squid
a squid
a kind of animal – salt water mollusc – soft body with no back-bone or bones – related to the octopus – egg-laying – a cone-shaped body covered in tough flexible outer cover – a head with round clear eyes on either side, moth part with a sharp bony beak (bill) [no teeth] and a rough tongue, arms – eight long finger-like organs with two rows of sucker-like organs on the inner side of each arm, and two tentacles, ‘mantle’ covering the lower body, a fin on either side of the lower part of the mantle (not used for swimming, but for balancing), a siphon, holes on the underside for gills to breath and to send out waste matter, etc; size: (varies greatly) the smallest – less than an inch long and weighs a few grams, and lives for 2.5 years; the largest – 60 feet long and weighs 900 Kg. and lives for 2-3 years (?); feeds on (eats) fish, shrimp and other water animals, and other squid; about 300 species (?) found most parts of the world’s oceans
squid as food
The ‘giant squid’ is the largest of all the squid, and also the largest of all molluscs! (‘mollusc’ = a soft bodied sea or fresh water animal with a tough flexible outer cover)
The squid are a popular food. In some countries, squid dishes are called ‘calamari’.
a squid’s arms & tentacles
A squid moves by jet propulsion, i.e. it sucks the water into its mantle cavity and then sends it out with great force so that the body moves in the opposite direction.
The squid have a kind of dark colour (ink) in the ink sacs in their bodies which it can eject at will as a defence mechanism. When a predator (= an animal which tries to kill and eat it) makes an attempt to eat it, a squid spits out this colour which blinds the predator, and, meanwhile, the squid escapes!
a squid quirting ‘ink’ to escape from its predator
Most squid have 8 arms and 2 tentacles, but there is a group of squid, called ‘bigfin’ squid which has ten very long thin arms!
Squid can change the colour of their body to blend in with the surroundings. When the camouflage fails, the squid use their ink to confuse their predators!
Squid have been mentioned in literature and folklore for hundreds of years. In most stories the squid is described as a huge frightening creature!
squid = {acronym} [in physics] (superconducting quantum interference device) a device that is used for measuring very minute changes in magnetic fields, electric currents, etc.
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