Meg Mindlin
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invertebabe.bsky.social
Meg Mindlin
@invertebabe.bsky.social
2.8K followers 290 following 820 posts
Molecular Biologist studying cephalopods and their RNA 🐙🧬🦑 Illustrator, photographer, science communicator ✨
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bio.site/invertebabe
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invertebabe.bsky.social
All I wanted to know was what the reproductive organ in bobtail squid is called, and instead I broke google AI
Screenshot of a google search “ang bobtails reproductive organ” followed by an AI result that is like if you slam your hands onto a keyboard and hit submit. Pure garbage, entirely made up words.
November 29, 2025 at 7:47 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
- raised as an artist, made some money, hated making art for others & lost my passion
- followed a whim & pursued making ocean documentaries w/ a marine bio degree
- research writing course my first year introduced me to rna editing in 🐙
- entire life plan out the window to follow my curiosity
- now
Photo of me sitting on a desk with my hands under my chin, princess pose. Above me is the opening slide of my masters thesis presentation. It reads “tickled zinc: characterizing a to i rna edits in nervous tissue of octopus rubescens in response to ocean acidification”
November 23, 2025 at 9:17 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Sticker club is slowly advancing forward. This may be the most behind I’ve ever been 🥲 Life is chaos since returning from Japan
Screenshot of the ipad app procreated showcasing an illustration of a hawaiian bobtail squid
November 16, 2025 at 6:41 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Another Joro spider for your friday 🕷️🕸️
A joro spider hanging upside down on a web. Can see their red under abdomen as well as their fangs. Background is a lime green with light shining in from the upper lefthand corner
November 14, 2025 at 2:47 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Do i want to know why the toilet needs tongs? I fear no
Corner of a room with a toilet in the bottom right, handle bars above the toilet feature a pair of rusty tongs hanging on them
November 11, 2025 at 5:56 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
When we found out Mt Fuji is best seen in November, we made sure to stop and see it while we were in Japan.

(And also because Laid Back Camp came to Mt Fuji and we are simps)

Mt. Fuji in the fall is just as breathtaking as this photo, if not more so.
Landscape photo of Mt. Fuji in Japan, surrounded by red maple leaves
November 11, 2025 at 4:05 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
the spiders may have been my favorite part of Japan, I cant lie.

Here’s what I believe to be a banded orb weaver (Genus Trichonephila) I saw in Fujikawaguchiko 😮‍💨
A huge orb weaver spider in a web. Shot from a side angle, the orange red colors of a maple tree blurred in the background. The spider has black and yellow bands on its body. And black and yellow bands along its legs. With a bumblebee caught in its web.
November 10, 2025 at 11:31 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Trying to bring everyone together into one place so I feel like my community is more connected 🥺 so now I have a discord server just for followers of my art and content, and for any academic advice yall need

discord.gg/PKFbXxaFCU
White graphic of a giant pacific octopus against a foamy sea. Text bubble above their head that reads “join my discord!” Text below the bubble reads “a place for ceph lovers and aspiring teuthologists” link in bio (or in the text). Yellow sparkles adorn the sides
November 8, 2025 at 12:24 AM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Before and after 😝
I love photo editing
November 1, 2025 at 12:20 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Just two ceph scientists, accidentally matching on the 3rd day of CIAC
@sarahmackattack.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 12:15 AM
invertebabe.bsky.social
@jeffday.bsky.social on a CIAC talk!!!!! Im beaming with pride
October 27, 2025 at 12:03 AM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Ever fill out a survey at 3am, forget you did that, and all of a sudden you’re being interviewed by PBS? Me too!

This was cool even tho I’m now documented crying on TV. Not as cool. It is what it is. Glad chronic pain is getting time in the spotlight.

