Now That Squid Can Fly, Is Anyone Safe?
Tales of tiny Pacific squid going airborne are common in Japan, but scientists had never been able to document the flying invertebrates to know if they were real. Japanese scientists have finally been able to record these squid in flight and figure out exactly how they take to the air.
The 8-inch neon flying squid (Todarodes pacificus) propel themselves out of the sea with a powerful jet of water, reaching speeds over 10 meters per second! Once they break the surface, they spread their wing-like flaps, and the resulting lift allows them to cover distances approaching 100 feet. This adaptation, thought to allow them to avoid predators, shows the completely independent evolution of flight in a creature that lives in the water! A truly amazing feat, which also marks it as the first known mini-Cthulu fighter pilot.
Read more about the forthcoming research at io9.
*Not actual squid footage.
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- #science
- #marine biology
- #squid
- #cephalopods
- #biology
- #evolution
- #gif
- #cthulu
- #flying squid
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