#sb inkfish

[squidbiology]

How is the act of repeatedly leaving and entering swim form regarded in the inkfish world? I’ve heard from a few people that it’s considered pretty rude to some.

Depends on the culture and the situation, really.

A few cultures regard swim form entirely as taboo or risque, as you appear "naked". Some think it's rude when you're talking to someone, as you have much more limited facial expressions. Most think it's fine, just situational.

The rapid shifting in and out is (in cultures where swim form is fine in public), oftentimes very situational. It's usually regarded as an act of extreme emotion- like how some people just need to wiggle or move when they get really happy, or excited, or even frustrated.

In the times where it's clearly friendly/excited, because of the mimic nature of squids, others often join in. This is usually called a party, or squid party, and is fine!

Doing so after you've killed someone or defeated them, however, is often regarded as a taunt, and extremely rude- a way to say "haha I'm happy cus I beat you!!!"

So... just like lots of gestures, really situational.

[squidbiology]

How much ink can a ink fish produce. Bc I’m looking at stuff like a rainmaker and crab tank and that’s a lot more than a full ink tank and I’m wondering how it makes sense.

A lot.

Though it depends on the activity- inkfish constantly produce ink, though most times, it's just enough to fill their ink sac and provide stability. However, during times of high adrenaline (such as turf wars), ink is produced at a much, much higher rate. This is because, a few thousand years ago, "high adrenaline" meant "YOU MIGHT DIE"- so ink was produced for self defense.

However, because inkfish always want more, bigger, and cooler, they found a way to stimulate ink production artificially. Certain chemicals, if injected or ingested, cause you to produce a frankly insane amount of adrenaline, and thus, ink.

Of course, that is really taxing on your body. Like... almost dangerously so. But inklings thought it was so cool anyway.

So that's where limiters come in.

After a set amount of time/ink produced, most weapon kits will dispense to you a small tablet (or, for some more serious players, injected directly into you) which essentially puts your ink sac into overdrive. The limiter prevents you from just... taking a bunch of them. It's like an automatic pet food dispenser. It's just enough for it to be useful, but not overly taxing on your body, letting you 'rest' in between.

This is what allows special to create so much ink.

Some illegal rings that break the limiter or allow unlimited use of these drugs will find their players become exhausted or even hospitalized after a while- with potentially permenant damage to the ink sac.

That's also the stuff that's in Grizzco packets, by the way. Just the amount to be legal.

[squidbiology]

I've seen it stated on here that, until their metabolisms slow down dramatically at around age 75, Inkfish consume 10,000 - 20,000 calories a day. How does that work? What kind of agriculture and distribution systems could possibly produce that much food, and how can an Inkfish consume that many calories within a day while having time to do anything else?

That's only for active inkfish! I apologize for any confusing wording there.

Most inkfish don't eat that much every day, and even generally active inkfish will eat much less on slow das.

This is because of two things- ink production, and heat production.

Inkfish need a lot of calories and water to produce ink. An inkling having an active day of turf war will need to eat and drink a lot to keep it up! This is done through a lot of food vendors often around places where inkfish play, with extremely high-calorie foods only really intended for inkfish (like Schwaffles!). It's quite common for them to munch in between matches, oftentimes with their teammates as a bonding activity.

That same inkling who ate 15,000 calories one day might have a chill day the next, where they only eat 1,500 calories. Inklings can drastically slow their calorie need because their heat production is metabolism-based. If they don't eat a lot, they dont produce heat, and thus need even less food. If they eat a lot, they need even more food to maintain that heat production.

This is why old inkfish need less calories. They stop producing a lot of ink, and stop moving around, and thus stop producing body heat.

[squidbiology]

Why does my ink turn neon during splatfests, and my hair-tentacles glow when I get my special?

For splatfest, it's because it's mandatory! Same as any turf war, you're requed to copy your team's color. Inkfish are naturally good at this, and can often mimic any color they see on their teammates, and do so on instinct.

