Squids live in almost all climatic zones, including the Arctic, but are most often found in temperate and subtropical waters. Squids that live in the northern seas are small in size compared to their southern relatives and are mostly colorless. Squids have five pairs of tentacles. The fourth pair has lengthened in the process of evolution. The location of the suckers on the tentacles varies. The respiratory organs of squids are comb gills. The sense organs are two statocysts, the eyes and the papillae.
The coloration is varied, in most species the color changes under the influence of electrical discharges.
All squids are predators and have suction cups on their tentacles to catch prey and escape from enemies. Most squids have three hearts, each of which is connected to one of the three pairs of main tentacles. Thanks to this, squids have a predominant ability to regenerate.
Many types of squid are edible, they are used in cooking and are the object of fishing. The food used is the squid carcass and tentacles. This cleans the skin. The main methods of preparing squid: boiling, canning, frying, stewing, drying. Used in salads along with other seafood and as a stand-alone snack.
Squids are caught in southern seas Asian countries: Vietnam, China, Japan, etc., as well as in the Sea of Okhotsk. They are also mined on the Patagonian shelf and off the Falkland Islands, near Peru.
There are known cases of squid attacks on people.
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An excerpt characterizing Squids
– The wounds are not here, but where! - said Kutuzov, pressing a handkerchief to his wounded cheek and pointing at the fleeing people. - Stop them! - he shouted and at the same time, probably making sure that it was impossible to stop them, he hit the horse and rode to the right.The newly surging crowd of fleeing people took him with them and dragged him back.
The troops fled in such a dense crowd that, once they got into the middle of the crowd, it was difficult to get out of it. Who shouted: “Go! Why did you hesitate? Who immediately turned around and fired into the air; who beat the horse on which Kutuzov himself was riding. With the greatest effort, getting out of the flow of the crowd to the left, Kutuzov, with his retinue, reduced by more than half, rode towards the sounds of close gun shots. Having emerged from the crowd of those running, Prince Andrei, trying to keep up with Kutuzov, saw on the descent of the mountain, in the smoke, a Russian battery still firing and the French running up to it. The Russian infantry stood higher up, moving neither forward to help the battery nor back in the same direction as those fleeing. The general on horseback separated from this infantry and rode up to Kutuzov. Only four people remained from Kutuzov’s retinue. Everyone was pale and silently looked at each other.
– Stop these scoundrels! - Kutuzov said breathlessly to the regimental commander, pointing to the fleeing; but at the same instant, as if in punishment for these words, like a swarm of birds, bullets whistled through Kutuzov’s regiment and retinue.
The French attacked the battery and, seeing Kutuzov, fired at him. With this volley, the regimental commander grabbed his leg; Several soldiers fell, and the ensign standing with the banner released it from his hands; the banner swayed and fell, lingering on the guns of neighboring soldiers.
The soldiers began to shoot without a command.
- Oooh! – Kutuzov muttered with an expression of despair and looked around. “Bolkonsky,” he whispered, his voice trembling from the consciousness of his senile impotence. “Bolkonsky,” he whispered, pointing to the disorganized battalion and the enemy, “what is this?”
But before he finished these words, Prince Andrei, feeling tears of shame and anger rising in his throat, was already jumping off his horse and running to the banner.
- Guys, go ahead! – he shouted childishly.
"Here it is!" thought Prince Andrei, grabbing the flagpole and hearing with pleasure the whistle of bullets, obviously aimed specifically at him. Several soldiers fell.
- Hooray! - Prince Andrei shouted, barely holding the heavy banner in his hands, and ran forward with undoubted confidence that the entire battalion would run after him.
Indeed, he only ran a few steps alone. One soldier set off, then another, and the whole battalion shouted “Hurray!” ran forward and overtook him. The non-commissioned officer of the battalion ran up and took the banner, which was shaking from the weight in the hands of Prince Andrei, but was immediately killed. Prince Andrei again grabbed the banner and, dragging it by the pole, fled with the battalion. Ahead of him, he saw our artillerymen, some of whom fought, others abandoned their cannons and ran towards him; he also saw French infantry soldiers who grabbed artillery horses and turned the guns. Prince Andrei and his battalion were already 20 steps from the guns. He heard the incessant whistling of bullets above him, and soldiers constantly groaned and fell to the right and left of him. But he didn't look at them; he peered only at what was happening in front of him - on the battery. He clearly saw one figure of a red-haired artilleryman with a shako knocked on one side, pulling a banner on one side, while a French soldier was pulling the banner towards himself on the other side. Prince Andrey already clearly saw the confused and at the same time embittered expression on the faces of these two people, who apparently did not understand what they were doing.
