Flickr Friday: Southern Dumpling Squid…times two!
Friday, July 24th, 2009
Euprymna tasmanica (aka, the Southern Dumpling Squid)
Originally posted by Saspotato.
This cute little guy is a Southern Dumpling Squid—a species of bobtail squid found in the coastal waters of Southern Australia. It grows to maximum length of 7cm and spends its days buried in the sandy bottom. For camouflage, it creates a mucus-lined coat of sand which can be shed quickly (with the help of acid glands) to create a decoy if attacked. Bobtail squid (Sepiolida) are closely related to cuttlefish, and they have a symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria, which inhabit a special light-emitting organ in their mantle.
This drawing (based on the photo at the top of the post) is by Joe Komenda. Joe is the creator of the webcomic Feral Chicken, the inventor of the bacon-infused Bloody Mary (yum!), and one of the many über-talented people I have the good fortune to know. The orignal drawing now lives in my house, and once I figure out where to hang it, I’ll post an update here.
