Elaborate preparations rid cuttlefish of ink and bone to produce calamari
By Rob Taylor, Reuters
Prince Snorky has refined tastes... and does not like to do tricks, like a common seal.
CANBERRA - Dolphins are the chefs of the seas, having been seen going through precise and elaborate preparations to rid cuttlefish of ink and bone to produce a soft meal of calamari, Australian scientists say.
A wild female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin was observed going through the same series of complicated steps to prepare cuttlefish prey for eating in the Spencer Gulf, in South Australia state.
The dolphin, identified using circular body scars, then pinned the cuttlefish with its snout while standing on its head, before killing it instantly with a rapid downward thrust and "loud click" audible to divers as the hard cuttlebone broke.
The dolphin then lifted the body up and beat it with her nose to drain the toxic black ink that cuttlefish squirt into the water to defend themselves when attacked.
Next the prey was taken back to the seafloor, where the dolphin scraped it along the sand to strip out the cuttlebone, making the cuttlefish soft for eating.
Yuuuummmm...
Norman and study co-author Tom Tregenza, from the University of Exeter, said the behavior exhibited between 2003 and 2007 was unlikely to be a rarity.
"In addition to our observations, individual bottlenose dolphins feeding at these cuttlefish spawning grounds have been observed by divers in the area to perform the same behavioral sequence," they said in the study...
Who knew dolphins were so great? Oh wait... I knew.
Maybe I had some dolphin T-shirts on heavy rotation in my wardrobe in the early 90s, and MAYBE I had dolphin earrings... it is also possible that my Dad gave me a giant dolphin poster that said, "Molly - Keep Writing. Keep Dreaming" when I was twelve.
It's also possible that I, like Pierce Brosnan, am a huge fan of Fungie the Dingle Dolphin.
You pay thirteen euro for a boat ride and if you don't see Fungie, you get your money back... if you do... the reward is priceless. I DID see Fungie. He's great... although he has some haters (Liz and Simon).
7 comments:
The poster Dad gave you was miraculous. I'm thinking of importing it to Ireland so they can display it at the National Gallery.
Did you get Fungie's autograph?
I think "hate" is too strong a word. "Detest" or "loathe" may be better.
Also, Fungie is a fraud :)
I saw Fungie with my own 2 eyeballs... and I have a picture of him to prove it!!! Alas (as Mom would say),it is at the Oak tucked away in my photo box. Next time I am home, I will find it and send it to you.
Fungie DOES exist!! And he is a better creature of Irish lore than Dustin the Turkey!!
Fungie is such a duffle bag. Your views on Dustin the Turkey are nothing short of blasphemy...to Dubliners. Thankfully DtT hasn't been heard of in several months now. Best recession ever!
Simon... good use of the term "duffle bag", but it would have been more effective if you had said "duffle bag full of grundy undies".
Dustin is a sock puppet. And he didn't even win Eurovision.
Not only did Dustin not win the Eurovision the idiot didn't even qualify for the finals. What a bastard.
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