Argonaut Octopus Mystery Solved

[n2doc]

By Susan Milius, Science News May 19, 2010 | 2:58 pm | Categories: Animals


After centuries of speculation, biologists have documented one way a strange group of octopus-like creatures use their seashell-shaped cases.

Female argonauts, a group of four species that are close cousins of octopuses, grow delicate white shell-like cases. Biologists have found argonauts with air bubbles in their cases, and now it turns out the animals use the trapped air to float at a comfortable depth, says Julian Finn of Museum Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.

In the first reports from scuba observations of wild argonauts, Finn maneuvered Argonauta argo females so air escaped from their cases. The animals flailed as if struggling to maintain their orientation and quickly jetted to the water surface.

Once at the surface, argonauts rocked their cases and took on air, he says. Then they positioned body parts to seal in some of the air and jetted downward, leaving behind a trail of bubbles.

When the argonauts stopped several meters below the surface, water pressure compressed the remaining air inside the case enough that it counteracted the animals’ weight, leaving the argonauts floating neutrally buoyant at a chosen depth.



Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/05/argonaut-octopus-mystery-solved/

[drmeow]

1. Nature is so cool! n/t

[damntexdem]

2. Do they collect golden fleeces?

;-)

[thecrow]

3. Now we know!

Thanks for posting this. I'ts a welcome relief of knowledge during an oil saturated nightmare.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Now how can we apply this to our lives?

Or do we already use air in submarines to establish ballast. (Deep dives must be hell.)

[Lithos]

5. Very cool

Never knew about "Argonauts" (other than those associated with Jason)

L-

[Decoy of Fenris]

6. So, wait...

Scientists, after much deliberation and CENTURIES of speculation, found out what purpose this thing's shell served...

... By poking it.

*facepalm*

Interesting, but it took hundreds of years to think up "I wonder what would happen if we tilted this thing to the side..."?