Interesting characteristic of the squid species

How does nature give the squid a very strong and sharp beak to capture its prey while not harming its slender body?

This question has attracted those interested in making new materials that simulate biological materials. The results were published in Science.

The sharp beak of the Humboldt squid is one of the hardest organic materials known. Engineers, biologists, and marine biology scientists at the University of California (Santa Barbara) have collaborated to study how delicate, soft squid can control it smashed its beak as sharp as a knife to not shred its body into pieces.

The University of California at Santa Barbara is an ideal place to conduct multidisciplinary research like this, attracting scientists and engineers from all over the world to find answers to related questions. to many science and engineering branches.

Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) (Photo: Image courtesy of NOAA / MBARI 2006)

The key to the squid species is the change in its hardness . The tip of the beak is extremely hard, and the base is 100 times more flexible, making it able to coordinate with surrounding tissues. However, this only occurs when the base is wet. When it dries, it is also hard like the top.

Humboldt squid, also known as Dosidicus gigas, is about three feet across. It can attack prey with just a quick movement. In the study of squid, it was written: 'The squid can cut nerves, paralyze prey to leisurely enjoy later' .

Herb Waite - co-author of the study and a professor of biology at the University of California (Santa Barbara) - said: 'Squids are very aggressive, monstrous, unpredictable and they are always hungry. You probably wouldn't like to dive near a squid. Just over a dozen children can eat you or hurt you badly . ' These creatures are extremely agile, they swim thanks to jet motion.

In addition to humans, squid's main enemy is sperm whale. The sign after each battle between the two species is the scars left on the fish due to the squid's tentacles. Squid meat is also often used to make local crackers called san-uych calamari beef.

Waite was fascinated by the powerful beak of squid so he invited a postdoctoral researcher and author Ali Miserez to cooperate. Miserez also collaborated with the Department of Materials Science at the University of California (Santa Barbara), Department of Cellular Molecular Biology and Development (MCDB) with the Institute of Marine Biological Sciences.

The study is also co-authored by Frank Zok and a lecturer and associate professor of Materials at the University of California (Santa Barbara). He said: 'I have doubts about whether' functional ratings materials 'can bring real benefits, but the squid's beak has made me believe'.

'You have a cutting tool in your hand with amazing stiffness at the tip, it attaches to a kind of material - a healthy muscle in the mouth of the squid - frozen like jelly. Imagine the problem you might encounter when you plug a blade into the jelly and try to use that blade to cut it. Certainly, the blade will cut both the jelly and the cut. In the case of the squid, naturally mindful of this danger, it changed the structure of the mine in steps, not unexpectedly. Therefore the tip of the crown can penetrate the prey without harming itself. This is indeed an interesting design '.

Zok explained that most of the structures created are based on a combination of different materials such as ceramic, metal and plastic. To fix them together, there must be some kind of mechanical tools such as rivets, nuts, bolts or adhesives like epoxy. But all these methods have limitations.

'If we can replicate the character of the squid beak, a new set of ways to mount materials will be created. For example, if you have a type of adhesive that has characteristics that are suitable for this material on one side and that fits well with the other on the other hand, you may create a much stronger bond. . This new creation can revolutionize the way engineers think about aligning materials together. '

According to Waite, the researchers were at a disadvantage when the squid moved north from areas where they often concentrated as deep waters off the coast in Acapulco, Mexico. However, recently Humboldt squid species are found very much in the Southern California waters. Dozens of dead squid drifted to the beach so the research team could gather to find out.

Two other authors are from the University of California (Santa Barbara). It was Todd Scheneberk - he collaborated with MCDB and participated in material research - and Chengjun Sun - collaborated with MCDB and the Institute of Marine Biological Sciences.