類別

水下與海洋

參賽者

李坤瑄

作品名稱

勾勾纏的離別鈎 Intertangled Hooks

科學圖說 Scientific introduction

筐蛇尾屬於棘皮動物門蛇尾綱蜍蛇尾目的筐蛇尾科。牠們的腕足不同於一般的蛇尾類，具有極為複雜的樹枝狀分枝。在水中擺動時猶如蛇髮女妖的頭髮般，難以看清其體盤。在海中若嘗試用手將腕足撥開，末端分枝就會斷落並牢牢鈎在手套上。這種牢牢鈎取的棘刺感與細微構造，正是捕捉食物的本領。借助掃描式電子顯微鏡的拍攝，可以清楚地看出，這些奪命小鉤鉤在腕足上的細密排列，以及鉤鉤本身的精美構造。

The basket star Gorgoncephalus belongs to the Family Gorgonocephalidae, Order Phrynophiurida, Class Ophiuroidea, Phylum Echinodermata. Different from those of common brittle stars, the arms of this genus possess extremely complex branches, like Medusa’s hair, which makes it difficult to clearly make out the body disc. If a diver manages to touch the arms with gloved hands, the tips of the branches may break off and stick to the glove. The microstructure and spiny texture of the hooks make them effective tools for capturing food. With a scanning electron microscope (SEM), we can clearly see the dense arrangement of these hooks on the arm, as well as the delicate structure of the hook itself.