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Vampire Squid And The Evolution Of Cephalopod Sex

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Squid Lady Parts

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Danna StaafRSS Feed of this column.

Cephalopods have been rocking my world since I was in grade school. I pursued them through a BA in marine biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, followed by a PhD dissertation at... Read More »

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Sonar, Squid, and Oxygen

Sonar, Squid, and Oxygen

Oct 05 2010 | comment(s)

US News&World Report has a nifty writeup from the NSF about research on Humboldt squid, featuring my PhD advisor and various collaborators. Both the title and the subtitle make me laugh:
Exploring How Jumbo Squid Use Oxygen to Survive
Research could explain how ocean ecosystems work
The title just sounds boring, because, c'mon, don't we all use oxygen to survive? (Except obligate anaerobes.) And the subtitle is just meaninglessly all-encompassing. Research could explain how thingwork? Really?
Sloppy eating habits can be hazardous to your health

Sloppy eating habits can be hazardous to your health

Oct 04 2010 | comment(s)

If you're a squid, that is.

Apparently squids of the species Martialia hyadesi like to eat oily fish. They're messy, so they leave oil in the water, which floats to the surface. Grey-headed albatrosses, meanwhile, like to eat squid. They cue in to these oil slicks and dive to catch the squid, which are probably still in a food coma after that nice big fatty meal.



I made up the bit about a food coma. But everything else is in this paper:
The Robust Clubhook Squid Is Also Quite Large

The Robust Clubhook Squid Is Also Quite Large

Oct 02 2010 | comment(s)

Humboldt squid have gotten so much press off the west coast of the Americas that pretty much any big squid found in these waters is immediately labeled a Humboldt. For example, a Mr. Anderson and his dog Chance recently found a Big Squid Strayed Too Far North on an Alaskan beach:
Sherry Tamone, a professor of marine biology at the University of Alaska Southeast, looked at Anderson's pictures and guessed the creature was likely a very large humboldt squid that had accidentally hitched a ride on a dead-end warm current headed north.
Squid-A-Day Returns, Squid Day Coming Up

Squid-A-Day Returns, Squid Day Coming Up

Oct 01 2010 | comment(s)

The dissertation is complete, the post-dissertation vacation is finished, and Squid-A-Day is back, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! And oh boy, have I got news for you.

It's no accident that Squid-A-Day is emerging from its PhD chrysalis (note to self: nice analogy. come back to it later) just as we enter the month of October. As the 10th month of the year, it is a friend to the squid, with their ten appendages. But as its Latinate name contains the number 8, it goes the extra step to acknowledge that the squid's appendages are composed of only eight arms, and two specialized tentacles. Thus, October + Squid = Celebration!
Humboldt Squid Hit The Tabloids

Humboldt Squid Hit The Tabloids

Aug 30 2010 | comment(s)

First of all, yes, I know not to expect any better of the Express. But it's coming up on a year since Squid Says: What's for Dinner? Probably Not You, so it must be time for another rant.

I just can't help taking the bait, even though this is clearly trolling:
Millions of killer giant squid are not only devouring vast amounts of fish they have even started attacking humans . . . Hunting in 1,000-strong packs the giant squid can out-swim and out-think fish.
TV Drives Giant Squid Research

TV Drives Giant Squid Research

Aug 20 2010 | comment(s)

A couple months shy of a year ago, I was raving about the news that a new giant squid documentary was in the works.

Guess what? It's still in the works!

If this weren't so deadly serious (joke) I'd be laughing my head off about the meta-meta-reporting. I'm writing a blog post . . . about an article . . . about a documentary . . . that hasn't been filmed yet. And you're still reading? You should probably just go outside a watch a tree grow.

But wait, before you go, a pop quiz: Can squid hear?