I'm here at this form because I'm not sure where else to go to ask. My wife and I went to dinner last night and ordered Octopus. The tenticles were cut into about 2-3" sections. As I was cutting one of the pieces I noticed a white ball pop out of one of the suckers. Within that same piece there were about 4 suckers. Each time I cut a white ball came out of each of the suckers. There were about 4-5 white balls that just popped out of the suckers. To be honest I was really grossed out. I've googled everything I could think of and "white balls from octopus suckers" comes up with nothing. Could these have been pearls?
Really Strange Question...octopus pearl?
- Thread starter dezign89
- Start date
Pearl Dreams
Pearl Enthusiast
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2007
- Messages
- 9,539
I found this article on how octopus suckers work:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/05/17/how-octopus-suckers-work/
There is nothing in there about a structure that could look like a pearl or white ball, so it's a mystery!
As octopuses don't form shells I don't see how they could make pearls, though.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/05/17/how-octopus-suckers-work/
There is nothing in there about a structure that could look like a pearl or white ball, so it's a mystery!
As octopuses don't form shells I don't see how they could make pearls, though.
ericw
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2017
- Messages
- 633
I agree what you are describing, design89, I have seen that myself with some indian ocean octopus. There are hundreds octopus species, and that seems specific of only a few, or a question of life conditions? Anyway, cephalopods can produce calcareous structures (cuttlefishs bones, nautilus shells), also cartilage parts (squid bones), even chitinous (octopus beak), but neither of these materials is built like pearls.
Last edited:
la_corsetiere
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2007
- Messages
- 1,039
That is really bizarre - I haven't heard of anything like this. I'll ask the cephalopod experts at the aquarium this week. I have had the experience of having round cellophane-like pieces stuck to my arm after being caressed by a giant pacific octopus, but that is sloughed-off skin, nothing hard or remotely pearl-like. A mystery! I would love to see a photo and know the size of these little balls. I don't suppose you kept them, dezign89?
GemGeek
Pearlista
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2006
- Messages
- 9,196
See this link to find the Octopus Pearl post:
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/s...rl/page23&p=63410&highlight=octopus#post63410
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/s...rl/page23&p=63410&highlight=octopus#post63410
ericw
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2017
- Messages
- 633
Interesting points of view, la_corsetiere and GemGeek.
Many natural singularities are not listed, specially about see life, not yet so much well known than terrestrial.
In tropical oceans, I have found myself curiosities I have spent several years to understand, without any known scientific studies on their subjects.
In case of these small beads inside octopus suckers, it might be considered the possibility of cooking action on some proteinic tissues, for the same result of fish eyes' lens (I remember they looked like that) or egg white, becoming white and solid when cooked.
Many natural singularities are not listed, specially about see life, not yet so much well known than terrestrial.
In tropical oceans, I have found myself curiosities I have spent several years to understand, without any known scientific studies on their subjects.
In case of these small beads inside octopus suckers, it might be considered the possibility of cooking action on some proteinic tissues, for the same result of fish eyes' lens (I remember they looked like that) or egg white, becoming white and solid when cooked.
Last edited:
ericw
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2017
- Messages
- 633
You are right, Katbran, weird beads jumping out of tenticles, in a restaurant, the good beginning for a novel of Poe or Lovercraft
