Sea Life Deep Sea Fishes Sea Turtles Sea Lion Sea Monkeys Sea Otter Sea Birds Seahorses Sea Snakes Sea Dragons Sea Eagles Sea Anemone Sea Bass Sea Whales Sea Spider Sea Mammals Sea Amphibians Octopus Dolphin Shark Sea Crabs Sea Reptiles In the Sea Sea Shells Sea Sponges Sea Caves Sea Coral Sea Cucumbers Sea Pictures and Wallpapers Pictures of the Sea Sea Wallpapers Other Sea Information Deep Sea Diving Deep Sea Research Marine Biology Naval Sea Systems Sea Exploration Sea Grape Sea Level Rise Oceans and Seas Indian Ocean Southern Ocean Atlantic Ocean Arctic Ocean Pacific Ocean Baltic Sea The Aral Sea The Caspian Sea Japan Sea Red Sea Okhotsk Sea North Sea Dead Sea Yellow Sea Caribbean Sea Andaman Sea Mediterranean Sea Black Sea Barents Sea Kara Sea Kara Sea Squids Squids are cephalopods which are of more than 300 types found all over the world. They are found in both freshwater and saltwater. These are versatile creatures which can adapt themselves to the varied range of temperatures. These creatures belong to the class of cuttlefish, nautilus and octopus. Physical Description These species have a spherical shaped body with large head and a large brain. They have two lateral fins and eight arms as sucker, as well as two tentacles. These species can grow up to a size of (24 to 40) feet. These creatures are very good swimmers and they can even fly up to short distances out of water. They can change their color according to their surroundings, and they can do this with the help of the chromatophores which covers their body. They release a cloud of dark ink when they feel danger. Diet The species are known to feed on variety of things in the Ocean. The bigger squids are more aggressive as compared to the smaller ones. Thus the bigger ones attack on the bigger prey and smaller ones attack on the smaller prey according to their size. Reproduction During the time of mating, the males attract the females to mate. The males even change their color in order to attract females. At this time when the mating is about to begin these species can be seen moving in circles in a large group. When the female is ready to mate the male and female of these species can be seen moving in pairs. Then the mating occurs. During this process the sperm is placed inside the female and thus the fertilization occurs. After that, thousands of eggs can be produced at a time. The female deposits the eggs in to the holes or crevices in order to keep them safe from the predators. It would be very sad to note that the female dies soon after the egg hatches. The new born hatchlings already know how to swim. These species have a short life span and they have to fight for food right from the first day of their life in order to survive. Interesting Facts Some of the most interesting facts about these squids are as follows These creatures are known to be very intelligent. Their growth rate is very fast. They have a very short life span. These are essential creatures for the ecosystem. The giant squid has eyes of the size of a basket ball. They are known to have three hearts. Squid as Food The meat of these species is firm, white and has a sweet taste. The restaurants have these species in their menu in the category of sea food. The main body as well as the tentacles of these species is used in most of the dishes. These species can be available in dried, canned, frozen, fresh and pickled versions. The recipes of the baby squids are prepared both in China and Spain. Thus, squids are one of the most interesting creatures of the sea, and they also play a crucial role in the ecosystem.