Science in Pajamas: Swimming Squid
- Ally Shirman
- Jul 17, 2018
- 1 min read
Updated: May 23, 2019
Squid, which are similar to the octopus, have eight arms and two tentacles. The arms, called cephalopod limbs, resemble those on an octopus with suckers along their length. The two extra tentacles have suckers only their ends, and are meant to capture food such as fish and crabs.
Its powerful muscles contract to force out jets of water that propel it in the opposite direction that they’re facing - so it swims backward in a zigzag formation. As a strategy to avoid predators, it can shoot out an inky fluid made from melanin particles called sepia that creates a dark cloud, allowing it to create a diversion and flee to safety.
See the quick movements of a squid for yourself with a homemade creation!
What you'll need:
balloon
water
squirt cap (the type that comes on sports drinks works well)
bathtub
Instructions:
Fill the bathtub with water. Then, fill the balloon with water, and while you keep the neck pinched closed, have a friend stretch the lip up over a closed squirt cap. Hold your balloon “squid” underwater one end of the tub or sink, open the cap nozzle, and let go. Water will shoot out of the bottle and propel the balloon in the opposite direction - mimicking a real squid!
If you're interested in the detailed physics behind this movement, here's a great resource.
Resources and References:
Littlefield, Cindy A. Awesome Ocean Science: Investigating the Secrets of the Underwater World. Williamson Books, 2006.
Zych, Ariel. “Jet Propulsion Locomotion of Squid and Octopus.” Science Friday, www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/jet-setting-cephalopods/.
Watson, Stephanie. “How Squid Work.” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 1 June 2007, animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/squid2.htm.
Science in Pajamas Slitherio is a fun and educational series that explores fascinating topics in biology, physics, and the natural world, all in a relaxed, accessible style.
This is a neat little piece about squid! It's amazing to think about the science happening, even when we're relaxed. Speaking of creative ideas, if you're ever looking for inspiration for visuals to go with science concepts, you might find something interesting on AI Image Generator By Nano Banana Pro. They generate images from text, which could be helpful!
This article about swimming squid is fascinating! It's amazing to learn about these creatures and their movements. I find it really interesting how science can be explored in such an engaging way. If you're looking for a quick and easy way to organize your images, I recommend checking out Merge JPG. It's a great tool!
That was a fascinating read about swimming squid! It's amazing to learn about the science behind these creatures in such an accessible way. I often find myself taking notes while reading articles like this, and I've found a great tool to help with organization. If you, like me, enjoy compiling notes or drafts, I recommend checking out Markdown to Word. It's perfect for converting your notes into a clean, easy-to-manage format.
This "Swimming Squid" article was a fun read! Learning about these creatures in such an accessible way is fantastic. It's always great to see science made interesting. If you're curious about different kinds of analysis, you might also like to check out AI Beauty Rating, which offers a unique perspective on a different kind of evaluation.