Hold me closer tiny dancer!

[gunug]

I had read an account from someone in a deep diving research computer about these Cirrate Octopi but I'd never seen the video before and think you might enjoy seeing it too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caHjExs2qs8...player_embedded

This is from Boing Boing and the link leads indirectly to this link above:

QUOTE

We don't know a whole lot about their anatomy and physiology, but we do know that they lack "typical" octopus features, like ink sacs and the ability to move around by jet propulsion. Instead, cirrates swim using those fins on the sides of their heads. As for the eponymous "cirra", those are little filaments, similar to the cilia  that line your nose, which are paired up with every sucker on a Cirrate octopus' arm. Nobody knows exactly what they do, but they may be involved, somehow, in trapping and handling of food.

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/10/21/weird...able-cirra.html

Thanks to "Dr. M" whoever they are:

http://deepseanews.com/2010/10/ghostly-cri...irrate-octopus/

[krissel]

Vampire squid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ZQH2Uzpew...feature=related

Difference between octopus and squid:

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Octopus_vs_Squid

[gunug]

Amazing video there as well; although I'm not sure why this thing is "from hell!"  Oh, well you have to allow for cultural differences in science!  

[Frances144]

Fascinating - what incredible movement.

[jcarter]

Thank you for this link, I love those little creatures.
My son-in-law worked for MBARI when he was a grad student, what an interesting place. We used to visit when they lived out there in Monterey, they actually rented a cute little house in Carmel, charming town.
Now he works at MIT, which is a lot closer for us to visit the family and grandkids. Like 65 miles.

Long ago when I used to scuba, and that is a LONG time ago, I loved to watch the little octopi and how they would change colors so quickly as you watched them. Or I should say, as they watched us.
Jane

[gunug]

The son of my step dads brother works an Oceanography program in the Chesapeake Bay (NOAA maybe) and he told my stepdad that someone was trying to study the changes in coloration to see if they convey communication with them.  This has been awhile ago so maybe they've figured it out already?

[jcarter]

From what I remember when I worked at http://www.bios.edu/ back when I was young,,,,,,, was that they changed color to hide, they were amazingly adaptable to look just like what they were in front of.
But they also had color changes when they were threatened or 'angry'.

We had some in our labs as 'pets' for a while, then we always let them go.

But what I loved was when we were diving and the water was relatively calm, they would come up to you in a line of perhaps 5 or 6 of them and just LOOK. Like a human looking into an aquarium, they were looking at me with my diving mask probably looking very strange to them but not threatening. Of course I held as still as I could and my bubbles didnt seem to distract them.
Sure wish that had been the digital camera age, but its all in my memory.
Im too old to scuba any more, but my memories are great.
Squid are really colorful too, and they are wonderful to watch. They act a bit like each other.
Glad you put this link up, brings back some lovely memories for us.
Jane