human, fins like a fish, arms like an octopus, a 

 beak like a bird, and power like a jet. 



The giant squid, found worldwide, can reach an 

 overall length of 60 feet and weigh as much as two 

 tons. Scientists are just beginning to delve into 

 the biology of this mysterious and illusive deep- 

 sea creature. Researchers believe their popula- 

 tions may be on the increase because the popula- 

 tions of their major predator, the sperm whale, 

 are declining. 



But it's not the giant squid that fills the nets 

 and snags the jigs of fishermen from Japan, 

 northern Europe, Spain, South America, Mexico 

 and now, the United States. The giant squid is 

 not tasty at all, but many of the smaller species 

 are. Squid is a prized seafood in southern Europe, 

 Africa and the Far East. 



The squid is a mollusk, a phylum of creatures 

 which includes the clam, whelk and conch. Unlike 

 its cousins, the squid has no visible shell. But im- 

 bedded in the mantle is a soft internal plate called 

 a pen, the remains of a once more developed shell. 



Along with the octopus, cuttlefish and nautilus, 

 the squid belongs to the cephalopod class, which 

 means its arms extend from its head. From the 

 squid's head flow eight arms and two tentacles. 

 The inner surface of each arm is flattened and 

 covered with stalked, cup-shaped adhesive discs 

 that act as suction cups. Suckers also are found 

 on the flattened ends of the tentacles. The highly 

 mobile tentacles seize the squid's prey, which is 

 drawn toward the mouth; the arms aid in holding 

 the prey. 



Squid, which are carniverous, eat crabs, fish 

 and even other squid. The mollusks dart into a 

 school of fish, seize their prey, and bite a chunk 

 out of the fish's neck, severing the nerve chord 

 and killing it instantly. 



In a world of "eat and be eaten," the squid also 

 is prey for many ocean creatures — sharks, whales 

 and swordfish. But two defense mechanisms help 

 many squid survive. The squid can change the 

 color of its body to blend with its background. 

 And squid can emit an inky cloud of fluid which 

 creates a screen for escape. 



Squid are among the ocean's fastest swimmers 

 as they jet propel themselves forward and 

 backward. The mantle muscles of many large 

 squid are so powerful that when they contract 

 and force out a jet of water, it is like a blast from a 

 fire hose. 



The squid also possesses giant nerve fibers in its 

 mantle which allow it to carry messages at a rate 



One of many species of squid 



of 50 miles an hour. (The nerve fibers in humans 

 carry messages at a rate of 4 ! /2 miles per hour.) A 

 squid can sense danger and jet off in five- 

 hundredths of a second. 



And if you get a chance to look a squid in the 

 eye, it may see you almost as well as you see it. 

 Squid, which are equipped with a camera eye 

 much like a human's, see better than any other 

 animal without a backbone and better than many 

 that do have backbones. 



While scientists know a lot about the anatomy 

 of the squid, they know very little about the 

 habitat preference and breeding habits of the 

 many species of squid that live in the oceans. 



— Kathy Hart 



