12 Squid Facts About The Intriguing Cephalopods
Join us for an underwater exploration of squid facts to enhance your understanding of marine life. Essential to both marine ecosystems and the global ocean landscape, squids possess attributes polished over millions of years of evolution. They play a vital role in the underwater world, highlighting the dynamic intricacy of life below the waves.
Moreover, squids are among the most intelligent invertebrates, showing off advanced problem-solving skills and complex communication methods.
The following knowledge gems offer a glimpse into the extraordinary lives of these creatures, thriving in the ever-changing aquatic environment. So, deepen your knowledge by exploring the squid facts below.
Can't get enough of cephalopods? Check out our octopus facts.
12 Squid Facts You Need To Know
1. Squids have existed since the Jurassic era.
During the Jurassic period–201 to 145 million years ago–squids began to evolve into their modern versions. As they swam alongside other marine life in ancient seas, squids gradually found their distinctive niche in the ecosystem1.
Fossil records from the Jurassic epoch show that it was a turning point for squids, putting them in the early stages of their evolution. Moreover, the fossils indicate that the squids began to diverge from the nautiluses who kept their shells.
Over millions of years, squids have evolved various adaptations to survive in their natural habitat. Today, multiple species of squid exist, from the giant squid, colossal squid, flying squid, Humboldt squid, deep sea squid, and pygmy squid, among others.
To know more about other prehistoric animals, save our shark facts and crocodile facts.
2. Squids have unique physical traits.
Squids have long, streamlined, slender bodies that perfectly suit their quick, darting movements through the water. Their swift movement is their secret weapon, allowing them to outmaneuver prey and escape predators like sperm whales. Besides, squids have a stiff internal shell hidden within their soft bodies, known as the pen. This natural life jacket provides support for navigating the vast expanse of the ocean.
Additionally, squids have some of the largest eyes relative to their body size in the animal kingdom. In the dark ocean depths, their eyes are like night-vision goggles that can detect objects from a great distance in the dark ocean depths.
In addition to their eyes, squids have long tentacles exceeding their eight arms' length. Squid tentacles have suction cups adorned with hooks, like built-in fishing nets. These tentacles quickly sweep through the water and grab prey.
The next squid fact talks about why the brains of these invertebrates are on another level.
3. Squids have incredibly complex brains.
Curiously, cartilaginous craniums encase squids' brains, much like the protective shield for the human brain. However, the intricate structure of their brains distinguishes them from other invertebrates, composed of various units working together to facilitate their cognitive and bodily functions.
For instance, a squid's optic lobes control the squid's extraordinary vision. Meanwhile, other parts of the brain juggle different sensory and motor tasks.
The squid's brain also contains a donut-shaped ring of nerve cells that encircles the esophagus. This unique structure coordinates the movements of the squid's eight arms and two tentacles without an internal skeleton.
Besides locomotion, this feature is also a data processing hub, taking in vast amounts of information from the squid's environment.
4. Squids use jet propulsion to move.
Like in science fiction stories, squids cut across the water using jet propulsion, exclusive to many sea creatures. The spectacle commences when the squid draws water into its muscular mantle cavity.
The squid can shoot forward at incredible speeds (reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour) by compressing its water-filled cavity with great force. This impressive ability also allows the squid to move in any direction at the drop of a dime. Likewise, the squid can adjust the position of its siphon mid-flight to navigate the water precisely3.
However, this high-speed mode of travel requires a significant amount of energy. So, squids only use jet propulsion when necessary, as in the case of evading a predator.
Do you know some jellyfish use jet propulsion too? Learn more about them in our jellyfish facts.
5. Squids have sharp beaks.
When resources are low, these carnivorous creatures eat small fish, crustaceans, and sometimes other squids.
The squid's mouth has a secret weapon! They have scalpel-like beaks made of chitin, the hardest material in their body. The squid uses its eight arms to capture its unsuspecting prey. Then, it rips them apart into bite-sized portions using its beak.
6. Male squids use their arm to mate.
Male squids have a specialized arm, the hectocotylus, that hides their sperm pockets or spermatophores. This arm is a highly efficient delivery system for male squid to transfer sperm to the female's mantle cavity. This process occurs almost instantly, resembling a baton pass in a relay race.
During mating, the hectocotylus detaches and leaves a part of itself inside the female squid, fertilizing the female's eggs, sometimes numbering in the thousands.
7. Male squids change color to attract mates.
Male squids can transform their skin into different radiant colors and patterns. How does it work? Small cells called chromatophores in squid skin produce various hues, from fiery reds and oranges to soothing blues and greens.
Color changes in squids are also a form of visual communication that conveys messages to other squids. These messages range from a signal of readiness to mate or an assertion of strength and dominance.