Squids are the largest and most agile cephalopods. About 300 species of these animals are known in nature, among which there are amazing life forms. Their closest relatives are octopuses and cuttlefish. Special systematic position occupied by the hellish vampire squid, separated into a separate squad. In fact, it is an intermediate form between squid and octopus.
Southern sepioteuthis squid (Sepioteuthis australis).
The general physique of squids is similar to octopuses and cuttlefish. Their internal organs placed in a cavity sac - the mantle. The large head is crowned in front by a bun of 8 arms. In addition, near the mouth there are two more hunting tentacles armed with powerful suckers; in some species the suckers turn into hooks.
A squid with outstretched arms and hunting tentacles.
Between the tentacles are beak-shaped jaws. The blood of these mollusks is blue. The excretory organs of squid produce ammonia, which gives their meat a specific smell. Like cuttlefish and octopuses, squids are different high intelligence, their brain is enclosed in a cartilaginous box - a kind of prototype of the skull. True, their chromatophores (pigmented skin cells) are very poorly developed, so squids cannot change body color and thus transmit signals to their relatives. But their intelligence is manifested in the ability to quickly process information, which is very important for such active animals. These mollusks have the thickest nerve fibers among all living creatures, their thickness (and therefore the speed of the nervous system) is 100 times greater than the thickness of human nerves!
The eyes of squids are relatively large and are similar in structure to the eyes of vertebrates. They also have binocular vision, which allows them to focus their gaze on prey and determine the distance to it with great accuracy.
From others cephalopods squids are distinguished by their oblong-cylindrical body shape. They do not have membranes between the tentacles, but on the sides there are small diamond-shaped wings. In some species they can stretch almost the entire length of the body, and this makes squids similar to cuttlefish. Wings play a supporting role in swimming. The forward movement is carried out by pushing water out of a special siphon tube, thus creating a very powerful jet stream. Squids can turn the siphon in different directions and instantly change the direction of movement, reverse; moreover, if necessary, many species are able to jump out of the water and fly tens of meters above the waves.
Bartram's flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) glides above the waves with its tentacles and wings spread out.
The hellish vampire squid looks very unusual. This the only kind These mollusks have a real membrane between the tentacles. Because of this, it was first classified as an octopus, and only later did scientists discover signs of squid in this species. Now this species is classified as a special order and occupies an intermediate position between true squids and octopuses. This relict inhabitant of great depths received its unflattering name because of its bright red color and ability to phosphorescent in the dark; nothing else unites it with hell and especially vampires.
The hellish vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infrnalis) reaches a length of only 37 cm and has nothing demonic in its appearance.
Most squids are not very brightly colored; they are more often white, bluish, and pinkish in color. Their body is devoid of complex patterns, but many of them are able to glow in the dark in purple or blue. This glow is provided by special bacteria that live in the tissues of mollusks. The accumulation of many phosphorescent squids is a fabulous sight! The sizes of these animals also vary widely. Most species of squid are small, their length ranges from 25 cm to 1 m. But there are exceptions to this rule. The smallest species is the dwarf piglet squid, barely reaching a length of 10 cm, and the largest is the giant squid. The existence of these animals has been known since ancient times, northern peoples There are many legends describing the kraken - a monster with tentacles that attacks entire ships. Scientists for a long time The giant squid could not be found, so the kraken was declared a fiction. And only in the second half of the twentieth century, as a result of the development of the ocean, researchers began to come across, first, huge pieces of tentacles, and then the entire remains of colossal mollusks. Of course, they do not attack ships, but the size of the giant squid is amazing: it reaches 18 m in length, of which about 12 m are tentacles!
The pygmy piglet squid (Helicocranchia pfefferi) gets its name from its barrel-shaped body and tiny “snout”, which is actually a photophore.
