Squid can exhibit brief periods of 'flight' above water, perhaps because this could be a more efficient form of movement than swimming.
The animals propel themselves through the air (pictured) by forcing water out of their mantles. Ron O'Dor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, and his colleagues examined laboratory and field data on four species of squid in air and water. They found that velocities in the air could reach 37 body lengths per second, whereas the maximum seen in water was a mere 11 body lengths. Acceleration was also significantly higher in air than in water.
The team suggests that the advantages of squid 'flight' might mean that it is more common than currently thought, and that it may even reduce the cost of long-distance migrations.
Deep-Sea Res. Pt II http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.07.002 (2012)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Squid 'fly' faster than they swim. Nature 487, 409 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/487409b
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/487409b
