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Coleoidea facts for kids

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Coleoids
Haeckel Gamochonia.jpg
Various octopus and squid.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Cephalopoda
Subclass:
Coleoidea

Bather, 1888
Orders
  • Belemnoidea (certain fossil cephalopods)
  • Neocoleoidea (most living cephalopods)

Subclass Coleoidea, or Dibranchiata, is the grouping of cephalopods containing all the various taxa popularly thought of as "soft-bodied" or "shell-less," i.e., octopus, squid and cuttlefish. Unlike its extant sister group Nautiloidea, whose members have a rigid outer shell for protection, the coleoids have at most an internal cuttlebone, gladius, or shell that is used for buoyancy or support. Some species have lost their cuttlebone altogether, while in some it has been replaced by a chitinous support structure. The major dividing's of Coleoidea are based upon the number of arms or tentacles and their structure.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Coleoidea para niños

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