My Mollusca Addiction

This blog is entirely dedicated to my love of molluscs and all other things related to marine science.

[breathinginbiology]

Grimpoteuthis, more commonly known as the Dumbo Octopus, is the deepest living of all octopus species, spending its time at depths of 3,000 to 7,000 meters below sea level. 

(source)

[wehaveproof]

Baby octopus all snugglied up in a vacant clamshell

(photographer unknown, found via: cephalopoda)

[schizsune]

is not vacant it has an octopus in it!

[celtic-pyro-deactivated20230725]

Vacant clamshell: exists.

Baby octopus:

[seatrench]

This variant of the Goldentail / Bastard Moray is known as the Banana Eel due to its colouration and markings resembling a ripe banana.

(source)

[cuddlethecuttlefish]

It's so pretty!!

[molluscfacts]

WATCH: An Octopus in New Zealand Is Taking Photos of Its Visitors

Meet the world’s first “octographer” - Rambo, a cephalopod at New Zealand’s Sea Life Aquarium who’s taking photos of its visitors.

You can see this impressive ability in action above, and watch as Rambo makes sure she doesn’t have her sucker-covered tentacles in the shot before hitting the shutter button.

Of course, Rambo isn’t the first cephalopod to perform high-level activities - not only do octopuses have mind-boggling camouflage skills, superb speed and the ability to walk on land, they can also use tools and, apparently, predict soccer games.

But, as far as we’re aware, this is the first time an octopus has been trained to take photos. The project is part of a collaboration between the aquarium and Sony, who provided Rambo with the camera and its special underwater casing that’s lowered into her enclosure. Then, when spectators line up against a specially provided backdrop, she’s able to use her dexterous tentacle to push the red shutter button, and take better photos than pretty much all of our parents.

I don’t know about you guys, but I, for one, welcome our new octopus overlords.

[sarahmackattack]

Write a “Prince of Bel Air” about your Ph.D. ...Go!

Don’t worry, I’ll start.  *ahem*

Now this is a story all about how

Squid flipped my life right upside down

Not just any old mollusk or gastropod

Cephalopods are my scene, I’m queen of the Squid Squad

Outside Philadelphia, born and raised

In the squid room is where I spend most of my days

Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool and all

squidding and catching some shrimp in the tide pool

When a couple of squid who were up to no good

Started squirting squid ink in the neighborhood

Got some ink in her eye, undergrad got scared

And said “I thought we’d be in lab, Sarah I was not prepared”

I’m working in the lab naw don’t shed a tear,

Cause my microscope is fresh, check the dichroic mirror

But I know you’re only here for the cephalopods,

Sorry to get distracted, let’s go back to squid squads

Let’s go down to the tanks I’ve got cuttlefish, sepias

Changing colors all day, jazzin’ up academia

Look at my kingdom, Philly up to Cape Cod

Sittin on my sand throne, the queen of the Squid Squad

[cuddlethecuttlefish]

This is beautiful

[sosuperawesome]

DIY Paper Craft and Fully Assembled Lamps, by Vasili Lights on Etsy

[gifbro]

[4gifs]

Cuttlefish pretending to be a hermit crab

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Cuttlefish have such an incredible capacity for mimicry that isn’t talked about enough. Not only can they pretend to be a different sex in order to get sneaky matings with females who are already being guarded by a male, and change their skin color for camouflage, now they’re apparently pretending to be crabs. 

What’s interesting is that when I went to look up pharoah cuttlefish mimicry, the only result I got was this behavior that potentially looks like hermit crab mimicry (the paper on it wouldn’t confirm for sure that’s what the behavior was, just that it seems likely) I couldn’t find evidence of cuttlefish mimicking any other species. So it’s just hermit crabs, I guess. 

[strangebiology]

They also turn into…this….

[sarahmackattack]

Sepioteuthis are so beautiful

[cuddlethecuttlefish]

Got to hang out with a giant pacific octopus. Loved every moment of it. #newenglandaquarium #octopus #ocean #aquarium #cephalopod #giantpacificoctopus #gorgeous #marinebiology (at New England Aquarium)

[ohmicaela]

View this post on Instagram

Octopus Love At Soldiers Beach Today 🦑🦑🦑 #soldiersbeach #centralcoast #nsw #octopus #beach #australia #centralcoastnsw #water (at Soldiers Beach)

[cuddlethecuttlefish]

Want to be out marching for science, but I'm stuck at a oceans and climate change symposium from 9am to 4pm. Got to present on dead zones which was but I'm still sad. Drew an octopus to make it a bit more bearable.

[cuddlethecuttlefish]

Very fascinating stuff

[jennburroughs]

(via Octopus shows unique hunting, social and sexual behavior | Berkeley News)

[0-60photography]

Dwarf cuttlefish | Baby cthulu

‘ sepia bandensis ‘

[cuddlethecuttlefish]

These are so cool

[redwolf]

(via “octopus ” by lauragraves | Redbubble)

[cuddlethecuttlefish]

Just finished drawing this after starting it with highlighters in class. Would be a pretty cool tattoo