Times of the Islands Winter 2023/24

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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources SHUTTERSTOCK Octopods have the ability to “walk” or “run” on two arms across the ocean floor. Do the (Bipedal) Locomotion Two-“legged” walking in octopods. By Sydney L. O’Brien and C. E. O’Brien, The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos Have you ever seen a walking coconut? If you have, chances are it was actually an octopod, running on two arms across the sand. This may sound like an odd piece of science fiction or a Saturday morning cartoon, but keep reading and you will see just how versatile octopod locomotion can be. 32 www.timespub.tc
green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources What is bipedal locomotion? Walking and running on two feet, known as “bipedal locomotion,” is often thought of as a characteristically human or great ape behavior, since most amphibians, reptiles, and mammals walk quadrupedally (using four limbs), and many invertebrates use multiple limbs or none at all to locomote. However, bipedalism is occasionally observed in these other groups. For instance, bears will sometimes rear up on their hind limbs for a variety of reasons, including during fights or attacks, in order to prepare to climb a tree or to get a better view of the landscape. Bipedalism also occurs in animals you might not expect. The lowly cockroach, which normally scuttles around on six legs, switches to running bipedally when it needs to move at maximum speed, since the extra four limbs tend to get in the way and slow it down. Similar to the cockroach, many lizards can run at much higher speeds on two legs than four. The Common Basilisk Lizard (also known as the Jesus Christ Lizard) can even run across the surface of water on its two hind legs with the aid of air bubbles trapped under flaps between its toes. Bipedal locomotion has also been documented in octopods, those wacky, eight-armed molluscs known for their color-changing abilities, regenerating limbs, and surprising smarts. Bipedal “walking” or “running” has been recorded in four species of octopods so far: Abdopus aculeatus, the algae octopus of Australia; Amphioctopus marginatus, the coconut octopus of Indonesia; Callistoctopus furvus, the sand octopus of the Tropical Western Atlantic; and Octopus vulgaris, the common octopus of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic. These original art diagrams show octopod anatomy with side (left) and top (right) views. This cuttlefish tentacle ends in a paddle-shaped tip. A tour of the armory: Octopus anatomy 101 Although often referred to as “tentacles” in conversation and popular media, octopods do not have tentacles at all! The eight limbs of an octopus are actually referred to as “arms,” which is a more multi-purpose appendage than a “tentacle,” which specializes in food capture. Octopus relatives—squids and cuttlefish—also have eight arms, as well as two tentacles that can usually be ejected forward rapidly to capture prey. In addition to a difference in function, the anatomy of arms and tentacles vary: arms usually have two or occasionally one row of suckers along their entire length, while tentacles are smooth along most of their length, but terminate in a paddle shape with several suckers or hooks to capture prey. C.E. O’BRIEN T.G. PLEIN Times of the Islands Winter 2023/24 33
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WE ARE LEADING THE WAY TO A CLEANER
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Times of the Islands Winter 2023/24

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