[Coral-List] My Octopus Teacher

Charles Delbeek cdelbeek at calacademy.org
Tue Oct 13 12:58:23 UTC 2020


When I worked at the Waikiki Aquarium we would frequently receive reports
from the public that they had seen "cuttlefish" while snorkelling or diving
around Oahu. These reports coincided with the reappearance of Sepiateuthis
lessoniana, the common Reef Squid, in numbers around Oahu in 2001.


*J. Charles Delbeek, M.Sc.*Curator, Steinhart Aquarium
California Academy of Sciences

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On Tue, Oct 13, 2020 at 5:22 AM Richard Aronson via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> You are correct, Doug. They are squid: Sepioteuthis sepioidea.
>
> They look like cuttlefish and they have a name that goes to their
> cuttlefish-like appearance, but they are not cuttlefish and they do not
> have cuttlebones.
>
> Here is the link to the entry in Wikipedia:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_reef_squid.
>
> Best,
>
> Rich
>
> Richard B. Aronson, Ph.D.
> Professor and Head
> Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences
> Florida Institute of Technology
> 150 West University Boulevard
> Melbourne, FL 32901
>
> Fellow of the International Society for Reef Studies
>
> voice: (321) 674-8034
> fax: (321) 674-7238
> Rich Aronson's Webpage
> Marine Paleoecology Lab
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> On Behalf Of
> Douglas Fenner via Coral-List
> Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2020 6:11 PM
> To: Alina Szmant <alina at cisme-instruments.com>
> Cc: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] My Octopus Teacher
>
> I didn't know the Caribbean had cuttlefish, never saw them.  My old 1992
> copyright copy of Humann's Reef Creature Identification doesn't have it.
> Been a long time since I studied the Caribbean.  I stand corrected.
> Cheers, Doug
>
> On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 10:58 AM Alina Szmant <alina at cisme-instruments.com
> >
> wrote:
>
> > Hi Doug:
> >
> > Thanks but I know the difference between squid and cuttlefish.  Plus I
> > looked it up after the dive since I don’t know the species of cuttlefish.
> > In the Humann series the common name was Caribbean reef cuttlefish,  and
> > yes thay are quite broad compared  to squid.  We always saw lots of them
> on
> > night dives during coral spawning. They go after the small fishes eating
> > the spawn.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Alina
> >
> >
> >
> > Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
> >
> >
> >
> > -------- Original message --------
> > From: Douglas Fenner <douglasfennertassi at gmail.com>
> > Date: 10/11/20 4:19 PM (GMT-05:00)
> > To: Alina Szmant <alina at cisme-instruments.com>,
> > coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Subject: Re: [Coral-List] My Octopus Teacher
> >
> > I think those would have been squid.  They are very similar to cuttlefish
> > and both very similar to octopus except they swim all the time and have 8
> > arms plus 2 tentacles which they can shoot out to catch prey.  Cuttlefish
> > tend to be wider than squid, and they have a relatively large internal
> > calcareous remnant of a shell, often provided for with parakeets, instead
> > of the thin, flexible remnant in squid.  But all 3 are built very
> similarly
> > and are smart and have all the little spots in their skin and can change
> > colors very quickly, and have camera eyes with a lens, etc.
> >
> > On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 2:48 AM Alina Szmant <
> alina at cisme-instruments.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> In respect for these incredible octopus creatures and also reef
> >> cuttlefish, I gave up eating them many years ago.
> >>
> >> One day diving off of Curaçao,  I swam up the forereef slope to a 10 m
> >> terrace,  and there was a school of cuttlefish,  about 10 to 12 of
> them. As
> >> I swam towards them, video camera in hand, they formed a semi-circle
> facing
> >> me about 10 m away. In the center of the semi-circle, closer to me, was
> >> what I assume was their commander-in-chief. We looked at each other
> (maybe
> >> s/he liked the reflection in my large camera lens) as I slowly swam
> towards
> >> them. This lasted several minutes.  The spell was broken when my class
> of
> >> students came up behind me and the cuttlefish gently swam away. I
> haven't
> >> eaten one of these creatures since.
> >>
> >> My conscience, moral compass, my health and the environment have all
> >> benefited from my transition to veganism.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
> >>
> >>
> >> -------- Original message --------
