Liquid sand burrowing and mucus utilisation as novel adaptations to a structurally-simple environment in Octopus kaurna Stranks, 1990
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Cephalopods are often celebrated as masters of camouflage, but their exploitation of the soft-sediment habitats that dominate the ocean floor has demanded other anti-predator strategies. Previous research has identified a small number of cephalopods capable of burying into sand and mud, but the need to directly access the water column for respiration has restricted them to superficial burying. Here, we report on the first known sub-surface burrowing in the cephalopods, by Octopus kaurna, a small benthic species that uses advanced sand-fluidisation and adhesive mucus for sediment manipulation. This burrowing strategy appears linked to easily fluidised sediments as shown in experimental trials in three size-grades of sediment. While the selective pressures that drove evolution of this behaviour are unknown, its identification enriches our understanding of the possible life-history traits and functional role of mucus in other benthic octopus species living in soft-sediment environments.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 2375 | 171 | 13 |
| Full Text Views | 432 | 18 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 234 | 28 | 1 |
Liquid sand burrowing and mucus utilisation as novel adaptations to a structurally-simple environment in Octopus kaurna Stranks, 1990
In: BehaviourSearch for other papers by Jasper Montana in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Julian K. Finn in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Mark D. Norman in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Cephalopods are often celebrated as masters of camouflage, but their exploitation of the soft-sediment habitats that dominate the ocean floor has demanded other anti-predator strategies. Previous research has identified a small number of cephalopods capable of burying into sand and mud, but the need to directly access the water column for respiration has restricted them to superficial burying. Here, we report on the first known sub-surface burrowing in the cephalopods, by Octopus kaurna, a small benthic species that uses advanced sand-fluidisation and adhesive mucus for sediment manipulation. This burrowing strategy appears linked to easily fluidised sediments as shown in experimental trials in three size-grades of sediment. While the selective pressures that drove evolution of this behaviour are unknown, its identification enriches our understanding of the possible life-history traits and functional role of mucus in other benthic octopus species living in soft-sediment environments.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 2375 | 171 | 13 |
| Full Text Views | 432 | 18 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 234 | 28 | 1 |