Squids live exclusively in salty waters - from warm tropics to the Arctic regions. In the seas and oceans they have mastered all niches: some species live in the water column at a depth of 100-500 m, others prefer to stay close to the surface, others are found exclusively at great depths (up to 1500 m) and never see the sun. Deep-sea squid are often solitary, but small species that live near the surface live in schools. All types of squid are very mobile and spend their entire lives swimming; they do not have permanent habitats. Moreover, many species perform daily vertical migrations, rising to the surface of the water at night, as well as annual spawning migrations. In the latter case, in three months of travel, squids cover more than 3000 km, that is, on average they swim 30 km per day! It is not surprising that their migrations take place at cruising speed. Flying squids are especially mobile; many of their species can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h! The smallest species, on the contrary, are planktonic; instead of actively swimming, they drift with the current. This drift is provided by another amazing ability of these animals - neutral buoyancy. In the body of planktonic squids there is a bladder filled with ammonium chloride (ammonia). This liquid is lighter than water, so the mollusks, even if motionless, do not drown.
The body of the Hawaiian short-tail squid (Euprymba scolopes) is colored with symbiotic luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri).
Depending on the size of the squid itself, its prey can be both small planktonic organisms and relatively large animals: fish, pteropods, squid of other species, and even its own juveniles. Giant squid preys on big ones deep sea fish. Cases of attacks on sperm whales are often attributed to this mollusk, citing its large size, but this is not true, since even the most big squid weighs up to 800 kg, and the sperm whale weighs 30-50 tons. It is clear that even with long tentacles, the giant squid is not able to cope with such prey. Contrary to the tales of sailors, it also never attacks ships, since it lives at great depths. No one has ever seen a living, healthy giant squid; only dead or dying specimens have fallen into the hands of researchers. Squids catch their prey using tentacles (not to be confused with hands), and in some mollusks the tentacles can significantly lengthen and shorten. By casting this unique fishing rod, the squid is able to catch prey without approaching it closely. Fluorescence is also used to lure victims.
This is what phosphorescent squids look like in complete darkness.
Reproduction in squids usually occurs once a year in certain spawning areas with a favorable hydrological regime. During this period, the males wrap their arms around the female and present her with a spermatophore. The female places this packet of sperm next to her eggs and immediately hurries to the bottom. One female lays up to several dozen eggs, similar to elongated snow-white cans. Sometimes the female hides them in a shelter, sometimes attaches them to algae, and more often places them on a flat bottom. In places of mass squid spawning, many clutches form a continuous carpet, which sways fantastically under the influence of currents. The larvae of many squids at first are not very similar to their parents, but they grow very quickly and reach sexual maturity by 1-2 years.
Mating Tasmanian squid (Euprymna tasmanica).
Because squids are mass species animals, in the sea they are hunted by all and sundry. Small species are eaten by gulls, albatross, petrels, as well as larger squid. Dolphins hunt for larger shellfish, and the largest and deep-sea species are the main food of sperm whales. They use many tricks to protect themselves from enemies. Firstly, squids, like octopuses, have an ink sac containing a dark liquid, which they release in case of danger, disorienting the enemy. Secondly, fast-swimming species rely on speed, including flight, which saves them from many fish. Finally, in deep-sea species, photophores (luminescent organs) serve as deterrents. It turns out that squids are able not only to passively glow, but also to regulate the glow, suddenly flashing with bright lights. Moreover, the magic lamp squid is capable of releasing a luminous liquid: while the enemy wanders in the sparkling cloud, the squid quietly disappears from sight.
A newborn squid against the background of eggs, inside of which its fellow embryos are visible.
Squid are caught in large quantities in almost all fishing areas. Their meat is used in the cuisine of many countries; it is nutritious and tasty, cooks quickly and is easily digestible. The harvest of these animals must be regulated to avoid overfishing. Many deep-sea species are still little studied and are known from isolated specimens accidentally collected.
The message about the squid will tell you in detail about the life of these amazing creatures.
Message about the squid
Squids are the largest and most mobile cephalopods. They can move at a speed of 200 km per hour. By the way, squids are the closest relatives of cuttlefish and octopuses.
