(Image from Cephalopods: Octopuses and Cuttlefishes for the Home Aquarium(amzn/b&n/abe/pwll) by Colin Dunlop and Nancy King.)
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Search
Profile
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
• a longer profile of yours truly
• my calendar
• Nature Network
• RichardDawkins Network
• facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Atheist Nexus
• the Pharyngula chat room
(#pharyngula on irc.synirc.net)
• Quick link to the latest endless thread
I reserve the right to publicly post, with full identifying information about the source, any email sent to me that contains threats of violence.
Random Quote
A sober, devout man will interpret "God's will" soberly and devoutly. A fanatic, with bloodshot mind, will interpret "God's will" fanatically. Men of extreme, illogical views will interpret "God's will" in eccentric fashion. Kindly, charitable, generous men will interpret "God's will" according to their character.
[E. Haldeman-Julius, "The Meaning Of Atheism"]
Recent Posts
- You shoulda been here
- Friday Cephalopod: Squink!
- A contemptible pseudoscientific scam
- KKMS, always quick to defend the fools
- The problem of the oblivious white male atheist
- You've all forgotten about the Molly awards, haven't you?
- Skepticon II
- Did you get a copy of The Origin from Ray Comfort?
- I get email
- If I were called Rusty Thomas, I might overcompensate a bit, too
A Taste of Pharyngula
Recent Comments
- Sili on The problem of the oblivious white male atheist
- Dust on Escape from the planet of the cursed undead heart of the vengeful bride of the son of the thread that will not die!
- Bright Incite on You shoulda been here
- Sili on Hopi Hoekstra—The Causes of Evolutionary Change: What Darwin Did and Didn't Know
- SC, OM on The problem of the oblivious white male atheist
- Sven DIMilo on The problem of the oblivious white male atheist
- Lynna on Escape from the planet of the cursed undead heart of the vengeful bride of the son of the thread that will not die!
- leepicton on You shoulda been here
- MAJeff, OM on The problem of the oblivious white male atheist
- Nerd of Redhead, OM on Escape from the planet of the cursed undead heart of the vengeful bride of the son of the thread that will not die!
Archives
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- November 2001
Blogroll
Other Information
« Bettie Page, dead at 85 | Main | Warning: proselytization is not allowed »
Friday Cephalopod: Do not make Mr Octopus angry
Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: December 12, 2008 4:27 PM, by PZ Myers
Find more posts in: 
Life Science
Share this: Facebook Twitter Stumbleupon Reddit Email + More
TrackBacks
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/87842
Sign in or register with TypePad. Sign up with Movable Type.
Comments
Posted by: Glen Davidson | December 12, 2008 4:32 PM
At least it's not the beak end. Yet.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
Posted by: Sili | December 12, 2008 4:42 PM
You're a cruel man, mr Atheist.
First you get us in the mood with Betty Paige.
And then you put up her angry father!
Posted by: John Phillips, FCD | December 12, 2008 4:45 PM
Tha one looks as I feel after a session reading some of our inane trolls.
Posted by: alextangent | December 12, 2008 5:03 PM
Scary, but not as scary as Ray Comfort's latest blog entry. That man is sick, I tell you. Wathc the video, then read the post. Does this gutless Godbotherer have no humanity at all?
http://raycomfortfood.blogspot.com/2008/12/parody-to-imitate-composition-author.html
Posted by: James F | December 12, 2008 5:08 PM
Ink-a-dink-a-doo, a dink-a dee, a dink-a doo
Oh, what a tune for crooning...
Posted by: Charles | December 12, 2008 5:09 PM
awesome pic. super cool looking. man, doc, you're getting lit up with traffic today my man.
Posted by: moother | December 12, 2008 5:11 PM
we're only "frightened" of this because we're used to being scared of land bound mammals. i dont think there's anything in the ocean that would be scared of this for it's "eyes".
to me it looks like a clitoris.
Posted by: RT NZ | December 12, 2008 5:15 PM
"to me it looks like a clitoris."
Jeepers , moother , you been looking at some scary vajayjays then .
Posted by: A Lynch | December 12, 2008 5:17 PM
Except for the pudendum, it could resemble a giant grouper head therefore capable of frightening away some predators.
Did you hear where Blogojevich has sought the counsel of three reverend ministers? He must be a decent fellow after all. /s
Posted by: kamaka | December 12, 2008 5:23 PM
I'm guessing this ceph pops into this pose in the blink of an eye. That would be enough to startle most anything.
Posted by: Robert W | December 12, 2008 5:29 PM
Very cool! My favorite in quite some time.
Happy Friday :)
Posted by: kamaka | December 12, 2008 5:35 PM
Blog and ministers are PRAYING!
"Only you, god, can get my ass out of this jam."
Posted by: Nadeen | December 12, 2008 5:59 PM
RT NZ
Thank you, that made me laugh out loud.