> >> From: Douglas Fenner via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> >> Date: 10/11/20 8:19 AM (GMT-05:00)
> >> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> >> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] My Octopus Teacher
> >>
> >> A couple of reviews:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253789-my-octopus-teacher-review-the-strange-lives-of-cephalopods-up-close/
> >>
> >>
> >>
> https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2020/09/octopus-scientists-love-my-octopus-teacher-just-as-much-as-you-do/
> >>
> >>
> >> I haven't seen it yet myself.   Cheers,  Doug
> >>
> >>
> >> On Sat, Oct 10, 2020 at 5:03 PM Patti Nicoll via Coral-List <
> >> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Definitely well worth a viewing - so well done!
> >> > Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
> >> > ________________________________
> >> > From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> on behalf
> of
> >> > coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <
> >> > coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> >> > Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2020 11:00:01 AM
> >> > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> >> > Subject: Coral-List Digest, Vol 146, Issue 10
> >> >
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> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Today's Topics:
> >> >
> >> >    1. Re: Octopus Study (Alina Szmant)
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> >
> >> > Message: 1
> >> > Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2020 18:12:26 +0000
> >> > From: Alina Szmant <alina at cisme-instruments.com>
> >> > To: "sealab at earthlink.net" <sealab at earthlink.net>
> >> > Cc: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> >> > Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Octopus Study
> >> > Message-ID:
> >> >         <
> >> >
> >>
> BN8PR16MB29307D520EF1915F09A90BB0E4080 at BN8PR16MB2930.namprd16.prod.outlook.com
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> >> >
> >> > Hi All:
> >> >
> >> > In addition, to what Steve circulated, I'd like to put in a plug for a
> >> new
> >> > Netflix Documentary that blew me away: My Octopus Teacher. Here is
> link
> >> to
> >> > YouTube trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0LTDhqe5A.  Most
> >> > definitely worth watching. Totally amazing day by day life history of
> >> the
> >> > life of an octopus as told by a well-known documentarian.
> >> >
> >> > Alina
> >> >
> >> > CISME IS NOW SOLD BY QUBIT SYSTEMS; https://qubitbiology.com/cisme/
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> *************************************************************************
> >> > Dr. Alina M. Szmant, CEO
> >> > CISME Instruments LLC
> >> > 210 Braxlo Lane,
> >> > Wilmington NC 28409 USA
> >> > AAUS Scientific Diving Lifetime Achievement Awardee
> >> > cell: 910-200-3913
> >> > Website:? www.cisme-instruments.com<http://www.cisme-instruments.com>
> >> > ?
> >> >
> >> > **********************************************************
> >> > Videos:? CISME Promotional Video 5:43 min??
> >> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAYeR9qX71A&t=6s
> >> > CISME Short version Demo Video 3:00 min?
> >> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa4SqS7yC08
> >> > CISME Cucalorus 10x10 Sketch?? 4:03 min? https://youtu.be/QCo3oixsDVA
> >> >
> >> > -----Original Message-----
> >> > From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> On Behalf
> Of
> >> > Steve via Coral-List
> >> > Sent: Thursday, October 8, 2020 10:26 AM
> >> > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> >> > Subject: [Coral-List] Octopus Study
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > As a coral reef explorer I?ve always found octopuses to be one of the
> >> > reef?s most captivating residents. I?ve interacted with many over the
> >> years
> >> > and even once was the recipient of a well deserved cephalopod bite.
> >> >
> >> > Here, just in time for World Octopus Day, an article references a new
> >> > study that explores the possibility that octopuses may have multiple
> >> brains.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> https://www.jpost.com/health-science/could-octopuses-have-more-than-one-brain-hu-study-644885
> >> >
> >> > Regards,
> >> >
> >> > Steve
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
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> >> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
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> >> > ------------------------------
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