ALLIES OF THE ACEPHALA 



215 



The Squid. In the waters of the Grand Bank of New- 

 foundland and southward to Massachusetts the members of 

 a species of squid, Ommas'trephes illecebro'sus (Fig. 116, A), 

 occur in great numbers. They capture small fish and are 

 themselves prey for cod and other large fish. 



Fig. 116. Cephalopods. (Reduced) 



A, a squid ; B, an octopus. (From Van Cleave, courtesy of McGraw-Hill 



Book Company, Inc.) 



The body of the squid is composed of a head and a slender, 

 conical portion, the former having a pair of large, movable 

 eyes (Fig. 116, A). Arising from the head region are ten 

 long, club-shaped arms, corresponding to the foot of the 

 Acephala and the Gasteropoda. Two of the arms are longer 

 than the other eight, but all are provided on part of the 

 inner surface with many sucking disks, adapted to holding 

 the prey. The mouth has two horny jaws, resembling in 

 appearance the bill of a parrot turned upside down. The 

 tongue is adapted to rasping. 



