Page 213 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

OPALESCENT SQUID 213

Squid are superb and stealthy hunters, using their huge eyes to Now the squid’s two tentacles come into play. Before their
help them spot prey in the gloomy waters. prey can react, it is dragged towards the waiting arms.

Eight pairs of arms swiftly wrap themselves around the The little shrimp has no chance of escape.The squid’s sharp
struggling shrimp and pull it into the squid’s open mouth. beak will make quick work of its tough outer shell.

colour using pigment-containing cells called The squid’s body is enclosed in a muscular sheet called
chromatophores.This is used to great effect as camouflage the mantle. If squid need to make a quick getaway, they
and to lure curious prey into their clutches, but it’s seen at draw water into their mantle and then rapidly contract it.
its most dramatic when squid gather to breed.Then, they This forces water out through a ‘waste pipe’ known as
put on a striking display, using rapid flashes of colour to the funnel. Squid can also control the direction of their
communicate their mood and intentions to other travel by moving the position of the funnel, which is
members of the group. Interestingly, red is used during extremely flexible.
both mating and feeding! This ‘super siphon’ can also be used to eject ink. Like
However, should this display attract unwanted guests, most squid, opalescent squid have an ink sac attached to
opalescent squid have a few other tricks they can rely to their stomach, which serves as a defence mechanism.
help them out.They don’t have the sort of streamlined, Before they jet off, they expel a cloud of dark ink, which
muscular bodies that we associate with the ocean’s great temporarily blinds and bewilders pursuers.This dark
speed specialists, like tuna fish, but they don’t need to. brown sepia ink was once extracted from squid and
Instead, they rely on jet power! cuttlefish and used for ink in fountain pens.

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.