Watch it here: youtu.be/SYWWMtwtOhA?...
Screenshot of pbs newshour youtube video that reads: “experimental treatment offers hope to people struggling with chronic pain”
October 26, 2025 at 2:28 AM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Love my art? Subscribe to my patreon at patreon.com/invertebabe or visit my online store at megmindlin.com 🥰 4/4
Illustration of teuthowenia pellucida and a stubby squid, rossia pacifica. Speech bubble next to teuthowenia reads “fallen in love yet? Get a sticker of the googly eyed squid for the month of october by joining my patreon! Link in bio <3” Middle of graphic reads “find more ceph art at megmindlin.com link in bio”
October 2, 2025 at 10:09 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
3/4
Glass squids are found in all oceans except the arctic. Some species, like the googly-eyed squid, undergo a vertical migration with maturity and seasonality. Where they travel from the depths to shallower waters and back. Teuthowenia is characterized by these three large photophores (light producing organs) in their eyes. Arrows pointing out photophores in the eyes on my illustration of teuthowenia pellucida. These eye photophores help the glass squids hide themselves by counter-shading against the down-welling light from the surface. Source evans et al 2015
October 2, 2025 at 10:09 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
2/4
The googly-eyed squid is a species of glass squid from family cranchiidae. Named for their see-through bodies. Unknown to most, the colossal squid is ALSO a glass squid and member of family cranchiidae. This is much more apparent in their juvenile form, which we saw at depth for the first time ever in april of this year. Arrow pointing to a photo of the juvenille colossal squid. What a colossal cutie. Photo by schmidt ocean institute.
October 2, 2025 at 10:09 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
I’m googly eyed for the googly-eyed squid (Teuthowenia pellucida) 😍🧵🧪
Illustration of the googly eyed squid, teuthowenia pellucida. A deep sea squid with a spherical body that is orange and transparent, see-through at the fin on the left hand side. Has two giant eyes with arms shooting straight up from the middle and a siphon underneath. On a starry night background with a blue gradient behind them. Text reads “googly eyed for the googly-eyed squid. Teuthowenia pellucida
October 2, 2025 at 10:09 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
This one was my arch nemesis for a hot minute. But theyre finally done. Teuthowenia pellucida, the googly-eyed squid. A deep sea cranchiid aka glass squid 🦑 🧪🐙🐡
Illustration if teuthowenia pellucida, the googly-eyed glass squid. A spherical squid. On the right side is two larger eyes with arms and tentacles between them, pointing straight up, and a siphon just below. The left side has a translucent fin. A truly goofy looking squid.
September 27, 2025 at 8:53 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
@autsquidsquad.bsky.social had also re-done these estimates in 2022 and their results are even more crazy 😳
Possible estimates of total giant squid numbers (architeuthis dux; GSQ) eaten by sperm whales each year. With the lowest estimate being 3.6m GSQ eaten by sperm whales each year and the highest estimate being 308m GSQ being eaten by sperm whale each year.
September 25, 2025 at 4:13 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Love the art? Join my patreon or visit megmindlin.com for all things cephalopods 💕
Ken's cuttlefish with a speech bubble that says "Don't forget to join my patreon to get a cute fella like this one delivered to your door every month." Below is another text bubble that reads "Find more ceph art at MegMindlin.com, link in bio." with a starry night octopus illustration below that.
September 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Accidentally uncovered a mystery. Ken has no hectocotylus!
Text reads: Scientific mystery. By far the most interesting fact I could dig up, is that Ken’s cuttlefish lacks a hectocotylus, the male reproductive arm. When reproducing, spermatophore packets will travel down a groove in the hectocotylus into the females buccal membrane in their mouth. Without a hectocotylus, it is unknown how these cuttlefish actually succeed in doing the deed. Source: Jereb, Patrizia, et al. Cephalopods of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Cephalopods Species Known to Date. Volume 1, Chambered Nautiluses and Sepioids. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2005."
September 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
So how can you tell the difference between Ken and Reaper? It can be a bit tricky but here's one way.
Text reads: "How to tell the difference? Ken's cuttlefish is a pinkish-brown color. While the reaper cuttelfish is a dark red or purplish color." Featuring two image of Ken and the Reaper. Ken's photo taken by Mike Jones. Reaper's photo taken by Erik Schlogl.
September 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Surprisingly, not named after Barbie's boyfriends and is constantly confused for another cuttlefish, the Reaper cuttlefish (Ascarosepion mestus).
Text reads: "Ken's cuttlefish. This pink cuttlefish is surprisingly not named after Barbie’s boyfriend, but rather an Australian naturalist, Ken Graham, for his enormous contribution to the understanding of Cephalopoda diversity in eastern Australia. First described in 2005, this cuttlefish is frequently mistaken as the Reaper cuttlefish (Ascarosepion mestus) due to both having dark “eye spots” on the back of it’s mantle and their pinkish coloration."
September 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Meet Ken's cuttlefish, his job is just beach. 🧵
🐡🐙🦑🧪
A illustation of Ken's cuttlefish, sepia grahami, against a pink sunset and blue waves. Text reads: "Introducing Ken's cuttlefish. His job is just beach."
September 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
Forever hayley williams 🫶
August 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
invertebabe.bsky.social
In the wake of your sunshine, I’ve never felt so glum ✨
August 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM