Squid

click on image to enlarge.CLASSIFICATION:
Squid are a large, diverse group of cephalopods. Squid are members of the class CEPHALOPODA, subclass COLEOIDEA, and the order TEUTHIDA. There are 2 suborders, MYOPSINA and OEGOPSINA. The order Teuthida is a member of the superorder DECAPODIFORMES.

HABITAT:
Squid are most commonly found between the ranges of Greenland and Florida. Abundance and distribution vary greatly, both seasonally and annually. Distribution between offshore and inshore are greatly influenced by environmental conditions, with water being the major factor. Evidence suggests that highest concentrations occur where bottom temperatures exceed 6 C. There seems little doubt that temperature at intermediate depths as well as other biological factors such as predator and prey abundance and their distribution also play an important role.

FOOD SOURCE:
Adults eat voraciously, consuming a variety of crustacea and fish. Smaller squid tend to feed more heavily on small crustacea such as euphasids, turning more to fish and fellow squid as they mature. The extent of cannibalism among squid is unclear, but it would appear that the larger specimens are the most inclined to eat their own species.

LIFE CYCLE:
Squid is believed to live no more than 12 to 18 months. Spawning females create large, clear, almost neutrally buoyant egg masses by releasing a gel-like substance with the fertilized eggs. The gel reacts with seawater to form a globular-shaped egg mass, up to I m in diameter, containing about 100,000 eggs of about I mm in diameter. After a period of growth and development, the larval squid becomes a juvenile about 6 mm in mantle length with adult features. By this time, the proboscis has split to form the two tentacles, and the other eight arms have grown larger.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS:
The head end of the squid bears 8 arms and two tentacles, each a form of muscular hydrostat containing many suckers along the edge. These tentacles do not grow back if severed. In the mature male squid, one basal half of the left ventral tentacle is hectocotylised and ends in a copulatory pad rather than suckers. It is used for intercourse between mature males and females.
The mouth of the squid is equipped with a sharp horny beak mainly made of chitin and cross-linked proteins, and is used to kill and tear prey into manageable pieces. The beak is very robust, but does not contain any minerals, unlike the teeth and jaws of many other organisms, including marine species.