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TIL: Some cephalopods can fly… (midwest.social)
submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by Pandantic@midwest.social to c/til@lemmy.world
47 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Some cephalopods are able to fly through the air for distances of up to 50 metres (160 ft). While cephalopods are not particularly aerodynamic, they achieve these impressive ranges by jet-propulsion; water continues to be expelled from the funnel while the organism is in the air. The animals spread their fins and tentacles to form wings and actively control lift force with body posture. One species, Todarodes pacificus, has been observed spreading tentacles in a flat fan shape with a mucus film between the individual tentacles, while another, Sepioteuthis sepioidea, has been observed putting the tentacles in a circular arrangement.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopod#Senses

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[-] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 39 points 5 months ago

So what I’m hearing is that at 50 meters from the shoreline it is unlikely, but not impossible, that a squid may leap onto your face.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

Yes. Depends on how big of a jerk you're being.

[-] brianorca@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

50 meters would assume a flat surface of the water, not the gentle slope of a beach.

[-] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 35 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Holy shit man

TL;DW it's rare, there's no video apparently. They think they maybe do it to get away from predators but against all odds they can do a pretty good job at it for "short" distances.

[-] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 9 points 5 months ago

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[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 25 points 5 months ago

The only thing that stopped them from becoming a dominate species like humans is their short lifespans.

They don't live long enough to accumulate and exchange complex information.

We could have an underwater squid society if they just lived a couple years longer so they'd start seeing a benefit from increased lifespan and start selecting for it.

It's why aliens coming to earth is so far fetched. It's not just "life" being out there, it's hitting a bunch of conditions so certain necessary traits are selected for, then the species living long enough to develop and sustain interstellar travel.

All while being in Earths local commuting distance.

[-] kamenlady@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago

Maybe they reached this state in the past and thought:

"Nah, the whole trauma you build up in a long life of complicated relationships, that inevitably ends in sorrow and death? It just ain't worth it."

Then they reverted back to the short-life sweet-spot of 2 - 3 years. Enough time to get reproductive organs going, have the best sex of your lifetime and thank off.

No one's got time for religion, war and all that other nonsense with such a short time at your disposal.

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 2 points 5 months ago

Fuck relationships, but I appreciate being able to have sex with more than one different tentacled creature over my lifetime

[-] Elkenders@feddit.uk 2 points 5 months ago

Actually sounds quite reasonable and pleasant.

[-] Revan343@lemmy.ca 14 points 5 months ago

I wouldn't say it's the only thing getting in their way; being underwater is a major disadvantage when it comes to developing advanced technology, as it makes smelting rather difficult.

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

Don't judge a fish on how well it can climb a tree...

Just because the stuff we invented on land won't work, doesn't mean the mighty squid people wouldnt have invented an underwater method instead.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Don't give away all of our secrets!

[-] Pandantic@midwest.social 2 points 5 months ago

And imagine what it will be like when we are gone and the world is under water and they have access to our technology!

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 2 points 5 months ago

I imagine nuclear weapons work under water? Does it diminish their likelihood to cause nuclear winter?

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 12 points 5 months ago

I'm just conjecturing, mind you. Nothing truly serious. That said:

I think that individual lifespan plays a small role on this. The main issue is that they don't care about their young and their typical lonely behaviour.

I'm saying this because a lot of our (human) strength is not individual. It's the small things that we do that give a tiny bit more power to the ones around them, and to the next generations. Those things pile up, and yet for cephalopods there's nothing remotely similar to that. (Cetaceans come closer, but their ability to change the environment around them is a bit handicapped. Or rather flippercapped.)

[-] DeVaolleysAdVocate@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

didn't the pentagon come out a few years ago saying there are 'ufo's that are not US or other known nation's. There are lots of possibilities that are not aliens from other plants but then again with some time a race could learn to use technology to live thousands of years naturally right?

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

They've been saying that for decades...

