Ecology & Zoology

Dark spots on flower petals are common across many angiosperm plant families and occur on some flowers such as lilies, orchids, and considerable research has been done on the physiological and…

Thanks to the zillions of friendly people who sent me links to the coconut octopus story, I can share accounts from slashdot, treehugger, new scientist, the AP, and of course, the BBC. Much indignant…

Hey, I'm in New Zealand, home of the colossal squid! I believe--oh yes, Scientific Blogging has seen mention of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltonii before. Suffice it to say here that M. hamiltonii, the…

This seems like something obvious that I should really know, but I worry that I'm forgetting something. Squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish all squirt ink. (Nautilus, the throwback cephalopod, does not…

My google news alert for "squid" frequently pops up recipes and restaurant reviews, most of which I dismiss out of hand. But a critical mass of alerts mentioning squid ink pasta, risotto, and other…

Today's Ecoview column in the Tuscaloosa News addresses this question: Q: Can you tell me what a group of squid is called? A squad? A school? I’ve tried to look it up, but I haven’t seen anything…

Humboldt squid are apparently still swarming off the coast of northern California, according to this account from Marin: The fishing began roughly 30 miles from shore when captain Rick Powers killed…

An opinion piece in the Boston Herald criticizes the squid dissection component of an overnight family education event at the New England Aquarium: The barbaric highlight of the night was when the…

I love that the Census of Marine Life is getting news coverage! It proves that people can get excited over cool exploratory science--natural history of the deep--that doesn't have any immediate…

Speaking of cirrate octopods (as I have been recently), BBC News In Pictures: Monsters of the deep is strongly dominated by a cirrate octopus! Yay! Three of the eight photos feature Grimpoteuthis:…