Cephalopods are always full of surprises that push the boundaries of what we think we know about animal living – and few are more riveting than the octopus squid ( Octopoteuthis deletron ) , a abstruse - sea lone wolf with obliterable limbs and a strong disposition towards same - sex behavior .
Most squids have a total of 10 appendages , consisting of eight arms and two long tentacles . However , as octopus squid mature , their two eating tentacles are reabsorbed into their bodies , leaving them with just eight member .
Some individual devilfish calamari have even few arm , though . They are one of the only knownsquidsto purposefully lose one of their arms as a way to lam a piranha , a bit like how lizards can trench their tooshie if it ’s been snap up by a doll . They ’re also capable of reclaim the lost arm , a remarkable trait that onlya few animal groupspossess .
A2012 studyobserved 84 individualO. deletronusing remotely operated vehicle ( ROVs ) and receive that 17 ( 27 percent ) of them had at least one partly missing arm . The research worker even straightaway see this deportment , called autotomy , when the squids made liaison with their ROV and throw off their limbs in a scare .
They ’re typically seen in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington to Baja California . Per theMonterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute(MBARI ) , the mintage live at depths of up to 1,000 meters ( 3,300 feet ) in the twilight ( mesopelagic ) zone during the daytime . When the sun goes down , they rise to the surface at depths of 500 meters ( 1,600 foot ) to feed .
Like many cryptical - ocean denizen , there ’s plenty we do n’t get laid about devilfish squid , such as their diet . It ’s discernible , however , that the species is prey upon by a legion of different brute , let in whale , shark , and even seabirds .
To avoid becoming someone else ’s dinner party , O. deletroncan change colour , a behavior that ’s common in cephalopod mollusk that go in shallow waters , but not so typical in bass - dwelling mintage .
They achieve this through particularize prison cell in their skin calledchromatophores , which control sacs of paint that can be expanded or contracted by the action of surrounding muscle cells , allowing rapid change in people of color and pattern . Cephalopods can also shift their appearing using cell callediridophores , which reflect light to develop iridescent colours through structural hindrance , as well as leucophores , which scatter light and increase their brightness .
Another joke up their sleeve isa Light Within - produce organthat sits at the end of each arm , used to bedazzle prey , illuminate their surroundings , or perhaps romance potential mates .
Speaking of mating , their alone lives result them to develop some fairly fascinating sexual conduct . O. deletronis particularly unique because it exhibitssame - sexuality behavioras commonly as opposite - sexual urge sexual doings , consort to a2011 bailiwick .
To reproduce , the squid uses a limited branch to efficaciously shoot a packet of spermatozoan into the pulp of the partner , where it persist until the female can fertilise its egg . However , it appears that the devilfish squid is indiscriminate with who it attempts to inseminate and will often fire a sperm parcel at fellow males . In the solitary depth of the ocean , you ca n’t miss your shot .
“ This is a lone metal money that is not very abundant ; it lives in inscrutable , dark piss where opportunities for reproduction are few and far between . In response to that challenge , this reproductive strategy see to it that no chance for successful pairing is lost . It ’s kind of like grease one’s palms a Lotto ticket , except the odds are much better , " Bruce Robison , a atomic number 27 - author of the study and deep - sea ecologist at MBARI , say in astatement .
