The Coolidge examiner., 1937-12-23
Greek Boy Holding Baby Squid.
MonY Species Of Squid Found
In All Oceans Of the World
the
Oqu1d

Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Washington d. C.-WNU Service.
CQUID are distinguished
from their relatives, the
~ octopuses, by the pos
session of ten arms instead
of eight, and therefore are
grouped as the Decapoda, as
contrasted with the Octopoda.
Squid also differ from the oc-
topuseS in usually having an
elongate cigar-shaped body
adapted for rapid swimming
in the high seas, while the
shortened bulblike body OF
the octopus is better fitted for
a less active, bottom life.
There are many diverse species
Of squid found in all the oceans Of
the world, including the huge giant
squid. These magnificent creatures
have reached the summit Of cephal-
opod evolution. Though descended
from fossil ancestors Of sluggish
habits because of a confning ex-
ternal shell. they have thrown off
this prison house. or, rather. have
reduced it to a horny structure en-
bedded in the tissues of their elon-
gate body to function as q stiffening
spine
The octopuses have gone too far in
skeletal reduction, as their soft and
fabby bodies have only a couple of
small internal rods. or styi. Some
species have lost the shell traces
altogether.
In the streamlned squid. how
ever, the internal pen" or cutie
bone" braces the body against wa
ter resistance and increases the To-
comotive power Like all other
cephalopods, the squid propel them
selves backward by shooting
stream in the opposite direction,
thus travelling on the principle of
skyrocket By turning the siphon,
they dart TO one side. or by bending
it toward the rear, they move for
ward, though the retrograde mo-
tion is the swiftest,
Rapid Siphon Propulsion.
The suuid wears its outer mantle
almost like coat. 1t is attached
along the upper side of the body and
is loosely open under the neck.
From this space protrudes the 81
phon, like an inverted fleshy mega
phone, with the narrow opening out
ward. The water is inhaled into the
mantle cavity beneath the neck of
the squid and around the outer side
of the siphon. which is now in a
collapsed condition. Then the mus
cles of the mantle wall contract.
A pair of cartilaginous buttons on
the edge of the siphon lock into cor
responding hollows on the inner side
of the mantle wall and the water is
forced out through the small end of
the siphon with great force.
This remarkably efficient method
of propulsion is of great advantage
to the squid, for by sudden bursts of
speed in unexpected directions it is
able to outstrip its prey with ease.
The squid has a distinct head con-
nected to the rest of the body by
narrow neck. On either side
highly organized eye, equipped with
transparent lens and circular iris,
gazes coldly but intelligently at its
surroundings
The mouth, equipped with black,
parrotlike beak, is hidden in the
center of the circlet of ten arms,
two of which are longer than the
others. and may be shot out sudden
ly to seize a victim and then re-
drawn so that the captive may be
laid hold of by the eight shorter
arms.
The inner side of each arm is
equipped with a single or double row
of cup-snaped suckers along the en-
tire length, while the two long arms
are furnished with them only at
the club-shaped ends. The suckers
are pneumatic in action, though in
some species their hold is strength
ened by marginal ring of chitinous
teeth. Some are mounted on mar
row stems, though most Of them are
cylindrical.
Blushes When Ii Is Angry.
When the squid is excited, it
changes color, in the manner of the
octopus or argonaut, except that in
its anger it appears to blush almost
to the point OF apoplexy.
In the common squid of the AT
lantic coast, the pigmented spots