FAQ
A contribution of The Cephalopod Page
| Question: |
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| What is the chemical nature of squid ink? I have been searching for the answer to this question on and off for one year. A student of mine posed it during a class discussion of squid avoidance behavior. I have searched books, the Net libraries. Thanks. |
| Answer: |
| Cephalopod ink is a mixture of melanin, the pigment that gives the ink it's color, and mucus. The mucus gives the ink it's shape - i.e. dense ink blobs that act as decoys have more mucous while larger smoke screens have less. Cephalopods probably also control the shape, size and placement of the ink with their funnel. There is anecdotal evidence that there is something in the ink that will knock out fish's sense of smell. Dr. James Wood |