These squids can fly... no, really - Robert Siddall
In the spring of 1947, six Scandinavian
explorers noticed a strange phenomenon
while crossing the Pacific Ocean.
Somehow, small squid
known to live deep beneath the waves
kept appearing on the roof of their boat.
The crew was mystified—
until they saw the squids soaring
above the sea for roughly 50 meters.
On land, people could barely believe
the explorers.
It seemed impossible that sea creatures
without wings or bones could fly at all,
let alone travel half the length
of a football field.
But over the next several decades,
more reports began to surface.
Sailors described airborne squid keeping
pace with motor boats.
Researchers reported captive squid
escaping their tanks overnight.
And as cameras became widespread,
seafarers finally began capturing proof
of these high-flying cephalopods.
But how and why do
these marine creatures take to the sky?
While only a few squid species
have been recorded taking flight,
most squid are alike in the way
they traverse the ocean.
The outside of a squid’s body is a massive
tube of muscle called the mantle.
Water enters that tube through small
openings around the squid’s head.
Then, muscles clamp
these openings shut,
and the squid forcefully pumps the water
through the base of their body.
In practice, this makes the mantle
a miniature jetpack,
propelling squid through the water
at 10 kilometers per hour.
This process is also how squid breathe.
Squid gills rest inside the mantle,
and siphon oxygen from the water
being pushed past them.
With gills full of air
and a mantle full of water,
squid can outpace predators
and pursue their prey.
Or, in the case of some species, they can
smash through the ocean’s surface,
and attempt an epic flight.
Without the resistance of water,
a squid’s acceleration
is the same as a car going
from zero to 100 kilometers
per hour in just over a second.
At speeds of 40 kilometers per hour,
squid quickly generate aerodynamic lift.
But to stay in the air they’ll need
something like wings.
Fortunately, our soaring cephalopod
has a plan.
Squid tentacles are "muscular hydrostats,"
meaning the tissue can be held firm
by muscle tension.
Splaying its tentacles
in a rigid formation,
the squid transforms them
into flexible wing-like structures
that stabilise its flight.
At the opposite end of its body, two fins
typically used for gentle swimming
find new purpose as a second set of wings.
And by folding these fins down,
a squid can streamline itself
and dip back into the ocean.
There have been too few observations
to establish what a squid’s
typical flight trajectory looks like.
Based on their flying speed,
a 10 centimeter squid
could hypothetically launch itself
six meters above the water.
But from what scientists have seen,
flying squid tend to glide low,
keeping close to the surface.
This trajectory allows squid to cover
the most horizontal distance possible
over a typical several second flight.
It also makes it easy to dive back
into the water for more fuel—
or to make a quick escape
from predatory birds.
But why do squids fly at all?
Leading theories suggest that flight
is an escape behaviour,
as flying squid generally seem
to be fleeing a nearby predator or ship.
Other researchers think their flight
may be an energy-saving
migration strategy,
because it takes less energy to move
quickly through the air
than through water.
However, it’s also possible
that learning to fly
may be a vital part
of surviving adolescence.
Young, smaller squid can potentially
fly faster and farther
than their larger relatives.
And since adult squid tend
to cannibalize juveniles,
soaring above the surf can help ensure
these young squid
will live to fly another day.
