Squids have an unusual taste and are used in cooking as a main dish or as a side dish. However, they are eaten in an already processed form, so not everyone knows how these sea animals look in nature.
Instructions
Step 1
Squids are part of the order of decapod cephalopods, possess four pairs of tentacles, one of which, the grasping one, is equipped with chitinous rings. Over the years, rings turn into hooks and become quite a formidable weapon.
Step 2
Squids are not large in size, usually they do not exceed 25-50 centimeters in length. It is these mollusks that are used for food, although there are also giant squids with serious sizes. The largest squid officially registered by scientists was 17.4 meters in length from back to tip of tentacles and weighed 500-600 kg. These dimensions are comparable to a five-story building. Thus, some molluscs can rightfully be called the largest animals living on earth.
Step 3
Squids have a dense cylindrical body, have a pointed plate that resembles an arrow in shape. These molluscs are excellent swimmers. Under water, they move with the help of a fin or a reactive method, drawing in water and pushing it out through a small nozzle.
Step 4
Some medium-sized squids are capable of speeds up to 50 km / h, competing only with a few of the inhabitants of the oceans, including a dolphin, swordfish and tuna. To escape predators, squids can jump out of the water, flying up to 50 meters through the air. Sometimes, during the flight, they get on the deck of the ship, which is why sailors call them flying squids.
Step 5
Squids live from 1 to 3 years, but giant species can live much longer. Some of the mollusks, in case of danger, throw out an ink cloud, disorienting the predator and avoiding pursuit. In addition, an interesting fact is that squids have blue blood. This feature is inherent in them due to the content of copper in the blood.
