You will surely be amazed to hear that for many creatures, the bizarre method of “pulling themselves up by their own hair” is actually their common way of moving through water. Cuttlefish are no exception.
Cuttlefish, like most cephalopods, move through water by drawing water into their body through a side opening and a special funnel at the front of their body. They then expel the water forcefully through this funnel. According to the principle of reaction, this action generates enough backward thrust to propel their bodies forward quite rapidly. Additionally, cuttlefish can rotate their funnel to the side or backward, allowing them to adjust their direction and move in any direction by squeezing themselves to push water out of the funnel.
(Photo: narimadiving)
The movement of jellyfish is quite similar: they contract their muscles to push water out from beneath their bell-shaped bodies, which propels them in the opposite direction. The movement of water striders, dragonfly larvae, and many other aquatic creatures follows a similar method.
