About the Cover

Abstract

Next article FreeAbout the CoverPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreCoverThe cover photo shows the intriguing California twospot octopus, Octopus bimaculoides. Octopuses and other cephalopods, such as squid and cuttlefish, capture the imagination with their fluid motion, beguiling camouflage, and clever problem solving. Cephalopodsarguably have the largest and most complex nervous systems in the invertebrate world, with neural prowess rivaling many vertebrates. Cephalopods were integral to the birth of neurophysiology, as Hodgkin, Huxley, and others characterized action potentials using the squid giant axon. Yet we still know very little about the neural processing that underlies all their fascinating behaviors. One such behavior is the ability of octopuses, and possibly other cephalopods, to “taste” substances in their environment using the suckers on their arms. Arm chemosensation is likely used to find and identify prey, avoid grabbing or tangling their own arms, and adjust behavior during social or reproductive encounters.In this issue (pp. 1–11), K. E. Fouke and H. J. Rhodes describe a novel method to test chemosensory abilities of cephalopod arms, allowing the neurophysiological examination of arm chemosensation. They attached electrodes to the nerve cord in amputated arms from O. bimaculoides, as well as the longfin inshore squid, Doryteuthis pealeii. They then recorded nerve activity as different stimuli were applied to the arm, such as fish skin extract and octopus ink. Octopus arms reliably responded to a variety of ecologically relevant stimuli, producing nerve activity as well as arm movement, suggesting that they could “taste” the stimuli. This technique may help unlock some of the secrets of cephalopods, allowing us to learn more about their sensory world, neural processing, and complex behavior.Credits: Photo, Marine Biological Laboratory Cephalopod Program. Cover design, Jeannie Harrell, University of Chicago Press. Next article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Biological Bulletin Volume 238, Number 1February 2020 Published in association with the Marine Biological Laboratory Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/708923 © 2020 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.