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Pirates o' the Tennessean

Trivia and Fun Facts —
What happens when you cross a giant octopus with giant crab, then you add the magic o' Disney? Two blockbuster sea "beasties" star in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” Can you name them?

What 3 sea creatures is Capt. Davy Jones (of the Flying Dutchman ship) character made up of?
Face/beard: Octopus
Arm: Crab claw
Foot: Crab claw
(See cephalopods in Boneless Beauties gallery – giant Japanese spider crabs, cuttlefish and giant Pacific octopi)

What sea creatures are lodged in the face of “Bootstrap” Bill Turner’s (Will Turner’s father’s) head and face from the Flying Dutchman ship?
A starfish is lodged in his right temple, and a line of barnacles is attached across the side of his face and down his chest.
(Starfish can be spotted in several spots in the Ocean Journey building and in the Seahorse Gallery in River Journey.)

Is the giant sea “beastie,” the Kraken, in the film real?
No. There’s no such monster combo of a giant squid/octopus with a giant ring of teeth that can crush hulls of ships and tentacle “mast wrappers” and “sailor snatchers.” But giant squid can grow to 40 feet in length and were widely known as sea monsters or the Kraken, and were greatly feared by all seafaring folk from Norway to North Africa to the Caribbean.
(See Octopi in the Boneless Beauties Gallery on Level 2 in Ocean Journey.)

Our largest salt-water exhibit mimics the Gulf of Mexico. Can you name some infamous pirates who plundered off that coast in those waters in the past?
The Dreaded Pirate Roberts – He created a black flag with an image of himself holding a flaming sword in one hand, a dagger in the other, with his feet resting on two human skulls.

Blackbeard the Pirate sailed mainly the Gulf Coast and the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. He was known for his great black beard, and for his 14 wives.

Captain John England, who pirated the coasts of the Americas and Africa, had his main stay on a ship known as “the Pearl.”

Name some other sea creature/pirate characters from the Flying Dutchman ship you saw in the film.
“Hadrus” is the character whose head is encased in a large conch shell – late in the movie, his head literally comes off, and he’s stuck having to shout out directions to his body to find his head.
(Crabs can be seen in the Seahorse Gallery in River Journey.)

“Koleniko” is half of a puffer fish. When angered – like when he plays the dice game – his face balloons up.
(Puffer fish can be spotted in the Gulf exhibits in both buildings.)

Why are parrots or macaws so often seen sitting on the shoulders of pirates?
Parrots were such an integral part of pirate life and lore. Extraordinarily intelligent and social birds, they can be taught to speak and were considered great entertainment among crew members. In a pinch, ship captains even used them as gifts or bribes.

The Aquarium features the largest bird in the parrot family, and exhibits two beautiful hyacinth macaws, located in the Tropical Cove of the Ocean Journey building.

The macaw has the strongest beak of any bird in the world and has a sensitive tongue that it uses like a hand to grip and explore small objects. The macaw’s pointed beak is used to crush seeds and nuts that make up the majority of its diet.

Reaching heights of more than 3 feet, and with a wingspan of more than 4 feet, the macaws are social birds and generally live in pairs or small groups. Pairs are extremely faithful and share the tasks of raising their young. The hyacinth macaw's natural lifespan is estimated to be 30 to 50 years or more.
(Hyacinth Macaws grace Level 4 in the Ocean Journey Tropical Cove.)

Animal Fun Facts:

• Octopus, Cuttlefish and Nautilus are all cephalopods. Characteristics of cephalopods include:

• Marine predators that use strong beak-like jaws and a scraping tongue-like radula
• Name refers to the modified foot located in the mantle (head) region
• Use a funnel to expel water to swim
• Has arms and/or tentacles (What does Davy Jones use to play the organ?)
• Octopus and cuttlefish have chromatophores or iridiophores used to change color (Did you notice Davy Jones skin changed color when he's angry?)
• Octopus and cuttlefish have ink sac

• The giant Pacific octopus is the largest species of octopus in the world. Their arm span generally averages between 6 and10 ft, but some records list their arm span as large as 30 ft.

• The largest cephalopod species is the giant squid which can reach lengths of over 60 feet.

• Octopi use their arms to pull apart the shells of clams or scallops to eat the animal inside. They use their strong beaks to crack open shells. They also use a toxin that helps to dissolve their prey, making it easier to digest. (Does the "Kraken" have a beak?)

• Octopi shed the skin on their suction disks. The shed skin is often eaten by sea stars and sea cucumbers.

• The Aquarium’s octopi eat soft-shelled crab, shrimp, mussels, fish and clams.

• Octopus have 8 arms, cuttlefish have 8 arms and 2 tentacles.

• Octopi use their suckers for touch as well as taste receptors. The suckers are extremely sensitive and can distinguish textures.

• Cuttlefish are very short-lived invertebrates. The common cuttlefish generally lives only 1-2 years.

• Cuttlefish feed using two retractile tentacles used to capture their prey.

• Cuttlefish control their buoyancy using their cuttlebone. This flattened internal shell is not really a bone but instead is made of calcium carbonate. Cuttlebones are often given to birds to help provide the calcium they need.

• The cuttlefish eat chopped shrimp, fish and occasionally live grass shrimp.

• Octopus and cuttlefish have well developed eyes and the largest brain of all invertebrates. Octopi have been studied and shown to have a memory and are capable of being trained.

• The dark brown ink used by some cephalopods is called sepia.