Image of the Day

WHOI biologist T. Aran Mooney places a cuttlefish, a close relative of squid, into a tank prior to testing how it responds to various sounds.

February 28, 2012

Testing, 1, 2, 3

WHOI biologist Aran Mooney places a cuttlefish, a close relative of squid, into a tank to test how it responds to sound. Mooney previously showed that sounds provoke nerve responses in some squid, suggesting the animals can hear, perhaps well enough to locate prey or navigate by sound. Now he is testing their behavioral responses to sounds. After letting the cuttlefish acclimate to the tank, Mooney will play sounds of various frequencies and levels and observe what, if anything, the cuttlefish does in response—shoot ink, change color, or swim away from or toward the source of the sound. The studies may reveal whether squid are sensitive to things such as shipping or construction noise. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)