle* of the eyes to be pupils, so it looks like there's these evil beady little angry eyes looking RIGHT AT ME.... and it's kinda scawwy. :-(
Posted by: djlactin | March 28, 2008 9:35 AM
Made me think of "Mars Attacks!"
Posted by: Jane | March 28, 2008 10:24 AM
He's georgeous (sp?) now if I was in the market for a Cephalopod tattoo then he would be my model.
Posted by: Martin | March 28, 2008 10:32 AM
Cute little fella. (Maybe that's why he's pissed. He's sick of everyone calling him that.)
Posted by: outlier | March 28, 2008 11:19 AM
Aw, but he's so cute when he's angry!
Posted by: Sili | March 28, 2008 11:42 AM
djlactin,
Thank god. I thought it was just me.
Posted by: PrimaCausa | March 28, 2008 11:42 AM
That's not a Thaumelodone gunteri, that's one of our new Alien Overlords from Enceladus!
Posted by: Steve_C | March 28, 2008 11:44 AM
There can be only two.
Master and Apprentice.
Posted by: Just sayin' | March 28, 2008 12:24 PM
Maybe he got expelled from Expelled, too.
Posted by: Niles | March 28, 2008 12:28 PM
"KHAAANNNNNN!!!"
Posted by: Rocky | March 28, 2008 12:47 PM
He looks a little like Homer Simpson.
Posted by: SEF | March 28, 2008 1:18 PM
Perhaps, with that name, he's afraid of being plastinated.Posted by: LARA | March 28, 2008 1:23 PM
Very cool. His pattern reminds me of chromosomes.
Posted by: LP | March 28, 2008 5:31 PM
Aww how cute. Then it swallows your hand. lol.
Posted by: Elayne Riggs | March 28, 2008 8:38 PM
Hey PZ, TCM is doing the Friday Cephalopod thing tonight as well! Right now I'm watching It Came From Beneath the Sea, with the Harryhausen octopus. Tasty!
Posted by: Kanaio | March 30, 2008 2:33 AM
Try turning your laptop upside down to reveal the alter ego. Oops, I think I just broke my laptop.
Posted by: Pete Moss | March 31, 2008 10:43 AM
Guess it's just me who's reminded of Kurt Westergaard's Mohammed cartoon, yes, that one.