These socktopuses shed an average – and random – squid.
A new paper published Friday in the journal “Ecology” has found that squid sting fish – sometimes to ensure cooperative hunting and sometimes just for.
“Octopuses. PUNCH. FISHERMAN !! ”Co-author Eduardo Sampaio studies enthusiastically tweeted of his research publication. “This was probably the funniest thing I had written a paper. Ever!”
It is known that squid and fish hunt together and enjoy the other’s strengths – except when the captured sea urchins decide to randomly cover their partners right on the scale.
An octopus stamp resembles “a fast, explosive movement with one arm aimed at a particular fishing partner”, describes the paper – an act that costs squid a bit of their zeal. “[Actively] stopping a fishing partner entails a small energetic price for the actor (i.e. squid), ”the authors explain.
Researchers recorded eight squid-on-fish battle videos between 2018 and 2019 in the Red Sea involving a variety of victims, including squirrels, blacktips, lyretail, groupers, yellow-saddle and goatfish.
While six of the fisticuff outbreaks could be linked to obvious squid motifs – including the healthy desire to “ensure cooperation” – two appear to be random fish violence. Researchers do not fully understand why squid sometimes have violent, pointless episodes, but believe it may simply be “malicious behavior” or some form of “punishment.”
How injured the fish are by such outbreaks – physically and emotionally – is also currently outside of science.
“We have never seen permanent marks or anything like that from being beaten, but we cannot say with certainty whether fish are damaged or not. Clearly, they do not like it! “Sampaio tweeted.
In addition to experiencing seemingly unnecessary aggression troops, squid are also similar to humans by giving hugs, dreams, being negatively affected by climate change and preferring the very touching group to hang out to cool off alone with a Chewbacca action figure when dosed with molly.