Usually have dimensions of 0.25-0.5 m, but giant squid sort of Architeuthis can reach 16.5 meters
General characteristics of mollusks
In general, their physique resembles cuttlefish and octopuses. All internal organs of squids are hidden in a cavity sac - the mantle. The large head in front is crowned with a bunch of 8 so-called arms. Two more hunting tentacles are placed near the mouth. They are equipped with powerful suction cups that in some cases turned into hooks.
Squids live only in salt water. Their habitat ranges from the Arctic regions to the warm tropics. Some of them are located at a depth of 100-500 m, other species stay on the very surface of the water, and still others live on great depth without seeing the sun at all.
It is worth noting that squids are neutrally buoyant. There is a bladder in their body that is filled with ammonia. The liquid in the bubble is lighter than the water itself, so the squids, being motionless, still do not drown.
What do squids eat?
What squids eat generally depends on their size. They can feed on both small planktonic organisms and fairly large animals - fish, pteropods, mollusks and even their own kind.
Squids catch prey using their tentacles, which can contract and elongate to better grasp and hold it. Thus, he can catch the victim without approaching him. close quarters. Sometimes, in order to lure prey, the squid releases a special substance - fluorescence.
What types of squid are there?
There are approximately 300 known species of these creatures, but the most common and famous are:
- European
- Pacific
- Komandorsky
- Argentinian
- Ordinary
How do squids reproduce?
The process of reproduction in animals is carried out once a year and only in certain spawning areas in which favorable hydrological regime. When the time comes to reproduce, the male presents the female with a gift in the form of a spermatophore - a bag of sperm. The female places it along with her eggs, of which there may be more than a dozen, and hurries to the bottom. It happens that a caring mother attaches her clutch to seaweed, hides it in a secluded corner, or simply places it at the bottom.
Since ancient times, myths have circulated among people about giant monsters from the abyss, thirsting for the blood and flesh of sailor travelers. The uncharted depths of the ocean, which could not be conquered then, were the object and main reason inventions, fairy tales and terrible fables concerning him mysterious inhabitants. It is worth saying that even today no one can say for sure that the planet’s water space, the so-called abyss, has been fully studied. Ancient records tell of how monsters with huge tentacles from depths of the sea attacked ships and galleys, taking them with them into the abyss. Those who managed to stay alive after the attack very often embellished their stories about unprecedented creatures, attributing fictitious abilities to the monsters and distorting them appearance. Due to all the above-mentioned factors, it was almost impossible to determine who exactly the wanderers met with.
Today the situation has changed somewhat, and some unusual inhabitants the seas and oceans have become known to mankind. In the article we would like to talk about the largest squid in the world, namely, talk about their distinctive features, characteristic features species and provide interesting and reliable facts about huge sea monsters.
Habitat of huge mollusks
It is known for certain that there are giant squids on earth that live in the depths of the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Also, these cephalopods can live in seas, both warm and cold. People have more than once managed to catch individuals that could be called the largest squid in the world. Sometimes it even happened that the giant was cut down by the ship's propellers when he tried to attack. However, when such events took place for the first time, humanity did not have the necessary equipment to study the characteristics of the captured animal. Modern technologies allow a thorough study of these living creatures and provide full information about them.
Giant Architeuthis and the first mention of it
One of the most large inhabitants ocean depths considered to be a giant squid, or architeuthis, as it is called in scientific books. Individuals of this species prefer to be in temperate and subtropical latitudes of all 4 oceans. Giant squids live at a depth of several kilometers and only sometimes swim to the surface. The first mention of architeuthis occurs at the end of the 19th century. During the next sea travel 1887, which took place near the coast of New Zealand, sailors discovered a strange and frightening creature. It was not difficult to notice, because the storm waves simply washed the huge mollusk onto land. According to the data that the expedition was able to obtain on the spot, the size of the unusual find was amazing. The length of the monster's body reached incredible dimensions - 17.5 meters, and 5 of them were only tentacles. Mantle adult It was also not small at all - about 2 meters. Unfortunately, it was not possible to establish the exact weight of the sea monster at that time, but judging by the given parameters, it was quite large.
A successful attempt to explore a huge inhabitant of the depths
The next individual, named one of the most large squid in the world, was discovered in Antarctica 120 years after the first mention of sea monster. In 2007, fishermen caught a deep-sea inhabitant whose body reached 9 meters in length. Then the weight of the find was easily established, because fishing tankers currently have everything necessary equipment to weigh the catch directly on board. The giant squid surprised the crew with its size, as its mass was just over 500 kilograms.
