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Squid

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A colorful Caribbean Reef Squid swimming underwater near Cap-Haitien, Haiti.

Meet the Squid!

Squid are amazing sea animals with soft, stretchy bodies. They have big eyes, eight arms, and two long tentacles. Squid live in oceans all around the world, from cold waters to warm ones.

Squid are very clever. They can change colors to hide or show off. Some squid can even make their own light to blend in with the sea! They swim quickly by pushing water out of their bodies like a little boat.

People love to eat squid in many places. In Japan, they enjoy it cooked in many ways. It is also popular in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world. Squid give us important nutrients to keep us healthy.

Squid are part of the big family of cephalopods, which also includes octopuses. They have been swimming in the ocean for a very long time, since the Jurassic period. These clever creatures are an important part of the ocean's food web.

Images

A fascinating octopus, a clever sea creature known for its eight arms and problem-solving skills.
A deep-sea vampire squid, a fascinating creature that lives in the ocean's depths.
A small squid from the Cranchiidae family, shown using transparency to hide from predators, observed during an underwater expedition using a special polarizing filter.
A tiny deep-sea squid larva from the cold waters of the Ross Sea in Antarctica.
An illustration of Onychoteuthis banksii, a type of squid found in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands.
A female Grimaldi squid (Lepidoteuthis grimaldii) caught off the coast of New Zealand, showcasing its unique body shape and size.
A male Lycoteuthis lorigera squid, a fascinating deep-sea creature found in sub-Antarctic waters near New Zealand.
An illustration of Pyroteuthis margaritifera, a fascinating deep-sea squid.
Illustration of Bathyteuthis abyssicola, a fascinating deep-sea squid.
Illustration of a giant squid from a historical scientific report.
Illustration of Taningia danae, a large deep-sea squid, showcasing its unique tentacle structures.
Illustration of Ancistrocheirus lesueurii, a type of deep-sea squid.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Squid, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.