Furthermore, different habitats can also affect these color changes. Shallow waters with ample light show more dazzling colors since visual signals are essential in finding mates in these environments.
8. Squids produce ink to protect themselves.
Why do cephalopods release ink? This squid fact explores their famous inky ways.
Squids have an internal ink sac that works as their natural security system. This sac produces a dense fluid infused with melanin, the pigment used to color human hair and skin.
Squids have used this tactic for generations, serving them well today. Besides a visual barrier, the ink interferes with the predator's sense of smell.
While the squid's ink defense is effective, it still has holes. First, each ink release depletes the squid's reserves. As it takes time to replenish, they must use it strategically to stay alive in the water4.
9. The Giant Squid is Earth's biggest squid.
The Giant Squid (Architeuthis dux) is Earth's largest squid species, ranking among the planet's largest invertebrates. (Among other squid species, only the colossal squids are larger and heavier.)
How big are these animals? A female adult giant squid can stretch up to 43 feet, while males measure 33 feet long. However, occasional reports refer to even bigger specimens, reaching an incredible 59 feet. Consequently, the smallest squid species is the Southern Pygmy Squid (less than 2.5 centimeters long).
The giant squid is a formidable creature with long whip-like tentacles that ensnare prey. Meanwhile, it also has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, measuring up to 10 inches in diameter. A giant squid's eye can capture even the faintest of light in the ocean's darkest depths.
These species live between 300 and 1,000 meters below the ocean's surface. Along with the Colossal Squid, the deep sea is the ideal hunting ground for this squid's diet of deep-sea fish and other squid. However, Giant Sperm Whales dive into these depths to hunt the Giant Squids; incredibly, sperm whale stomachs can even fit these humongous animals.
Despite its size and strength, the Giant Squid remains mysterious. Only in 2004 did the scientists find the first glimpse of these incredible creatures in the deep sea.
Read more: about the different types of squid.
10. Some squids are bioluminescent.
Certain squid species can generate light through a process called bioluminescence. How does it work? For instance, the bobtail squid species have specialized cells called photophores, which contain the glowing organism Vibrio fischeri. Data shows squid adjust the brightness produced by V. fischeri according to the intensity of ambient light2. Therefore, these squid species actively control the bacterium's luminescence for their benefit.
This bioluminescence serves numerous practical purposes; it helps them attract potential mates or warn other squids in the group. When hunting, squids generate light to illuminate prey in the deep sea.
Furthermore, this radiant glow blinds predators with a sudden burst of light just as they are about to strike. Some squids also glow to blend with the moonlit water above, an ingenious cloaking technique that prevents sperm whales and other predators from seeing their shadow below.
11. Squid blood is blue.
Squids do not bleed red but pump blue blood through their bodies. This unusual trait results from a particular molecule – hemocyanin – in their blood. Instead of carrying iron like humans' hemoglobin, hemocyanin incorporates copper atoms, bringing deep-sea blue to their veins.
But it's more than just a color. The blue hue emerges when hemocyanin binds with oxygen. This chemical reaction equips squids to survive the low-oxygen, cold depths of the sea. Hemocyanin effortlessly outperforms hemoglobin in transporting oxygen under these extreme conditions.
Do you know other creatures with blue blood? Check out lobster facts next.
12. Squids face several threats.
The high demand for squid worldwide has caused overfishing, threatening their populations. Despite regulations that protect other fish, squids often slip by and fall prey to overharvesting.
Furthermore, climate change threatens these marine creatures. Rising ocean temperatures disrupt the typical rhythms of their lifecycle, causing mating seasons to fall out of sync with food availability and leading to a decline in population. Additionally, CO2 buildup acidifies the oceans, threatening the ability of squid offspring to survive from egg to larva and beyond.
Make sure to share these squid facts with your friends!
Related: To further explore the animal kingdom, check out some of the other animals that start with S.
| 1 | Kröger, B., Vinther, J., & Fuchs, D. (2011). Cephalopod origin and evolution: A congruent picture emerging from fossils, development and molecules. Bioessays, 33(8), 602-613. |
| 2 | Jones, T., & Nishiguchi, M. K. (2004). Counterillumination in the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes Berry (Mollusca: Cephalopoda). Marine Biology, 144(6), 1151-1155. |
| 3 | Bartol, I. K., Krueger, P. S., Thompson, J. T., & Stewart, W. J. (2008). Swimming dynamics and propulsive efficiency of squids throughout ontogeny. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 48(6), 720-733. |
| 4 | Derby, C.D. Cephalopod Ink: Production, Chemistry, Functions and Applications. Mar. Drugs 2014, 12, 2700-2730. |
Mike is a degree-qualified researcher and writer passionate about increasing global awareness about climate change and encouraging people to act collectively in resolving these issues.
Fact Checked By:
Chinny Verana, BSc.
