If you could be any cephalopod , which would you be ? Perhaps a jellyfish - ridingpaper nuclear-powered submarine , or maybe even anadorable mystifying - sea dumbo ? No doubt those are excellent choice , but we think we ’ve found a substantial new contender : the small and striped sea - habitation dumpling that is the strip pyjama squid ( Sepioloidea lineolate ) .
What’s in a name?
occupier of shallow coastal waters off the south , east , and west ofAustralia , the striped pyjama squid is n’t actually a calamary at all ; it ’s a cuttlefish , as it belong to the edict Sepiida .
The other part of its name is a more exact descriptor . Well , not the bit about pyjama ( how would a cuttlefish wear down pj’s , we wonder ? ) , but this cephalopod is covered withdark brown or ignominious stripesagainst white , a pattern that ’s present even in new - cover young .
While this contrasting pattern might lead you to believe a striped pajama squid is easy to spot , that ’s not necessarily the case . Not only is an adult only around 7 centimeter ( 2.8 inch ) long , but it also expend most of the day enshroud under the sand with its eyes sticking out – a nifty way to hide from predators , but also keep a literal optic out for snacks .
Looks can be deceiving
The urge to lift out up a striped pyjama squid is graspable . As sea creatures go , it ’s got many of the key ingredients for cuteness ; it ’s petite , stripy , and chonky , the latter landing the critter its other nickname , the striped dumpling squid .
But appearance are n’t everything , and this is belike not a dumpling that you ’d desire to eat , or even touch , as the stripy pyjama calamari is bothvenomous and toxicant . The former trait perhaps is n’t a surprise , as it ’s thought thatnearly allcephalopods are venomous , but having the power for both makes this animal one of a select few .
The poison is secreted in slime , which the pyjama squid pump out in turgid quantity when it ’s under threat . It ’s not yet known whether the gunk is harmful to humans , as shellfish specializer Dr Amanda Reid toldYahoo News Australia , but we ca n’t say it ’s a risk we ’d be willing to take .
If anything , the stripe should probably be enough to put us off , as it ’s thought these could be a clue to its toxicant nature .
After all , in many other cases throughout the animal reality , a dazzling video display ofbright colorsand radiation diagram is a glaring “ DO NOT deplete ME OR YOU DIE ” sign – just depend at the shiny orange expiry - nugget that is thepumpkin toadlet .
