Squid | Definition, Order, Tentacles, Food, & Facts | Britannica

2024.09.14 23:38

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External Websites Nature - Scientific Reports - Squid adjust their body color according to substrate National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Squid genomes in a bacterial world A-Z Animals - Squid Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. squid - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) squid - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Print Cite verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/animal/squid Feedback External Websites Feedback Thank you for your feedback

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External Websites Nature - Scientific Reports - Squid adjust their body color according to substrate National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Squid genomes in a bacterial world A-Z Animals - Squid Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. squid - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) squid - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Also known as: Teuthida, Teuthoidea Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jul 26, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents squid See all media Related Topics: giant squid Thysanoteuthis Myopsida Cranchiidae Oegopsida (Show more) See all related content Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question Top Questions

What is a squid?

A squid is any of more than 300 species of 10-armed mollusks constituting the cephalopod order Teuthoidea (or Teuthida). They are found in coastal and as well as oceanic waters. Squids may be swift swimmers or part of the drifting sea life.

What does a squid look like?

Squids have elongated tubular bodies and short compact heads with eyes on the sides of the head. Two of the ten arms have developed into long slender tentacles with expanded ends and four rows of suckers with toothed rings.

What is the smallest squid?

The smallest squid is the Southern pygmy squid ( Idiosepius notoides ). The males grow only to about 1.6 cm (less than 3/4 inch) in length.

What is the largest squid?

The largest squids are the giant squids and the colossal squids. They are also the largest living invertebrates. The largest recovered giant squids and colossal squids have measured nearly 13 metres (about 43 feet) long, but there are unconfirmed reports of individuals more than 20 metres (more than 65 feet) in length.

squid , any of more than 300 species of 10-armed cephalopods classified within the order Teuthoidea (or Teuthida) and found in both coastal and oceanic waters. Squids may be swift swimmers or part of the drifting sea life ( plankton ).

Squids have elongated tubular bodies and short compact heads. Two of the 10 arms have developed into long slender tentacles with expanded ends and four rows of suckers with toothed, horny rings. The body of most squids is strengthened by a feathery-shaped internal shell composed of a horny material. Squid eyes, almost as complex as human eyes , are usually set into the sides of the head.

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Little is known of the life history of squids. Some attach their eggs to floating weeds and others to the ocean bottom. In some species the young resemble the adults at hatching, while in others there is a planktonic larval stage. The luminescent squids bear numerous light organs, which may be for recognition and for attracting prey ( see also bioluminescence ). Squids are numerous in the sea and serve as food for many animals, including the sperm whale , bony fishes , and human beings .

giant squid ( Architeuthis ) A rare carcass of a giant squid (genus Architeuthis ) displayed in Plymouth, England. The remains of the squid were about 3.2 metres (nearly 10.5 feet) long. Biologists claimed that the carcass might have been 5.5 metres (about 18 feet) long if the creature had not lost its feeding tentacles. (more)

The smallest squid is the Southern pygmy squid ( Idiosepius notoides ); males grow only to about 1.6 cm (less than 3 / 4 inch) in length. The largest squids— giant squids and colossal squids —are also the largest living invertebrates. Some researchers place giant squids and colossal squids into the genus Architeuthis , whereas others separate them into the genera Architeuthis and Mesonychoteuthis respectively. The largest recovered giant squids and colossal squids have measured nearly 13 metres (about 43 feet) long, but there are unconfirmed reports of individuals more than 20 metres (more than 65 feet) in length.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn .