Saturday, December 27, 2008

Squid Sex

Learn something every day.

Now Hoving has unveiled what seems like an entire Kama Sutra of the squid world. The subjects of his study were all already dead at the time he observed them, but what the biologist found in museums, obtained from fishermen and collected from the ocean on scientific expeditions off the coast of Namibia and the Falkland Islands is nonetheless sensational:


Using their sharp beaks or the hooks on their tentacles, males of the species Taningia danae make cuts more than five centimeters (two inches) deep into the females’ flesh. They then deposit sperm packets, called spermatophores, into the wounds.


Females of a mini-squid species, Heteroteuthis dispar, store sperm within their bodies in a special pouch. The precious cargo can account for up to 3 percent of the squid’s total body weight.


Some males of the species Ancistrocheirus lesueurii appear outwardly almost like females. “Possibly an adaptation for getting closer to the females,” Hoving suggests.


For another species, Moroteuthis ingens, the males simply release their sperm packets and don’t need to do anything more. The spermatophores penetrate the female’s skin independently, using a substance that dissolves tissue.

(1) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1837 hrs
Off-Duty

  1. MTMI

    Posted by Steve on December 27, 2008 at 2111 hrs


Commenting is not available in this channel entry.