News: Biology Club gets an octopus

[tonmo]

Found the following article on our News page. It's about David Scheel working with biology students to spread the word about octopuses to local elementary schools -- giving them an opportunity to interact with a real octopus. Very cool!

Biology club students are suckers for new octopus

 

[chrono_war01]

I always thought there was a chance of Tako having his eyes bitten off by clownfish.

 

[cuttlegirl]

That didn't bother me as much as this...

Club members said they bought the animal to tote to Anchorage elementary schools,

portable octopus?

Also this

hopes that Tako will someday make an agreeable, living alternative to squid dissections.

I have done thousands of squid dissections with students and while it would be wonderful to have a live cephalopod that the students could observe I am not sure how it could replace a squid dissection where they could examine the internal features up close. What are they going to do, train Tako to "open wide" and show everyone his gills???

 

[Jean]

I have done thousands of squid dissections with students and while it would be wonderful to have a live cephalopod that the students could observe I am not sure how it could replace a squid dissection where they could examine the internal features up close. What are they going to do, train Tako to "open wide" and show everyone his gills???

Likewise, but I'm lucky enough to work at an aquarium so our student visitors can go see a live octopus before or after their dissection time.....tis invaluable stuff.

J