About

Hi, I'm Danna Staaf. I have a BA in Creative Studies, a PhD in Squid Babies, and I currently work as a freelance science writer, novelist, educator, and artist. In addition to blogging here, I post sound bites of teuthological fun at Squid A Day and write about the intersection of science and art (and occasionally food) at KQED QUEST. I live in California with my husband, the mad engineer, and two cats. You can write to me as "cephalopodiatrist" on gmail.

Now you want to know what a Cephalopodiatrist is, please. Right?

Cephalopoda is the class of marine animals that includes squids, octopuses, cuttlefish, and the pearly nautilus. I fell in love with these creatures when I was about ten years old and I've been stuck on them ever since.

A cephalopodiatrist, of course, is someone who studies cephalopods. The term was coined by some of my friends in the late nineties, though I wouldn't be surprised to find independent origins. Before its invention, there was a terminology vacuum. A teuthologist studies just squid--too narrow. A malacologist studies molluscs, a group that includes snails and clams as well as cephalopods--too broad.

Cephalopodiatrist may be hard to pronounce and harder to spell, but hey, it's worth the effort! Also, it has been illustrated by the remarkably talented Justina Kochansky of Articulate Matter, as shown here.



Obligatory words of warning:
I alone am responsible for this website. Nothing here reflects the positions of any organization which may have sheltered or funded my squid-loving self. And though I welcome commentary, I have the right to moderate.