Posted by: E.V. | December 12, 2008 6:01 PM
What's that owl doing under water?
Posted by: Patricia, OM | December 12, 2008 6:51 PM
moother - everything looks like a clitoris to you these days. With a handle like moother I would have expected you to be fascinated by udders. *wink*
It looks like batik to me.
Posted by: Otto | December 12, 2008 6:57 PM
What a cute critter!
Posted by: ginny | December 12, 2008 7:53 PM
"Stupid humans! You didn't give a hoot!"
Posted by: LisaJ | December 12, 2008 8:07 PM
Freakin' awesome!
Sorry moother, I don't see a clitoris there. To me, it looks like a crazy, angry owl with a giant testicle on his chin. Poor guy.
Posted by: shonny | December 12, 2008 8:37 PM
Ever watched 'Rumpole of the Bailey'?
(If not, your life is definitely not complete, yet).
But that little fella looks very much like the lovable actor Leo McKern. Just check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpole_of_the_Bailey
Posted by: Bobber | December 12, 2008 8:50 PM
Holy moley. They actually DID model Squidward on a real cephalopod. Look at that honker!
Posted by: mindlesley | December 12, 2008 8:52 PM
Moother you obviously havent studied clitoral anatomy too closely. No one did until a bright spark anatomist in Melbourne Australia did a proper dissection and learned the female structure has more below the visible part than above, ie a very long shaft of erectile tissue. I think the clitoral owners you've examined were probably on steroids.
Back to the angry cephalopod: eyes in animal kingdom (including us of course) elicit either a love (mating) response or a fear and flight response. Hence men have waxed lyrical about loved ones's eyes or conversely many a fight has started with words similar to - "What ya lookin' at you ***##%%***"
Hope this clarifies this beguiling post. OOh, I think I'm in love ... Mindy xxx
Posted by: Peromyscus | December 12, 2008 9:07 PM
Amazing!
Posted by: andyo | December 12, 2008 9:33 PM
moother's clearly alluding to the other pareidolia post. I was gonna make the same joke he/she beat me to it.
And I have the same question too, are there a lot of animals with big round yellow eyes that this guy's predators would be afraid of?
Posted by: Annie M | December 12, 2008 9:35 PM
Anger - I Haz it.
Posted by: Simon Scott | December 12, 2008 9:41 PM
@4: thanks a lot. I followed the link, and now my IQ has dropped 15 points.
Bastard.
Posted by: Enshoku | December 12, 2008 10:25 PM
SQUIDWARD!
he shrunk a bit, and changed color...no matter though the face is still exactly the same.
Posted by: Sven DiMilo | December 13, 2008 12:49 AM
Convergence!
Posted by: Samantha Vimes | December 13, 2008 5:28 AM
Did anyone ever tell you you're cute when you're angry?
Posted by: Jason | December 13, 2008 8:24 AM
...because you wouldn't like him when he's angry.
*incredibly hulk theme plays*
Posted by: Mike O'Risal | December 13, 2008 2:27 PM
Y'know, somebody needs to buy PZ a stocking stuffer from Cthulhu's Bar and Grill.
Posted by: Susan T | December 13, 2008 6:11 PM
Oooooh he is scarey.
But I love him anyway!!!!!!
Posted by: Robert J. Grieve | December 13, 2008 6:11 PM
Nice shot.
Is that a starfish this critter is in the act of consuming? Between legs one and two on the left? Or is it just a poor angle on a fish?
Just curious.
Posted by: Susan T | December 13, 2008 6:25 PM
Oooooh he is scarey.
But I love him anyway!!!!!!
Posted by: Keenacat | December 13, 2008 8:48 PM
Aaaaawwww!!
He's SO cute. Looks like an angry little King (with the crown, y'know). I'd love to have that critter in the hallway, scaring unwanted guests away.
But then, I live in an apartment building and people I don't want to have around do not even get up to my apartment door.
That's so sad.
Anyway, maybe I'll print that little guy and put him on the cookie jar to scare flatmates and my boyfriend away.
(Anyone interested in cookies? I made a wagonload today.)
Posted by: mindlesley | December 14, 2008 9:12 PM
Yes ROBERT I DO THINK IT IS A STARFISH whoops cAPS LOCK STUCK. It made potentially fatal error of mistaking angry cephalopod for a nice algae-covered rock. I've almost made similar one in Australia, once nearly picking up blue-ringed octopus - not friendly critters for we humans to go fondle. mindy xxx
Posted by: mindlesley | December 14, 2008 9:21 PM
Whoops indeed It's probably on rock beneath and tentacle is just curled in a fashion that makes it look like on it. Sorry for misperception however colored. Tho it was nice to tell you guys about one of our lovely lethal Aussie fauna. minimally sincere apologies Mindy xxx