The glowing is because of adrenaline and other chemicals activating the bioluminescence on your tentacles.

[squidbiology]

Hi! So since octoling tentacles are full of muscle and nerve, opposed to squidlings fatty ones, it must hurt an awful lot for them to get a "haircut". Is there anything they can do to lessen it of they wanted to mix it up and go for a more adventurous style?

Of course!

Though many octolings prefer not to get their tentacles cut because of fear of pain, there's a lot of options. There's a variety of substances to help numb areas and reduce bleeding when they're cut.

For use at-home, oftentimes a mix of a tourniquet and numbing gel is used. Cinching the tentacle above where you're going to cut it reduces bleeding, and the gel reduces pain.

Doing it professionally, however, is often preferred. They tend to have higher quality gel, as well as injections. Gel is usually done first, to mask the pain of injection- a formula that even further numbs and also helps prevent bleeding, often only available with a license, and not done at home.

A bit of sanitation and cleaning the area, sometimes a bit of heat if you want it styled a certain way, and then a day of healing- and you should be fine!

[squidbiology]

Where do Inkling ears come from? What’s their use? What did they evolve from?

They evolved from their fins, and they're used to help amplify sound and redirect it to the eardrum. Unlike some species, Inklings don't actually have an orifice that leads to the ear- it's under the skin. So, the fins evolved to help amplify and redirect noise towards that hidden eardrum to make up for the fact everything is inherently muffled.

[squidbiology]

How do parents keep inklets from biting absolutely everything?

Short answer? They don't.

Mostly it comes down to "make sure anything that you don't want bit is out of reach" and "don't pick up the baby if it's mad".

You can also always give them toys to bite instead. Depending on the age and.. ferocity of the child, anything from plushies to safe rubber chew toys are ideal.

If you need to pick up an inklet who likes to bite, doing so from the scruff is safest (the folds of skin usually beneath the gills, down near the rear limbs/lower back- DO NOT grab baby inklets by the gills!)

[squidbiology]

Hey! Since i heard that inklings do NOT fare well with contaminated water, is salmon run a fatal job? There are probably lots of people who get sick due to being splatted in the water, but hopefully the slop suits help with that. But the skin contact with the mucus-goo-water that the salmonids sling probably isnt too good for them since you can visually see it on their faces. (Big run is probably much more alarming than just breach of territory)

Potentially... yes.

Salmon run is very dangerous, especially for inkfish... but unfortunately, inkfish are the easiest to transport because of their ability to superjump, which Grizzco relies on. So they're really the only ones who are hired.

The ocean, especially around salmonid territories, is full of bacteria that are extremely harmful to inkfish. Salmonids absorb and excrete these bacteria in their slime. This is why they wear the slopsuit- it doesn't stop them from getting injured or splatted, but at least stops a good chunk of slime from getting on their skin.

They at least offer showers between shifts to help remove anything that does get in, but.. lots of people who work and don't take precautions or safety measures get quite ill. Often not fatal, but usually pretty nasty- like a stomach bug.

[squidbiology]

So we know inkfish can't swim because their inksac is too dense, and that they're hyper sensitive to any bacteria in water.

But could they say, wade in a treated pool? I'm assuming they wouldn't be able to go into any lakes/rivers/oceans

Yes, definitely!

Despite their inability to swim, inkfish often still like water and getting wet. Sprinklers, slip-n-slides, water guns, and shallow pools are often fun past times. All taps and such in inkfish communities (and most others too) are treated to make them safe for more sensitive species.

Natural water can even be played in depending on the source and how long. Oceans are the most dangerous, but can be played around in a bit if you rinse off quickly after and are careful not to get it in any orifices. Freshwater rivers and lakes are slightly safer, but you still want to be mindful. Springs and fresh water from underground is some of the safest, and you might not even need to rinse after!

Lots of public swimming places have an access to a public shower just so inkfish and other sensitive species can rinse off after so they don't have contaminants sitting on their skin.

[squidbiology]

can inkfish get tattoos? is it from their own ink if they can, or can they get tattoos from other inkfish's ink...