The terrifying Mesonychoteuthis
It is now known for certain that Architeuthis is far from the only species of inhabitants of the depths that frighten humanity with its size. Since time immemorial, there has been another representative on earth giant monsters a species of cephalopod mollusk - mesonychoteuthis. This giant squid monster is considered one of the largest in modern times. It can be called a close relative of Architeuthis, only it is much more majestic. Mesonychoteuthis - sole representative of a kind, because, unlike Architeuthis, its weight is somewhat larger: the mantle of adult individuals alone reaches breathtaking sizes - its length is four meters. By the way, another name for a giant is colossal.
The contents of the sperm whale's stomach, which revealed new facts to science
The first records of Mesonychoteuthys were made in the early 19th century. British zoologist Robson examined tentacles obtained from the stomach of a sperm whale caught on southern islands Scotland, and came to the conclusion that they could only belong to the aforementioned sea giant. Subsequently, for many years, no information regarding cephalopod monster squids was reported.
Great luck for scientists
A significant period of time after Robson’s study of the tentacles of the sea monster, scientists discovered 4 eggs in the far Atlantic, presumably left by mollusks. Having studied their composition and origin, they came to the conclusion that the eggs actually belong to a female squid rare species mesonychoteuthys. Scientific data appeared in 1970, that is, almost 50 years after Robson’s first experiment. The characteristics and features of the surviving masonry were carefully studied by experienced specialists of the time. And 9 years after research work managed to catch an adult specimen of Mesonychoteuthis. Her mantle measured 117 cm in length, and she was the largest female squid in the world.
Bloodthirsty and terrible kraken: fiction or reality?
There are legends about giant squids, whose history goes back to the distant past. Ancient sailors told tales about sea monsters that attacked ships, engulfed them with their tentacles and carried away all living things to the seabed. These mythical creatures at that time were nicknamed krakens. Until the end of the 16th century they were considered fictitious. However, after a while, humanity was convinced of the opposite, because the kraken washed up on the shores of Western Ireland was first found and subsequently presented as an exhibit in the Dublin Museum. By the way, the kraken is the largest squid in the world that science knows today.
Distinctive features of the kraken
The giant mollusk differs from other ocean inhabitants by its head, which has a cylindrical shape, on which is located something resembling a bird’s beak. It is with this that he captures and grinds prey. The eyes of the kraken are considered the largest in comparison with the organs of vision of all other animals living on planet Earth. Their diameter is 25 cm. The color of the creature changes depending on its mood: from dark green to blood red. The largest squid in the world and its peculiarity in the form of a spike-shaped tongue, with which the mollusk pushes prey into the stomach, instills fear even in experienced sailors.
Giants attack people
It is worth noting that the captain of the Norwegian fishing tanker Arne Grönningseter recently told the public amazing story, which touched a huge kraken. According to him, giants pose an incredible danger to people who devote their lives to fishing, or simply those who like to be at sea. The fact is that his ship Brunswick was attacked several times by the aforementioned monster. The captain spoke about the tactics that the mollusk chooses to attack: it first floats to the surface of the water from the abyss, then accompanies the ship for a short time, as if waiting for a certain moment, and then with lightning speed it emerges from the water and pounces on the ship. Only due to the fact that the tentacles of the cephalopod monster could not catch on the surface of the deck and the hull of the ship, the crew managed to escape and remain unharmed in the unequal battle.
Fixed values
If we talk about specific figures that relate to the dimensions of the huge underwater inhabitants, and answer the question about the size of the largest squids in the world (their body length), then it is worth disappointing seekers of such information. To this day, science has not established any specific values. Experts only suggest that the body length of cephalopods that live in the waters of the World Ocean and prefer its very bottom can exceed 50 meters.
Interesting facts about giant squids
There are several fascinating and real facts about the life of the huge and frightening inhabitants of the depths. We will list only the most interesting of them:
- Currently, a mammal is known that can attack one of the largest squids in the world (its name is Architeuthis) - the sperm whale. In the old days and to this day, real fights took place between opponents, in which, as a rule, the sperm whale won. It was thanks to the contents of the mammal’s stomach that science was able to establish the very fact of the existence of a deep-sea giant.
