Many of them prefer hiding deep under water, at least 1000 feet below the surface. Squid are also quite widespread around the world. They may even choose to fit in empty shells or even bottles! These are not permanent abodes, however, as octopuses tend to move on to find another shelter after around two weeks has passed. They can create their own dens, or squeeze into crevices to hide. They are commonly found in coral reefs and the ocean floor, but some species prefer being close to the surface. Octopuses are quite widespread and can be found across all oceans across the world. They are not fast and swim by undulating long fins on the side of its body.įinally, when the shapes of their bodies are compared, cuttlefish look more flattened compared to squids. Squid can swim amazingly fast thanks to their propulsion technique, while cuttlefish are not going to be winning any medals in the Olympics anytime soon. If you think that’s too disgusting for simply differentiating between the squid, you can check their speed underwater. It helps provide the cuttlefish with buoyancy. While both cephalopods have large eyes, cuttlefish are distinct as their eyes have W-shaped pupils.Ĭuttlefish also have an internal shell-like structure like the squid called the cuttlebone. One of the easiest ways to separate cuttlefish from squid is to simply look at their eyes. The tentacles have suckers which grasp the prey, while the arms bring them to its mouth. They serve the same role as they do with squids. Like squids, cuttlefish have eight arms and two tentacles. Some even use bioluminescence to create light! The raw squid you see in the market may be white with some purple splotches, but there are many species all over the world with different kinds of adaptations, such as having the ability to change color to hide itself in the water and being able to shoot ink at predators to cloud the water and get away. To move, they suck in water and quickly expel it out through a narrow siphon, propelling the squid forward. They also have a tight shell-like structure inside their body called a pen. Their appearance is quite cylindrical and elongated. It is actually quite strong, as it can break open shells! Its mouth has a beak that cuts food into suitable chunks for swallowing. ![]() Along the way, its 8 arms are then used to help hold the prey to minimize its potential to escape. The tentacles of the squid are used to grab its prey, while delivering it to its mouth. The suckers on a squid’s tentacles are usually arranged in clusters at the end of the tentacle, but other species may have their suckers with a different appearance. It is only the two longest arms that are referred to as tentacles. The many appendages you see are actually called arms. Take for instance, the blue ringed octopus, whose body looks more yellowish with blue rings covering its body, as to help it blend with its surroundings.Ĭontrary to its appearance, squids only have two tentacles. ![]() But they also have a wider range of colors. Octopuses in media are also commonly depicted as red, which is true. Not really a good image to think about, I feel. These tentacles also have taste sensors, so if one is feeling your body with its tentacles, it is actually also tasting you. To do this, they drop onto them from above and use the suction of their tentacles to pull the prey into their mouth. They also use these tentacles to hunt prey. This helps them to grasp surfaces while also giving them a sense of touch. Each tentacle has two rows of suction cups which are ring-shaped. Octopuses are known the most for having eight tentacles. These features make them seem like similar creatures at first, but once we get to the nitty gritty bits of it, maybe not so. Another distinguishing feature that they all have is the presence of tentacles on their bodies, or at least some form of it. They are also invertebrates and, unlike most mollusks, have no shell. This article will examine the differences between these three cephalopods, and how you can tell them apart.Īll three are in Class Cephalopoda which sits in the Phylum Mollusca, which is just a fancy way of saying that they are cephalopods, a subgroup of mollusks. When examined more closely, however, they have their own differences that makes it easy to tell which is which. ![]() Squid and cuttlefish, on the other hand, seem to have similar attributes that make distinguishing each from the other more difficult from afar. Those signature 8 tentacles and that bright red body makes it easily recognizable even among its mollusk peers, though some still confuse it for squid. The octopus might be an easily distinguishable fellow for most. Distinguishing Octopus, Squid, and Cuttlefish
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