Suckers Allow Fine Attachment

tentacles of octopus captured from behind glass

Biological Strategy

Cephalopods

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Attach Temporarily

Living systems must sometimes, temporarily, stay in one place, climb or otherwise move around, or hold things together. This entails attaching temporarily with the ability to release, which minimizes energy and material use. Some living systems repeatedly attach, detach, and reattach for an extended time, such as over their lifetimes. Despite being temporary, these attachments must withstand physical and other forces until they have achieved their purpose. Therefore, living systems have adapted attachment mechanisms optimized for the amount of time or number of times they must be used. An example is the gecko, which climbs walls by attaching its toes for less than a second. Other examples include insects that attach their eggs to a leaf until they hatch, and insects whose wings temporarily attach during flight but separate after landing.

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Cephalopods

Class Cephalopoda (“head-foot”): Nautilus, squid, octopus, cuttlefish

Cephalopods are unique among mollusks, and even within the animal kingdom. They are lauded for their large brains and complex behaviors and are considered the most intelligent invertebrates. Among 800 species in 45 families, all are carnivorous and live in marine ecosystems. They all have a set of arms or tentacles, but only the nautilus retains an exterior chambered shell. Many species have chromatophores, which allow them to change color for defense, camouflage, or courting. They range from the size of a fingernail to just longer than a city bus (the mysterious giant squid).

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Suckers of the octopus hold objects smaller than the suckers by having tiny projections called denticles, 3-micrometer-diameter pegs.

“William Kier of the University of North Carolina is studying the rows of muscular suckers along the arms and tentacles of octopi. Octopus suckers’ tiny projections called denticles are 3-micrometer-diameter pegs that provide more intimate contact with the surface underneath. The denticles allow the suckers to grip a range of objects, including objects smaller than the suckers. This could be useful information for creating stronger human-made suction cups.” (Courtesy of the Biomimicry Guild)

Related Innovation

Innovation: Academia

Soft Manipulator Inspired by Octopus Suckers

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Electrothermal manipulator from University of Illinois Urbana Champaign has a temperature-responsive layer of soft hydrogel that allows handling of fragile, thin tissue.

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