- The first photos of an adult giant squid were taken in Japan. An overgrown mollusk was found on the surface of ocean waters and pulled ashore. Save an exclusive inhabitant marine fauna failed alive. The squid died within 24 hours of being removed from the water. Today, the remains of this creature are kept in the Japanese Museum of Nature and Science.
- The “buoyancy” of the largest squid in the world, the size of which is truly amazing, is due to the content of a solution of aluminum chloride in their body, which has a lower density than sea water. Because of this property that distinguishes it from others sea creatures Having an air bubble, the deep-sea giant squid is unsuitable for human food.
- The age of squids is determined by their beak.
- Unlike others deep sea inhabitants, brain and nervous system squids are unusually developed and still remain a mystery and a subject of research for scientists and specialists in this field.
- Despite their impressive size, giant squids can remain invisible to their prey. This is evidenced by the imprints of suckers on the bodies of whales exposed to attacks by these monsters. Scientists have proven that architeuthis, mesonychoteuthys and krakens lead a passive lifestyle. However, when hunting prey, they show activity and resourcefulness.
- In anticipation of danger colossal squid releases a protective liquid that is lethal to humans and other sea creatures.
- One suction cup, which is located directly on the tentacles of the giant squid, will hold about 20 liters of water.
Results
In conclusion, I would like to say that it doesn’t matter at all what the world’s largest squid looks like. The stories that sailors told about giant krakens go back to the distant past. Only facts remain - irrefutable, reliable. But here’s the paradox: some of them still remain a mystery to zoologists. Today, everyone knows only that giant squids are not a fiction, but a reality that is covered in a veil of mystery.
This species lives in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic Ocean from North Sea to the coast West Africa. Found in the Irish Sea, along south coast England and north coast Scotland. The common squid inhabits various depths up to 100 meters, but can be found deeper, up to 500 meters.
Description
The body is cylindrical, the length of the fins is 2/3 of the length of the mantle, their shape is diamond-shaped. The eyes are large and covered with a transparent membrane. There are 10 tentacles. Of these, 2 tentacles are noticeably longer than the others and are used to capture prey. The standard length of the mantle is 15-25 cm, but can grow up to 30-40 cm. The usual length with tentacles is 50 cm. Males grow faster than females and have big sizes. The color of the body is gray or reddish.
Reproduction and lifespan
The breeding season for common squids is most of year, but peaks are observed in early summer and early autumn. There are up to 20 thousand eggs in a clutch. They are distributed among oblong-shaped gelatinous formations, resembling long thin sausages in appearance. They are attached at a depth of up to 35 meters to stationary and hard objects. This could be rocks, debris on the bottom, dead organic matter, piles of sand or rocks.
Duration incubation period completely depends on temperature. At a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius it is 25 days. And at a temperature of 12-14 degrees Celsius it reaches 40-45 days. The hatched larvae reach 1 cm in length and resemble adults. They grow quickly. For example, in those hatched in June, the length of the mantle reaches 12 cm by December. And after a year it grows to 20 cm. Common squid lives 2-3 years. At the same time, males grow faster and live longer than females.
Behavior and nutrition
IN summer period representatives of the species mainly stay at a depth of 20 to 80 meters. In winter, they drop deeper to 250 meters and even 500 meters. Living in the north-eastern waters of the Atlantic, the population winters near Portugal and Morocco, and in the spring it moves to the French coast and then to the North Sea in May–June. In autumn the opposite picture is observed.
In the Mediterranean Sea, common squids do not migrate, but dive late autumn on greater depth than in summer. The diet of these mollusks mainly consists of fish. They also eat other cephalopods, crayfish, annelids, naval shooters. Representatives of the species also attack their fellow creatures, that is, they are predisposed to cannibalism.
This type is classified as commercial. It is an integral part of the diet in Europe. Therefore, every year these cephalopods are caught in large quantities. In the Adriatic Sea between Italy and the Balkans alone, up to 1.5 thousand tons of common squid are caught per year. It's easy to catch them because they live in shellfish in large flocks, and therefore the cost of fishing is low.
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