title: Hairy suckers: the surface microstructure and its possible functional significance in the Octopus vulgaris sucker.
abstract: Octopus suckers are able to attach to any smooth surface and many rough surfaces. Here, we have discovered that the sucker surface, which has been hypothesised to be responsible for sealing the orifice during adhesion, is not smooth as previously assumed, but is completely covered by a dense network of hair-like micro-outgrowths. This finding is particularly important because it provides another demonstration of the role of hair-structures in a sealing mechanism in water, similar to that previously described for clingfish and abalones. Moreover, the discovered hairs may provide an additional adhesive mechanism that works in concert with suction. The discovered surface structures might be potentially interesting for biomimetics of novel technical suction cups with improved adhesion capabilities on non-smooth surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera 56025, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tramacere
authors.affiliation: Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, Kiel 24098, Germany.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.affiliation: Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera 56025, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mazzolai
authors.affiliation: Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, Kiel 24098, Germany.
authors.forename: Stanislav N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Gorb
keywords: Mollusca; adhesion; attachment; octopus sucker; underwater sealing