Magister armhook squid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magister armhook squid |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Oegopsida |
| Family: | Gonatidae |
| Genus: | Berryteuthis |
| Species: |
B. magister
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| Binomial name | |
| Berryteuthis magister (Berry), 1913
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| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Magister armhook squid (Berryteuthis magister) is a medium-sized squid. It is also known as the commander squid or schoolmaster gonate squid. You can find this squid in the cold, northern parts of the Pacific Ocean. It belongs to the family called Gonatidae. It is one of the most common squid species found in these waters.
There are three different types, or subspecies, of the Magister armhook squid. All three types were first found near Japan. However, these squids have been seen as far east as the Aleutian Islands.
Contents
What Does the Magister Armhook Squid Look Like?
Magister armhook squids have strong, tube-shaped bodies. Their skin is very soft and reddish-brown. Like all squids in their family, their arms have suckers arranged in four rows.
Special Hooks on Females
Unlike other squids in their family, only female Magister armhook squids have special hooks. These hooks are on the inner rows of their top arms. The clubs at the end of both tentacles are covered with 20 rows of suckers. These suckers are smaller on the B. magister nipponensis subspecies.
Fins and Size
The fins at the back of the squid's body look like wings. They are quite large and can be up to half the length of the squid's main body, called the mantle. The fins are also smaller in the B. magister nipponensis subspecies.
The B. magister magister subspecies can grow to have a mantle length of about 25 cm (10 in). Its total body length can be more than 61 cm (2 ft). The other two subspecies, B. magister nipponensis and B. magister shevtsovi, are a bit smaller. Their mantle length is usually between 17 and 20 cm (7 to 8 in). Female squids are usually a little bigger than males.
Where Do Magister Armhook Squids Live and What Do They Do?
These squids live in the open ocean, which is called the pelagic zone. They can swim very deep, sometimes as far down as 1,000 meters (3,300 feet). They are often found near the edge of the continental shelf.
Daily Movements
Like other squids in their family, Magister armhook squids are thought to move up and down in the water each day. This is called diel migration. During the day, they stay deep in the dark parts of the ocean. At night, they swim up closer to the surface to find food. An internal balancing organ called a statocyst helps them move smoothly in the water.
What Do They Eat?
Magister armhook squids eat both animals that live on the seafloor (benthos) and animals that live in the open water. Their diet includes sculpins and smaller fish like Sablefish and young pollock. They also eat crustaceans, such as euphausiids and amphipods, and even other squids. Sometimes, these squids will even eat other Magister armhook squids.
Who Eats Them?
Many different animals hunt and eat Magister armhook squids. These predators include Baird's beaked whale, short-finned pilot whale, false killer whale, Dall's porpoise, and sperm whales. Other animals that eat them are seabirds, northern fur seals, grenadiers, halibut, and several types of salmon.
Images for kids
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This image shows the underside (ventral view) of the squid.
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This image shows the mouth area (oral view) of the squid.
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A close-up view of the special hooks found on female squids.
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One of the squid's tentacle clubs.
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Another view of a tentacle club.
 | Precious Adams |
 | Lauren Anderson |
 | Janet Collins |
