- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 1,839
Holy...
All right, now that I'm no longer lying passed out on the floor, I should be able to respond to this news with more than an emphatic exclamation point.
I'm having to adjust my mental image of Architeuthis on the fly, as it were. The intact, living eye is incredible to see, and not what I expected; I'd have expected to see a larger orbit of generally round configuration, not an ellipse. In fact, it almost looks as if the animal has a sort of lid structure, but I'm ignorant of the particulars of Architeuthis ocular musculature.
Since we're all used to photgraphs of deflated, flaccid giants, the apparent robustness of this animal is startling, as is its apparent willingness (and ability) to extend appendages above the surface and onto the rocks. The sequence of photgraphs also shows what looks like color-shifting on the surfaces still bearing an intact skin integument, especially along the arms. Was it "flashing" its chromatophores?
Too many questions and not enough background information right now, so I'll just go back and stare for awhile. What an amzing thing.
Clem
All right, now that I'm no longer lying passed out on the floor, I should be able to respond to this news with more than an emphatic exclamation point.
I'm having to adjust my mental image of Architeuthis on the fly, as it were. The intact, living eye is incredible to see, and not what I expected; I'd have expected to see a larger orbit of generally round configuration, not an ellipse. In fact, it almost looks as if the animal has a sort of lid structure, but I'm ignorant of the particulars of Architeuthis ocular musculature.
Since we're all used to photgraphs of deflated, flaccid giants, the apparent robustness of this animal is startling, as is its apparent willingness (and ability) to extend appendages above the surface and onto the rocks. The sequence of photgraphs also shows what looks like color-shifting on the surfaces still bearing an intact skin integument, especially along the arms. Was it "flashing" its chromatophores?
Too many questions and not enough background information right now, so I'll just go back and stare for awhile. What an amzing thing.
Clem