For centuries, biologists have puzzled over the evolutionary function of the female's delicate off-white casing, which is too thin to offer protection from predators.
The most widely-held view was that it served as a brood chamber to house eggs.
But a new study reveals its primary role is to allow the animal to ascend and descend in the ocean by using trapped air to regulate depth.
"Through underwater observations of wild argonauts, we discovered the five-step process by which females gather air from the water surface and transport it to depth, where neutral buoyancy is attained," said Julian Finn, a researcher at Museum Victoria in Melbourne, co-author of the study.
Discovery News/Animal News/continue reading
1 comment:
I saw something locally about this interesting find. I thought the way they tested it was simple but sensible. Just sink it in a couple of metres of water and see what it does.
Post a Comment