For so long that they were able to say

Nah, that was us, we couldn't say anything till the SR-71 Blackbird was declassified tho

Why would you assume that when they say next:

But this new thing definitely isn't us

That it's not the same thing?

Hell, you're operating under the assumption they're actually things.

The stuff where pilots say "nothing can move like that" is usually from some trick of perspective because they're flying faster than the speed of sound and trying to look at something at a weird angle.

Like, something from another planet that flew here is like a 0.00000000000000001% chance.

It would be more likely to be a civilization from the center of the Earth, time travellers, something from a parallel universe...

All that stuff is also incredibly unlikely and not what any of those are. But even fucking Jesus coming back and flying around is more likely than aliens flew here through space.

Especially considering they had to fly here without us ever finding any evidence except these few videos.

If they could hide coming here, they wouldn't have any problem hiding once here.

And if they were gonna let us catch glimpses for this long, they'd have said what's up by now.

[-] TheFonz@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

There's a great book on this topic called "other minds" by Peter Godfried.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago

Damn right we can fly! Is my username a joke to you people?

P.S. Fuck cuttlefish. Showoffs.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Yes

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Well... okay.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I mean I figure most u/ns are inside jokes I just haven't figured out yet. Halfway there...

[-] ThrowawayPermanente@sh.itjust.works 11 points 5 months ago

I heard some of them post on social media, too

[-] NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth 2 points 5 months ago

I can’t remember their instance to tag them

[-] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 4 points 5 months ago
[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

Hello!

[-] Pandantic@midwest.social 5 points 5 months ago

Hello and welcome. So tell me, what’s it like to exit the ocean and take flight?

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

Like nothing you stupid hairless apes could ever comprehend.

[-] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 3 points 5 months ago

Behold your brethren!

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

I posted a picture of them elsewhere in the thread. The one on the far right is Gary. Never lend him money. Trust me.

[-] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 2 points 5 months ago

lol, thanks for the tip, I’ll keep an eye out for him!

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Don't trust this one. He still owes me tree fiddy

[-] NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth 3 points 5 months ago

Thanks!

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 7 points 5 months ago

Flying squids are cool. A lot like flying squirrels - more like gliding than proper flight.

My guesses are similar to the ones in the video mozz linked: developed for migration, or avoiding predators (including intra-species), or perhaps both. Air travel might be difficult due to gravity, but it's a pretty handy tool if you're trying to survive.

[-] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 6 points 5 months ago

Sounds like bullshit meant to poison AI

[-] interrobang@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 5 months ago

I 100% thought this was another pizza glue

[-] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

I've almost flown off the toilet in a similar fashion after Taco Bell.

[-] bitwaba@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Same here. Including the mucus covered tentacles.

[-] CuttingBoard@sopuli.xyz 2 points 5 months ago

Did it feel like water was being expelled from your funnel?

[-] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Copious amounts.

[-] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Octillery used Fly!

Bulbasaur is confused 💫

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 2 points 5 months ago

Lastly, there is one brave reptile that seems to break all the rules of flight and aerodynamics. It’s the flying snake.

I have a new nightmare, thanks

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 1 points 5 months ago

This unique flying tool is called a patagium, which is a stretchy cape of loose skin that starts at their wrists, extends along their body, and attaches at their ankles

Don't put your dick in it. Don't..

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 1 points 5 months ago

The Draco Lizard, also called the Flying Dragon, makes its home in the jungles of Southeast Asia and Southern India. Measuring a mere 8 inches from head to tail, it’s astounding that they can fly through the forest for up to 100 feet! They accomplish this by using folds of skin that rest against their body. When unfurled, this skin acts as wings.

Can it breathe fire too?

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

They can live in very different habitats, ranging from beneath the ocean waves to high up in the tree tops of a rainforest

Wut. rainforest tree squids?

this post was submitted on 30 May 2024
256 points (98.9% liked)

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