Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsWhy Are These Sea Urchins Sporting Cowboy and Viking Hats?
Val @valfrogkamen
Sea urchins protect themselves by putting rocks and shells on their "heads" so apparently if u give them tiny hats they will put them on and wear them.
Link to tweet
https://www.newsweek.com/sea-urchin-hats-saltwater-aquarium-cowboy-viking-top-hat-3d-printing-1500500
Why Are These Sea Urchins Sporting Cowboy and Viking Hats? There's Science to Their Hot Looks
After noticing his urchins carrying rocks, shells and even hermit crabs around in his 120 gallon saltwater aquarium, a Colorado aquarium enthusiast started making them custom hats.
Wilson Souza's first design was meant to be functional rather than stylish. Souza compared it to a wok cover. Since then, he's had to become a fashion designer of sorts for the echinoderms (a phylum including sea urchins, starfish and sea cucumbers), tailoring cowboy, viking and top hats with an arched bottom to give the urchins enough purchase for their spines to hold on.
Emma Verling, who holds a doctorate in marine ecology from University College Cork, described to Newsweek how sea urchins mount hats, shells, rocks and other objects atop their spines, manipulating objects with hundreds of tube feetflexible stalks with suction cups.
"This army of tube feet essentially grabs on to the upper surface of the objects," Verling said, in response to emailed questions about urchin hats. "Hundreds of stiff, needle-like (but brittle) spines really spring into action, manipulating the object like little levers. Once sufficient of their number can get underneath the object, they then appear to push the object from below as the tube feet maintain their positions on top, and the object is 'flipped' onto the urchin itself."
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
2 replies, 366 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Why Are These Sea Urchins Sporting Cowboy and Viking Hats? (Original Post)
fleur-de-lisa
Nov 2020
OP
Blue Owl
(49,902 posts)1. In honor of yesterday's NFL game?
Dallas vs. Minnesota -- the Cowboys vs. Vikings
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)2. ".......the object is 'flipped' onto the urchin itself."
Impressive skills to do such a complicated procedure.