Difference between revisions of "Squid" - New World Encyclopedia
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Revision as of 18:35, 19 January 2007
| Squid | ||||||||||||
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 Mastigoteuthis flammea
A species of whip-lash squid | ||||||||||||
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Myopsina |
Squid are a large, diverse group of marine cephalopods. Like all cephalopods, squid are distinguished by having a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms; squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms and two tentacles arranged in pairs.
Anatomy
Squid have two gills, sometimes called ctenidia, and an extensive closed circulatory system consisting of a systemic heart and two gill hearts.
The tentacles are a type of muscular hydrostat and have suckers. If severed, the tentacles do not grow back. Squid can readily blend in with their surroundings to avoid predators.
They also have chromatophores embedded in their skin and the ability to expel ink if threatened. Being coleoids means that their bony structure is internalized (in the octopus it is nonexistent); in squid there is a single flat plate structure buried within the soft tissue, referred to as the gladius or pen. They have a specialized foot called the siphon, or hyponome, that enables them to move by expelling water under pressure. Squid are the most skilled of the coleoids at this form of motion.
The mouth of the squid is equipped with a sharp horny beak made of chitin, used to kill and tear prey into manageable pieces. Captured whales often have squid beaks in their stomachs, the beak being the only indigestible part of the squid. The mouth contains the radula (the rough tongue common to all mollusks except bivalvia and aplacophora).
Squid are exclusively carnivorous, feeding on fish and other invertebrates. Squid usually have two elongated tentacles especially for the capture of food. They are voracious, fast-moving and fast-growing predators, and can be hugely abundant in productive seas. Most live for one year, dying after spawning, although some of the giant species may live for two years or more.
Size
- See also: Giant squid , Colossal Squid , and Cephalopod size
The majority of squid are no more than 60 cm long, although the giant squid may reach 13 m in length. In 2003, however, a large specimen of an abundant but poorly understood species, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni (the Colossal Squid) was discovered. This species may grow to 14 m in length, making it the largest invertebrate in the world. It also possesses the largest eyes in the animal kingdom. Giant squids are featured in literature and folklore, with a strongly frightening connotation.
As a food
Many species of squid are popular as food in cuisines as widely separated as Korean and Italian. In English-speaking countries, it is often known by the name calamari, from the Greek-Italian word for these animals. Individual species of squid are found abundantly in certain areas and provide large catches for fisheries. When cooking, it is important to keep the cooking time brief as the flesh tends to toughen if overcooked. The body can be stuffed whole, cut into flat pieces or sliced into rings. The tentacles and the ink is also edible; in fact, the only part of the squid which are not eaten is its beak and the cuttlebone.
There are myriads of ways in which squid is eaten worldwide.
- Fried calamari is one of the most popular ways to cook calamari in the West. Squid rings are coated in batter and deep fried. Often eaten as a snack or an appetizer.
- In the Mediterranean, squid ink is eaten in a variety of dishes such as paella, risotto, soups and pasta. Squid ink is also sometimes eaten; Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia being an example.
- Bouillabaisse and other seafood stews often contain squid.
- In Chinese and South East Asian cuisine, squid is a common ingredient in a variety of dishes such as stir-fries, rice and noodle dishes. It is often heavily spiced.
- Whole grilled squid is a common food item in Asia; they are popular at food stalls in Thailand and Japan.
- Pre-packaged sun-dried squid and cuttlefish are popular snack items in East Asia, often sold in a shredded form due to its chewiness.
- Squid is a common sushi and sashimi item.
- In Japan and Korea, squid (usually Firefly Squid or Spear Squid) is often made into shiokara (in Japanese) or chotkal (in Korean). Heavily salted squid is left to ferment, sometimes with its innards, for up to a month, and is sold in small jars. This salty, strong flavoured item is served in small quantities as an accompaniment to white rice or alcoholic drinks.
Gallery
Caribbean Reef Squid or Sepioteuthis sepioidea
European Squid or Loligo vulgaris
Caught squid drying in a harbour
Dried and packaged squid
- Day239picklebarrelc.JPG
Fried calamari: breaded, deep-fried squid
Classification
Squid are members of the class Cephalopoda, subclass Coleoidea, order Teuthida, of which there are two major suborders, Myopsina and Oegopsina (including the giant squids like Architeuthis dux). Teuthida is the largest of the cephalopod orders, edging out the octopuses (order Octopoda) for total number of species, with 298 classified into 28 families.
The order Teuthida is a member of the superorder Decapodiformes (from the Greek for "ten legs"). Two other orders of decapodiform cephalopods are also called squid, although they are taxonomically distinct from Teuthida and differ recognizably in their gross anatomical features. They are the bobtail squid of order Sepiolida and the Ram's Horn Squid of the single species order Spirulida. The Vampire Squid, however, is more closely related to the octopuses than to any of the squid.
- CLASS CEPHALOPODA
- Subclass Nautiloidea: nautilus
- Subclass Coleoidea: squid, octopus, cuttlefish
- Superorder Octopodiformes
- Superorder Decapodiformes
- Order Spirulida: Ram's Horn Squid
- Order Sepiida: cuttlefish
- Order Sepiolida: bobtail squid
- Order Teuthida: squid
- Suborder Myopsina
- Family Australiteuthidae
- Family Loliginidae: inshore, calamari, and grass squid
- Suborder Oegopsina
- Family Ancistrocheiridae: Sharpear Enope Squid
- Family Architeuthidae: giant squid
- Family Bathyteuthidae
- Family Batoteuthidae: Bush-club Squid
- Family Brachioteuthidae
- Family Chiroteuthidae
- Family Chtenopterygidae: comb-finned squid
- Family Cranchiidae: glass squid
- Family Cycloteuthidae
- Family Enoploteuthidae
- Family Gonatidae: armhook squid
- Family Histioteuthidae: jewel squid
- Family Joubiniteuthidae: Joubin's Squid
- Family Lepidoteuthidae: Grimaldi Scaled Squid
- Family Lycoteuthidae
- Family Magnapinnidae: bigfin squid
- Family Mastigoteuthidae: whip-lash squid
- Family Neoteuthidae
- Family Octopoteuthidae
- Family Ommastrephidae: flying squid
- Family Onychoteuthidae: hooked squid
- Family Pholidoteuthidae
- Family Promachoteuthidae
- Family Psychroteuthidae: Glacial Squid
- Family Pyroteuthidae: fire squid
- Family Thysanoteuthidae: rhomboid squid
- Family incertae sedis (Parateuthis tunicata)
- Family Walvisteuthidae
- Suborder Myopsina
External links
- The Cephalopod Page
- TONMO.com Cephalopod Information Center; Giant Squid expert Dr. Steve O'Shea is on staff.
- Squidcam from New Zealand's The Science Site (very popular site, viewer operated camera on live baby squid).
- CephBase: Teuthida
- MSN Encarta - Squid
- Scientific American - Giant Squid
Credits
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