Wet Life / 31 March, 2012
Propulsion
Squids | Chameleons under the sea
As a means of communication between different squids the bigfin reef squid, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, can use varying polarized skin patterns displaying amazing colours. However, one of its most incredible features is the ability to swim faster than olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. It moves by jet propulsion, sucking water into its mantle cavity and squirting it out through a siphon known as a hiponome, the speed and angle of the expulsion varying the speed and direction of travel, but when faced with danger they can reach great speeds with this technique.
Banda Sea
8°02'02" S | 131°13'26" E
Saumlaki, Indonesia