Friday Cephalopod: Eye of the bobtail : Pharyngula

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Friday Cephalopod: Eye of the bobtail

Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: April 11, 2008 10:16 AM, by PZ Myers

Euprymna tasmanica

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

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Comments

Posted by: Annie | April 11, 2008 10:46 AM

The iridescence reminds me of a Chihuly piece or a Degas-type stained glass window. How exquisite!

Posted by: Mooser | April 11, 2008 10:50 AM

My cats are cuter. But they're camera shy. Do people send you money when they see pictures of squid? Cause nobody sent a dime to my cats.

Posted by: Dan | April 11, 2008 11:21 AM

I can't help but think Hypnotoad

Posted by: R N B | April 11, 2008 11:25 AM

Your "best" commenter (sorry everyone else) the Digital Cuttlefish knocks out limericks for fun every Friday and today wrote crazy like squid. So right on your picture, but maybe wrong on the science, my weak attempt to mimic:

There was a fellow called Vrabel who
On evolution had an unstable view.
This may surprise
But octopus eyes
Can see better than we are able to.

Our optic nerves give us a blind spot
But cephalopods have somehow got
The layout reversed.
So humans are cursed
With defects that cuttles have not.

Posted by: alex | April 11, 2008 11:33 AM

that is lovely.

Posted by: Jason Failes | April 11, 2008 11:34 AM

PZ, just wanted to say thanks for all the Cephalopods.

I know many of us here focus on dismantling bad woo, and I thought it was about time to compliment your tireless promotion of the flip-side, good science (and beautiful invertebrates).

Posted by: Stephanie Z | April 11, 2008 11:44 AM

Pretty shiny.

Something felt wrong about this morning, then I realized I hadn't seen the Friday cephalopod yet.

Posted by: Sili | April 11, 2008 11:45 AM

Give it a coupla thousand years, and it'll be running a military academy.

~~spam spam spam spam spam~~

Posted by: Monado, FCD | April 11, 2008 11:48 AM

How pretty! It would make a nifty "Aliens are coming" poster. And I think it would make a great greeting card, with "I'll be seeing you" inside.

#10

Posted by: Brownian, OM | April 11, 2008 11:56 AM

After seeing a few of these little squidders, I have to admit that 'Jingle Bells' makes absolutely no sense to me anymore:

Bells on bob tail ring/ Making spirits bright

I mean, these cute little guys sure seem to brighten my spirits, but how would you affix a bell to one, and how would it ring underwater?

Or am I just being silly?

#11

Posted by: Paul Lundgren | April 11, 2008 12:05 PM

Doc, when I read the word "bobtail" in that tag line, my immediate associate was of Yosemite Sam saying he was the "Hootinest, tootinest, shootinest Bobtail Wildcat in the West!" What does that say about my early development?

#12

Posted by: Sven DiMilo | April 11, 2008 12:08 PM

You, Brownian? Silly?
The one that I'm wondering about now is "Bet my money on the bobtail nag/Somebody bet on the bay"
I mean, first, where do you go to place bets on squid races? I tried the OTB joint down the street but they laughed at me. Laughed! And made some remark about "submarine races" I didn't quite catch.
And another thing. Does the squid live in the bay, and if so, how does it make sense to bet on the bay against the bobtail? Isn't that kind of like betting on the racetrack to beat the horse? WTF?
And who or what is the bobtail nagging? Her husband? Or what? I don't get it.
I'm beginning to think those Camptown ladies are juuuuust a bit off, if you know what I mean.

#13

Posted by: Turdus | April 11, 2008 1:13 PM

Speaking of invertebrates and good science, PZ, I hope that as we read this you are typing up a post on the Nature paper about comb jellies being the earliest metazoans. Would love to hear your opinion of that paper.

#14

Posted by: thegomezsymbol | April 11, 2008 1:22 PM

Oh my! That eye, such a complex instrument, surely proof that there is a dog!

#15

Posted by: Bill | April 11, 2008 1:55 PM

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Unless.. you realize the cephalopods are servants of the Great Old Ones and behind that eye lies a deeper knowledge of the universe that at a glimps would drive any man insane!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

Or perhaps I read too much Lovecraft...

#16

Posted by: steve8282 | April 11, 2008 3:01 PM

See something green?

#17

Posted by: rickflick | April 11, 2008 3:37 PM

My favorite Octo-tune, from Johathan Coulton:

http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/Octopus

Have a great weedend.

#18

Posted by: Reinis | April 11, 2008 5:23 PM

All glory to the Hypnotoad!

#19

Posted by: hermit | April 11, 2008 5:36 PM

So help me out, is that a real pupil or a pseudo-pupil like one might find in crustaceans? Cephalopods don't have compound eyes...do they?

#20

Posted by: mothra | April 11, 2008 5:55 PM

@19 No, cephalopods do not have those glorious compound eyes that grace most of the arthropods. Still, its a beautiful eye, such a colorful 'design.' :P

#21

Posted by: Zach Miller | April 11, 2008 6:34 PM

Bill stole my idea!!!

#22

Posted by: Shirakawasuna | April 11, 2008 7:26 PM

I was wondering what was going on with that sand (it looked uncomfortable) and it seems that besides sporting beautiful iridescent colors, this squid likes to bury itself and get a nice coating of sand. Weird and cool!

#23

Posted by: DarkSyde | April 11, 2008 7:55 PM

I loves me some Friday Cephalopod on Pharyngula. The carefree feel of a lazy Friday and squiddie alien physiology has become a hard combo to beat!

#24

Posted by: Dr. Free-Ride | April 11, 2008 11:09 PM

All glory to the Hypnotoad!

I have no choice but to go along with that.

Also, can I get a consult on this guy to figure out if it's something more particular than "octopus"?

#25

Posted by: Evol. neuroscientist | April 11, 2008 11:09 PM

PZ, Speaking of strange eyes, I would be curious for you to comment on M. Constantine-Paton's experiments with three-eyed frogs and what they tell us about evolution/development...

#26

Posted by: Cameron Owens | April 12, 2008 5:09 AM

ALL GLORY TO THE Euprymna tasmanica

#27

Posted by: blf | April 12, 2008 6:02 AM