Magnificent Monsters of the Deep
Posted on 24. Jul, 2009 by Stenberg-Tendys W.L. in Environment
A new type of alien-looking squid with ‘elbows’ was discovered just above the seafloor, two and a half kilometers underwater, in the Gulf of Mexico, during a Shell oil company exploration. The never before seen squid appeared to have huge elephant style fins and long trailing tentacles, which bend like elbows, all sticking out from a tiny little body.
A recent breakthrough study has discovered all octopus, cuttlefish and some squid are poisonous. These magnificent sea creatures are cephalopod mollusks and are to be found listed among the most intelligent creatures on earth.
Chameleons
Both cuttlefish and squid are masters of transformation and brilliant chameleons of the ocean, with the ability to instantly disguise themselves to match their surroundings, through the use of a wide range of colours. Thus they easily evade detection or capture. They can even use their camouflaging ability to con others of their own kind.
Living off their wits, they are able to adopt both male and female colouration at the same time, down opposite sides of their body. Any male will aggressively guard the female, particularly if she is laying eggs, so when female colours are portrayed, the oncoming intruder is thrown into protective mode.
Original Jet Propulsion
Squid, octopus and cuttlefish are the original jet propulsions of the deep, using jet action to move through the water at up to 15 kph. Not only does their speed allow them to escape their predators, but they have the ability to spray a very efficient cloud of protein-based sepia ink, to cover their escape route. The ink both confuses and frightens the interloper. Some say the ink is able to penetrate the metal walls of a submarine. Ink made from the sepia was widely used in ancient times.
Life Span
Some believe that squid can live up to 500 years of age, cuttlefish however, have a very short life span. This is due to the huge amount of energy required to run the unique circulatory system of the cuttlefish, that has three hearts and copper (green coloured), rather than iron based blood. The cuttlefish literally wears out in just 18 months.
As solitary animals, cuttlefish are not able to coexist with other animals, or even their own family. However, the squid will frequently hunt at night in shoals of up to 1,500. Both animals feed on crabs, shrimp, fish and even their own kind.
Original Hypnotists
Both cuttlefish and squid have the fascinating ability to hypnotize their prey, through a process known as ‘bioluminescence’. They point the tips of their arms towards their potential victim, while slender streams of colour run from the back of their body towards the tips of the tentacles. This makes it seem as if concentric circles are flowing towards the onlooker, thrusting the victim into an hypnotic state. Divers are warned to keep a wary distance from these incredible animals.
Bone Structure
The cuttlefish has an internal cuttlebone shell that forms the shape of the body, inside the surrounding shroud. As the cuttlefish grows it has to eject the bone. The cuttlebone is often used in making toothpaste and always in great demand by owners of caged birds.
Giants Of The Ocean
The smallest squid is around 1.8cm, while the largest recorded squid was 18 metres in length and weighed nearly a ton. They are the largest invertebrate on Earth. The inhospitable depths of the ocean are their normal habitat. Cuttlefish on the other hand are bottom dwellers and live closer to the shore.
Giant squid have the largest eyes of the animal world, measuring up to 25 centimeters in diameter. The eyes are almost as complex as the human eye and permit the creatures to have vision in spite of the low level of light in the depths of the ocean.