Yes, inkfish can get tattoos!

The tattooing is done with special made tattoo ink, not inkfish ink. Inkfish ink dissolves too easily, and if you use another inkfish's ink, your body might react badly to it.

However, you are correct- their skin is sensitive. Usually tattoos must be done in short sessions with lots of disinfecting because of how the skin reacts, to give it lots of time to heal.

[squidbiology]

You mentioned that there are inkfish that lose limbs permanently due to specific circumstances, which makes me wonder, if phrostehics for inkfish exist and how would they work?

They do, but they're quite rare. Most are custom-made, since inkfish... very rarely permanently lose limbs. But custom made ones are just like any others, really!

Cheaper ones usually can't be taken into squid form, while theres some more expensive ones that can "fold up" to be more easily carried in squid form.

[squidbiology]

I saw your description of inkfish regenerating limbs, and I was curious how likely it would be for an inkling to be unable to regenerate lost limbs. I saw an article recently about a gang who operates out of Piranha Pit, called the "No. 9" gang, because their leader only has 9 tentacles. Do you have any more information about how this could be the case?

There's a few reasons an inkling might not regenerate a limb. Sometimes it's because they have an underlying condition or are immunocompromised that makes it difficult for them.

More likely, though, is how the limb was lost. Uneven tears often have much more difficulty regrowing than an even cut. But even more likely than that is burning. Burnt or cauterized skin does not regrow- that's how inklings get permenant "slice" hairstyles... they use a hot knife!

This is true for all inkfish.

But if a limb is lost through burning or something superheated, it won't regrow. This is usually circumvented by amputating the limb above the burnt area. IE, if you burnt off your hand, you could cut it at the upper arm to regrow the whole thing safely.

As far as the gang goes, I'm not sure. It could be a limb, but more likely it's just one of their hair tentacles they keep cut off. That, or they just happen to be born without a certain limb or such.. it happens!

[squidbiology]

So hypothetically, if an inkfish broke or chipped their beak, would they be able to just leave it that way? Could it get infected or something? Are their nerves inside it that could cause pain while eating? Would I-er they be able to leave it all jagged and cool looking?

Depends on how deep the break or chip is. Inkfish beaks begin to soften at about an inch deep, where they begin to connect to nerves and blood vessels. Breaking of a point, or any chip less than an inch, should be fine- but you should really talk to a professional or doctor to make sure. If it is causing you pain, they can help re-seal it.

[squidbiology]

Hey, so I've noticed Octolings have one indented "ear" and I heard it's a remnant of their siphon. Is this true, and if it is does it serve any purpose these days?

Nope, not true!

Octolings do have slightly different ears, yes- but it's not because it's the siphon. Instead, this is actually to help them better pinpoint noises! Similarly to animals like barn owls, having two slightly different shaped or placed ears can actually help them pinpoint exactly where a noise is coming from- important for species that prefer ambushing in the dark evolutionarily.

The actual siphon split when it evolved, into what's now their single nostril, their ink gills, and the cloaca. Breathing is done through the siphon, ink is expelled through the gill, and waste through the cloaca.

There's a good model of the siphon here.

[squidbiology]

are there any ways inkfish show affection that are unique to them?

Inkfish have lots of ways to show affection, but... I suppose the only ones completely unique to them would be color-changing. Inkfish often change color to accentuate expressions or display moods, of which "affectionate", "loving", and... others are part of that. Usually pinks, reds, and pastel yellows.

[squidbiology]

Heya, I think my ask may have gotten eaten so here's take two. You guys have mentioned that inklings tend to be bitey, so I was wondering if for inklets there are special teether-type toys? I guess teether isn't quite the right word, considering they've got beaks and not teeth, but I'd imagine parents would need a way to keep kiddos from biting things they shouldn't.

Oh yeah, all the time. Depending on the kid, some use things like plushies they can roll around with and bite safely, while some use more... durable things. Silicone, certain ropes, and leather are all common options.