Britannica Sources used in this answer

How do octopuses and squid use water jets to escape predators?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

A fluffy gray cat clings to the trunk of a tree, looking upward as it climbs to escape. — Avoidance behaviour Cat fleeing by upward climbing.

Octopuses and squid utilize jet propulsion as a rapid locomotor reflex to escape predators. This form of avoidance behaviour is facilitated by the animal's highly muscular [mantle].12

To execute this maneuver, the animal draws water into its mantle cavity and then forcefully expels it through a flexible tube called the funnel. Because the funnel functions similarly to a jet nozzle and can be pointed in various directions, it provides the animal with significant flexibility for steering during a high-speed escape.1

In the case of squids, this escape is often combined with defensive tactics. For instance, a squid may eject a cloud of ink that coagulates in the water to create a dummy mass. While the predator is distracted by this decoy, the squid contracts its chromatophores to become nearly transparent and uses its water jet to flee the area. Octopuses, which are typically bottom-dwelling, similarly rely on this rapid jet propulsion to swim away quickly when they are disturbed or threatened.31