45/150: Cephalopods are Insane in the Membrane

Animalia: Mollusca: Cephalopoda: Teuthida: Loliginidae: Doryteuthis: Doryteuthis opalescens (Berry, 1911)

The opalescent inshore squid, Dorytheuthis opalescens, can be found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. They are part of the myopsid squids, meaning that they have a cornea unlike other cephalopods as it is covered in a corneal membrane instead of a second eyelid. Popular as a common market squid as calamari, these cephalopods inhabit inshore waters (as their common name suggests). Squids also possess chromatophores, pigment or reflection cells, within their skin. This can be used as a type of camouflage to protect them from predation. Because chromatophores are controlled via muscle contraction, scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts found that these cells could be controlled by music! By cutting off the earbuds and connection the wire directly to the skin, music with bass frequencies cause the chromatophores to activate. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Check out this incredible video of squid chromatophores “dancing” to Insane in the Membrane by Cypress Hill

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID:  RBCMI830-14

nucleotide sequence

AACATTATATTTTATATTCGGTATTTGAGCAGGGCTAGTAGGTACATCATTAAGATTGATAATCCGTACAGAGTTAGGGAAACCTGGCTCCTTATTAAATGATGATCAATTATACAATGTAGTAGTTACTGCACATGGTTTCATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCTATTATAATTGGAGGATTTGGTAATTGACTAGTACCTTTAATATTAGGTGCTCCAGACATAGCCTTTCCTCGAATAAACAACATAAGATTTTGACTATTACCACCTTCACTCACTCTTCTTTTAGCATCCTCGGCTGTTGAAAGCGGAGCCGGAACAGGTTGAACAGTCTACCCACCCCTATCTAGAAATCTCTCTCATGCTGGTCCTTCAGTAGACCTCGCCATTTTCTCACTTCACTTAGCAGGTATCTCCTCTATTTTAGGGGCTATTAACTTTATCACAACTATTATAAATATACGATGAGAAGGTCTATTAATAGAACGACTCTCTTTATTTATCTGATCAGTATTTATTACTGCTATCCTATTACTACTATCCCTTCCAGTTCTAGCAGGTGCTATTACAATACTTTTAACTGACCGAAATTTTAATACTACTTTCTTTGACCCTAGTGGAGGAGGAGATCCTATTCTCTACCAACACTTATTT—

amino acid sequence

TLYFMFGIWAGLVGTSLSLMIRTELGKPGSLLNDDQLYNVVVTAHGFIMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSLTLLLASSAVESGAGTGWTVYPPLSSNLSHAGPSVDLAIFSLHLAGISSILGAINFITTIMNMRWEGLLMERLSLFIWSVFITAILLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNFNTTFFDPSGGGDPILYQHLF-

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAD8238

Title Image: CCDB22176-E12 – Vancouver Island, British Columbia – 12-June-2009
Photo Credit: Kara Layton, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics