Caribbean Reef Squid and Humboldt Squid

Caribbean Reef  Squid

Caribbean Reef  Squid

1. Scientific name: Sepioteuthis sepioidea

Introduction:

They have three hearts and blue blood due to it binds oxygen using a blue, copper-containing protein called hemocyanin. Human blood is red because the oxygen-binding protein hemoglobin contains iron.




The Caribbean reef squid, also known as just the Reef Squid.

Habitat:

The habitat of reef squid changes according to the squid's stage of life and size. New hatchlings tend to reside close to the shore in areas from 0.2-1 m below the surface on or under vegetation. Young small squid typically congregate in shallow turtle grass near islands and remain several centimeters to two meters from the surface to avoid bird predators. Adult reef squid venture out into open water and can be found in depths up to 100 m. When mating, adults are found near coral reefs in depths of 1.5-8 m.

        

                                                                                             

Two Caribbean Reef  Squid

Reproduction:

The male can reproduce with several females. After a male competes with several other males, the winning male gets the female. The male comes up to the female and slowly starts stroking her with his tentacles. The female will be alarmed and start flashing patterns. The male will then calm her by blowing water and swimming away. He will continue that process until the female accepts him. This process can continue for up to an hour. Once the female has accepted the male, he will put a sperm packet on her and while he is doing this he will display a pattern. The female will take the packet and will place it in her seminal receptacle. She will then find an appropriate place for her eggs, lays them, and then dies

Behavior:

The Caribbean reef squid is a very social creature. They are not shy at all. They, like their cousins the cuttle fish, communicate by controlling pigments in their skin cells called chromatophores.

 They also have some very unique behaviors like pointing their bodies up when they are about to strike there prey. They also Curl up when in territory arguments and point there head down when approached by predators

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Humboldt Squid

1. Scientific name: Dosidicus gigas

Humboldt Squid     

Introduction:


Humbolt squid also known as Jumbo squid.

Jumbo squid, Dosidicus gigas, can be found at depths between 200-700 meters in the waters of the eastern Pacific from Tierra del Fuego north to California. One of their common names, Humboldt squid, is taken from the Humboldt Current, which occurs off the coast of South America and is part of this species' habitat

Ecology:

He Humboldt squid feeds primarily on small fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and copepod. The squid uses its barbed tentacle suckers to grab its prey and slices and tears the victim's flesh with its beak andradula. The Humboldt squid is also known to quickly devour larger prey when hunting in groups. Although claims of cooperative hunting have been made for Dosidicus gigas, this behavior is unconfirmed. Until further study reveals otherwise, most researchers believe that group attacks bycephalopods on large prey are the result of many individuals attacking simultaneously but without any coordination.

Body characteristics:

Generally, the tube (or body) constitutes about 40% of the animal's mass, the fin (or wing) about 12%, the tentacles about 14%, the outer skin about 3%, the head (including eyes and beak) about 5%, with the balance (26%) made up of the inner organs.

They have a strong and specialized beak and sharp teeth that can be used after they catch their prey from a speed of up to 15 miles per hour. They have 8 tentacles and 2 arms which have 100-200 powerful suckers. Their rodlike pen provides structural support for their bodies. They have bilateral symmetry.