Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: August 1, 2008 8:39 AM, by PZ Myers
Hey, isn't this the time of year you should be traveling to exotic places, diving and snorkeling in tropical oceans, and of course, sending your underwater photos to me to inspire acute envy? That's what Philip Qua did, and here are some cephalopods spotted in the Caribbean reefs off Cozumel.
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Comments
Posted by: llewelly | August 1, 2008 8:45 AM
Reefs are endangered by global warming and ocean acidification.
Posted by: deejay | August 1, 2008 8:49 AM
I recently got back from a trip to St. Lucia, where we did a little bit of casual snorkeling. My wife and I were convinced that we saw a couple of cuttlefish, but I just read that cuttlefish aren't found in American waters. Is that correct?
No photos, unfortunately, as we ran out of film on the underwater disposable before we saw them.
Posted by: clinteas | August 1, 2008 8:51 AM
Eek....
I aint going swimming in no ocean with things like them in it....
Posted by: Jackal | August 1, 2008 8:52 AM
Faintastic shots - absolutely beautiful! My one and only coral snorkling adventure was in the "winter," so the corals didn't have a lot of color. I didn't notice any octopuses, (not suprising consiering their excellent camouflage abilities). However, I did see some baby sea turtles, and I got to hold a sea cucumber.
Posted by: Michelle | August 1, 2008 8:53 AM
awwwr! The first one is CUTE.
Posted by: LisaJ | August 1, 2008 8:55 AM
Wow, absolutely beautiful. I have got to take up scuba diving... and move to an ocean side town.
Posted by: gillt | August 1, 2008 9:10 AM
I heart cephalopods, but the coolest thing in this picture are the small-polyp stony corals.
Posted by: jimibungle | August 1, 2008 9:25 AM
deejay:
this time last year I was diving in St Lucia and on a snorkelling day between the pitons I also thought that I saw three cuttlefish swimming together. Followed them for a while - very graceful movers. May have some photos, will have a look
Posted by: llewelly | August 1, 2008 9:29 AM
That's ok. Global warming and ocean acidification will probably kill off all or nearly all reef life in the next 50 years so. Then you'll be able to swim in the ocean without fear of your fellow living creatures.Posted by: HumanisticJones | August 1, 2008 9:54 AM
llewelly, thank you for your commentary Colonel Buzz Killington. Have we lost the ability to just have a light hearted discussion about cute cephalopods around here? Have we absorbed that much killjoy from the catholics after Crackergate?
Love the cute little blue guy in the top picture by the way. Great pictures.
Posted by: Robin L. | August 1, 2008 10:17 AM
I look forward to the Friday cephalopod all week. And I LOVE cuttlefish, though I have never seen them in the Carribean. I do sit and commune with them whenever I go to aquarium. Maybe someday I will figure out what they think I am saying . . .
Posted by: spgreenlaw | August 1, 2008 10:18 AM
Diving at a coral reef has always been a dream of mine. But I guess I'm not going to ever actually do it. "If we truly value coral reefs, we must stop travelling around the world to see them, for long haul flights are rapidly becoming one of the major sources of global warming."
Posted by: Wonderpus | August 1, 2008 10:27 AM
My last dive trip was to Malaysian Borneo -- we saw a wonderful broadclub cuttlefish who patiently went about his business while I tried to take his photo. Here's one of the better ones:
Broadclub cuttlefish photo [baryon.net]
To me it also looked like he was hunting by forming a "hose" with his tentacles and using it to blow on the coral heads, presumably to scare out any prey.
We also saw this amazingly tiny little squid (bobtail?), lurking in a small crevice at night. It was only 1cm long!
Posted by: Troglodyte | August 1, 2008 11:03 AM
I just got back from Hawaii, where I went on no less than 6 dives hoping to see an octopus or squid. Sadly, I didn't encounter any cephalopods. Sorry.
Posted by: Peter Ashby | August 1, 2008 12:57 PM
Wonderpus that is a lovely photo, especially that you have to concentrate to pick the outline up against the background. Nicely shot, well done.
Posted by: Clinton Bauder | August 1, 2008 1:22 PM
Is Alaska exotic enough? We even got to meet Ray Troll.
Posted by: Dick Marti | August 1, 2008 1:50 PM
Hey PZ, don't overlook the Montauk Monster.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/07/the_monster_of_montauk.html
Posted by: Patricia | August 1, 2008 2:13 PM
The top photo is beautiful!
The bottom one - yeek! Scary.
Posted by: Jared | August 1, 2008 2:36 PM
These are my vacation photos from Costa Rica...
http://picasaweb.google.com/jared.cormier/BloggerPictures
You may not appreciate them as much as I do, but from left to right: our condo-dwelling gecko, spiny-tailed iguana, land crab, anole, another gecko, eyelash viper, and finally, my favorite, a red-eyed tree frog.
Posted by: Jack | August 1, 2008 3:48 PM
Psalm 2
Why do the nations protest and the peoples grumble in vain?
Kings on earth rise up and princes plot together against the LORD and his anointed: "Let us break their shackles and cast off their chains!"
The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord derides them,
Then speaks to them in anger, terrifies them in wrath:
"I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD, who said to me, "You are my son; today I am your father. Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations, your possession the ends of the earth. With an iron rod you shall shepherd them, like a clay pot you will shatter them."
And now, kings, give heed; take warning, rulers on earth.
Serve the LORD with fear; with trembling bow down in homage, Lest God be angry and you perish from the way in a sudden blaze of anger. Happy are all who take refuge in God!
Posted by: cactusren | August 2, 2008 1:42 PM
Seriously, Jack, what's the point of posting random psalms here? This entry is about fun pictures of cephalopods, and says nothing about religion (pro or anti). It's rather off-putting that you would randomly quote biblical passages here, so if you're somehow hoping to convert people in this way, please stop wasting your time and ours.
Posted by: deejay | August 2, 2008 3:48 PM
@ jimibungle #8.
Belated thanks for the reply. I look forward to seeing your photos if you're able to share them; that would be great.
Posted by: blf | August 2, 2008 3:54 PM
My holiday pictures are of the Kraken rising from the depths to eat a boat-full of Jackasses--er, Jacks. Unfortunately, they were taken by the
GestapoDepartment ofOil Baron's SecurityTheology, who mistook them for a laptop computer.Posted by: jimibungle | August 3, 2008 2:21 PM
deejay:
just checked with my girlfriend and we did not have cameras that day! sorry... We are both pretty positive about them being cuttlefish though
Posted by: Zorpheous | August 5, 2008 2:41 PM
I had some real winner shots of a pissed of "Spiny Puffer" fish, but I know you love all things that are CTHULHU.
Enjoy people!
And thanks for posting my photos PZ, their are hardly National Geographic quality, but I thought these two were good.
Posted by: psiloiordinary | August 17, 2008 10:37 AM
Here is my shot - kind of a cross between big foot (tentacle) and cephalopod of the week;
http://cogitatute.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-evidence-for-cryptozoology.html