Umbrella squid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Umbrella squid |
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| Museum model of Histioteuthis bonnellii | |
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List
Cranchia bonnellii
Férussac, 1835 Cranchia bonelliana Férussac, 1835 Histioteuthis bonelliana Orbigny, 1835 Histioteuthis ruppelli Vérany, 1851 Histioteuthis collinsi Verrill, 1879 Histiopsis atlantica Hoyle, 1885 |
The umbrella squid (scientific name: Histioteuthis bonnellii) is a special type of squid. It's known as a "cock-eyed squid" because its eyes are different sizes! It belongs to a family of squids called Histioteuthidae.
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Where Umbrella Squids Live
This amazing squid mostly lives in the Atlantic Ocean. You can find it near countries like Argentina and South Africa. It also lives in the Tasman Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists think there might be different kinds (subspecies) of umbrella squids in the Atlantic Ocean.
Umbrella Squid Homes
Umbrella squids live deep in the ocean. They can be found in the middle of the water, from 100 to 2200 meters deep. Younger squids usually stay higher up, between 100 and 200 meters. Bigger squids live deeper, from 200 to 800 meters. The oldest squids are found even deeper, between 1000 and 2200 meters.
What Umbrella Squids Look Like
The umbrella squid is one of the larger squids in its group. It can grow up to 33 centimeters long in its main body (called the mantle). Its total length, including its arms, can reach 119 centimeters! Adult male squids usually have a mantle length between 5 and 33 centimeters.
These squids are small to medium-sized and have a purplish color. They also have many special organs that glow, especially on their body, arms, and long tentacles. Their tentacles are connected by a thin membrane, like a web. One of the most interesting things about them is their eyes: they are not the same size! One eye is usually larger than the other.
How Umbrella Squids Live
Umbrella squids can change their color, which helps them hide. They move by sucking water into their body and then pushing it out through a special tube called a siphon. This pushes them forward, like a jet.
These squids are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. They mostly eat fish, crabs, lobsters, and other small sea creatures. They catch their food using the suckers on their arms.
Many other animals hunt the umbrella squid. These include the Northern bottlenose whale, the Sperm whale, the Blue shark, the Swordfish, and Cuvier's beaked whale.
Gallery
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Illustration from Die Cephalopoden
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Histioteuthis bonnellii by Ernst Haeckel (as "Histioteuthis Rüppellii")
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Lower and upper parts of the beak
