Brief Squid

Grace Richards

Mrs.Cook Science

October 26, 2015

Brief Squid

Lollinguncula brevis

The Brief Squid can be found in warm, salty waters or estuaries in the Western Atlantic Ocean. The Brief Squid belongs to the Domain Eukaryote, the Kingdom Animalia, the Phylum Mollusca, the Class Cephalopoda, and the Order Teuthida. It is in the Family Loliginidae, the Genus Lollinguncula, and the Species brevis. The Brief Squid has bilateral symmetry, and can be recognised by its length of about 5 inches, its large eyes, several tentacles, and dark spots. One behavioral or functional adaptation is that it ejects a cloud of ink in the water when threatened to scare or distract predators. A structural adaptation is the beak on the underside of its body, which helps it crush its prey. The Brief Squid is heterotrophic, and eats small crustaceans, larvae, shrimp, and fish. Its predators are usually carnivorous fish. Brief Squids are ectothermic. One interesting fact about Brief Squids is that their spots can change colors, varying from barely visible to dark brown or black. Another interesting fact is that Brief Squids are known to be cannibalistic, frequently eating other younger Brief Squids!

Sources: www.chesapeakebay.net , www.dnr/sc.org