As you may or may not have noticed, I am a fan of owls. What you probably don't know is that I'm also a huge fan of squids (and octopi). In fact, I thought I'd share a little info on the colossal squid with you.I think that bioluminescence should be today's topic. Bioluminescence is light produced by a living organism. If you've seen Finding Nemo, think of that scary, monster-like fish (called the angler fish). Actually, bioluminescence is a pretty common occurrence in the ocean at all depths. On a squid, photophores or light organs, can be found almost anywhere on the body. The tentacles, mantle, eyes, internal organs, funnel, head and arms are the most common places where photophores are found. A symbiotic bacteria is produced inside the photophores when luciferin is oxidized. The light emitted from the photophores is usually blue, which penetrates furthest in water - not surprising! In fact, Isabella Rossellini's show Green Porno talks about the bioluminescent qualities of squids.
Watch the whole episode, Bon Appetit: Squid by Isabella Rossellini from season 3 of her digital shorts Green Porno to learn even more!
I really like The Colossal Squid Exhibition site for learning about this fascinating creature. You can even make your own colossal squid and then play with it and check up on its adventures on their site!
Go to this link to make a cute colossal squid for yourself!
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