Science
Related: About this forumFlying Squid!
The oceanic squid can fly more than 100 feet through the air at speeds faster than Usain Bolt if it wants to escape predators, Japanese researchers said.
The mollusc propels itself out of the ocean by shooting a jet of water at high pressure, before opening its fins to glide at up to 11.2 metres per second, Jun Yamamoto of Hokkaido University said.
Olympic Gold medallist Bolt averaged 10.31 metres a second when he bagged gold in London last year.
"There were always witnesses and rumours that said squid were seen flying, and we have proved that it really is true," Yamamoto told AFP.
Yamamoto and his team were tracking a shoal of around 100 oceanic squid in the northwest Pacific 600 kilometres (370 miles) east of Tokyo, in July 2011.
As their boat approached, the 20 centimetre (8-inch) creatures launched themselves into the air with a powerful jet of water that shot out from their funnel-like stems.
more
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/9856840/Squids-can-fly-100-feet-through-the-air.html
Scuba
(53,475 posts)me b zola
(19,053 posts)I always dreamed of exploring our oceans. In many ways its like an entirely different universe down there, on our very own planet.
LiberalEsto
(22,845 posts)appal_jack
(3,813 posts)I believe that these were mentioned in the wonderful travelogue, Kon Tiki. If I recall correctly (it's probably been nearly three decades since I read the book), Heyerdahl & crew woke up each morning to a veritable buffet of squid & also flying fish that had fled underwater predators overnight, only to expire on the balsa deck of their raft. They had been worried about food supplies, but ended up arriving in the Americas with plenty of unopened rations. Truly fascinating!
-app
Nature is amazing. I know this is a dumb comment but I'm so astonished I don't know what to say.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)Orrex
(63,215 posts)lastlib
(23,247 posts)Fuddnik
(8,846 posts)wryter2000
(46,051 posts)n/t
Burma Jones
(11,760 posts)lastlib
(23,247 posts)...I initially thought it was titled 'lying squid'! I had visions of some GOP bigwig or maybe Fox Nooze.... ha!
MynameisBlarney
(2,979 posts)A commenter at Raw Story has "Flying Squid" for his handle.
I posted this link for him over there.
He's the second from the left, btw.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Reno Master
(51 posts)The squid's top speed of 11.2 mps to "Lightning" Bolt's average speed of 10.31 mps.
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)Usain can't run on water and squids can't fly on running tracks.