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- <HEAD>
- <TITLE>A Giant Squid Is One Type Of Squid</TITLE>
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- <IMG SRC="giant.gif" WIDTH=128 ALIGN=RIGHT>
- <H2>So, What is a Squid?</H2>
- <TABLE BORDER=1>
- <TR>
- <TD WIDTH=200>
- <P ID=T1 CLASS="yellowPlain" onclick="yellowP();">Cephalopoda
- <P ID=T2 CLASS="yellowPlain" onclick="yellowP();">Coleoidea
- <P ID=T3 CLASS="yellowPlain" onclick="yellowP();">Characteristics
- <P ID=T4 CLASS="yellowPlain" onclick="yellowP();">Propogation
- <P ID=T5 CLASS="yellowPlain" onclick="yellowP();">Food
- <P ID=T6 CLASS="yellowPlain" onclick="yellowP();">Geography
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- The Cephalopoda is an ancient and very successful group of the Mollusca.
- They have been among the dominant large predators in the ocean at various
- times in geological history. Two groups of cephalopods exist today: The
- extant Nautiloidea, containing the pearly nautiluses which are phylogenetic
- relicts, are represented by only a few species, and the Coleoida.
- <P ID=PG2 CLASS="yellowSmall">
- The Coleoida group contains the squids, cuttlefishes, octopods and vampire
- squids which are represented by about 700 species. Cephalopods are the most
- active of the mollusks and some squids rival fishes in their swimming speed.
- Although there are only about 700 species of living cephalopods, they occupy
- a great variety of habitats in all of the world's oceans. Individual species
- are often very abundant and provide major targets for marine fisheries.
- <DIV ID=PG3 CLASS="yellowSmall">
- Coleoida Characteristics
- <OL>
- <LI>A funnel derived from the molluscan foot.
- <LI>Circumoral arms that are probably derived from the molluscan head.
- <LI>Chitinous beaks.
- <LI>Shell bearing a phragmacone and siphuncle
- (lost in most Recent cephalopods).
- <LI>Image-forming eyes.
- </OL></DIV>
- <P ID=PG4 CLASS="yellowSmall">All squid move through the ocean using a jet
- of water forced out of the body
- by a siphon. Many squid prefer to move about in very deep water where the water
- temperature is colder. Recent studies indicate the blood of deep water squids
- does not carry oxygen very well at higher temperatures. Those squid will
- actually suffocate in warm water. There are as well warm water squid that swim
- closer to the surface. Warm water squid are migratory because water temperature
- changes more dramatically nearer to the surface.
- <P ID=PG5 CLASS="yellowSmall">Squid are especially carnivorous.
- They eat fish, other squid, and, in the case
- of the largest species, whales.
- <P ID=PG6 CLASS="yellowSmall">Different species of squid are seen in the seas
- of the entire world.
- They have evolved to take advantage of many different environmental
- conditions. Their geography is more interesting at the species specific level.
- </TD>
- </TR>
- </TABLE>
- Click on a word in the left column to learn more about squid on the right!
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