Daily Reminder 2 - Flying Squid Need To Become Dying Squid

Those aren't tentacles -- they're a big orange handlebar mustache. That up there is the Japanese flying squid, but ... wait, did we say "flying"?

The Superpower: That is a photo of squids off the coast of Japan using their own water farts to leap right out of the water and into open air. The squids fill their bodies with water and then spit it out to propel themselves all the time, but these guys do it so hard they can launch themselves right out of the water, which to a squid has to be like a bird flying itself into outer space. And according to biologists, these things aren't jumping or even gliding -- they are technically flying. Really flying.

They can leap as high as 65 feet and remain in the air over a distance of more than 150 feet at a time, going at recorded speeds that are five times faster than they can move in the water. They are limited only by the wind ... and the strength of their water farts. Basically, once they've shot themselves out of the water, the squids are able to remain in the air by facing backward and using their fins like wings. They do this to save precious time and energy on long migrations during mating season -- like their octopus cousins, squids die after mating, so they don't have any time to mess around.

The reason why flying squids are less known than flying fish is mainly that they prefer to rocket out at night when no one's looking, in order to avoid being snatched by birds. Because this behavior is so recently observed, we aren't even sure how many types of squid operate this way.

Coming to ruin a summer vacation near you.

Thanks to Lararuz Lupin for sending this one to me.