El squid It is a cephalopod animal, which is considered one of the most intelligent animals that exist, they adapt easily to any environment, and many even claim that it is identical to the octopus. We invite you to know everything about this species, right here
What are Calamari?
El squid It is an invertebrate mollusk that lives in salty waters, in places with different types of temperatures and is carnivorous. These have the ability to transform like others of their kind, they are very soft, which makes them the favorite food of their predators, there are approximately 300 species of squid and these in turn are divided into two categories, which are Myopsida and Oegopsida.
Its size is related to the species to which it belongs, where some can measure up to 24 inches in length. The squid they are usually agile and very fast, these animals when they feel that some danger is lurking, they release a dark colored ink that helps them escape, this ink is a dye that accumulates in a small sac located on the rectum and expelled through a duct in the form of "U" named siphon.
If you are wondering why these animals are considered molluscs, we could say that this condition is due to the hot layer that they contain under the cover. They have gills that they use to breathe, which is why they can do so under water, so that the squid They are the food of many other aquatic species.
Squid Description
The squid they have eight arms and two muscular tentacles full of suckers that are similar to those of octopuses, they also have two gills like fish, a circulatory system made up of a systemic heart and two gill hearts. These have a covering of chromatophores on their skin, which is why they can change color, thus camouflage themselves and flee from predators or to adapt to the surrounding environment.
The body of this animal has a delicate and flat shell, they also have an organ called a hyponome that helps them to move easily when it expels the water under pressure. Generally the size of the squid depending on the species, in the most common the size is usually between 5 centimeters and up to 14 meters long, while the largest prototypes are the squid colossal and gigantic.
The squid they do not have a very developed sense of hearing, however, they do have a very developed sense of sight and in perfect condition, in each of their eyes they have a kind of lens that varies their posture to be able to focus the images, it is something similar to a camera.
the mouths of squid they have a sharp beak, which they use to kill and tear their food into portions that they can easily eat, it also has a tongue, something very common in molluscs. These animals move very quickly, their growth is very fast and they tend to be very numerous in some oceans, they live only for one year and die after spawning, although in the giant species some live two years and even more.
Squid species
There is a large number of species of squid, however, below we tell you which are the most famous and well-known:
- Vampire Squid: It is a small cephalopod of very deep oceans, it can be found in temperate and tropical waters of the entire planet. It measures approximately 30 centimeters in length, they are black and pale red, they have 8 arms.
- Colossal Squid: It is currently the largest of the species, much larger than the so-called squid giant, which in former times was thought to be the largest, however, the colossal surpasses it in length and mass. It can reach 20 meters in length and weigh about 500 kilograms.
- Giant squid: It is an animal that lives in very deep waters, they can reach about 10 meters in the case of males and 14 meters in the case of females, it is a very strong marine animal.
- Humboldt Squid: It is a large cephalopod, it lives in the Mexican, Chilean and Peruvian coasts, it is fast growing and its body is made up of two parts, starting with the head that is linked directly to its arms, it can weigh 45 kilograms and measures 2 meters long, this is known by different names among which are Pacific pota or squid jumbo.
- pota japan: The Japan squid is a beautiful mollusk in the shape of a projectile, it has rings around the top of the head, which can be used to know the age of these and are usually very light in weight, in addition to they are very small in size.
Squid feeding
El squid It is an animal that feeds on meat completely, eats fish and other varieties of animals without bones, although to achieve this, it must put into operation its strong tentacles and jaw, which has a pointed beak which makes it easier for it to kill and dismember its food victims into tiny pieces.
It turns out to be very unlikely that the victims will be able to escape due to the speed and violence of the mollusk, since its beaks are resistant enough and it is the exclusive part of the density of the mollusk. squid, that his attackers cannot eat him. It is well known that this animal very frequently changes to victim mode, and thus becomes a source of food for other species, they must also go to find their food for their own survival.
They usually hunt their prey alone and as already mentioned, they like to eat only meat, so this animal feeds on a large amount of nutrients, which are included in all those small-sized species. Their diet is based on a variety of small fish, which also includes other squid, crabs and shrimp, although this will happen when they have no other food option due to some shortage.
In addition, the small specimens become powerful and strong enough, which means that they are capable of retaining their victims without giving them the opportunity to flee from their tentacles. The suck and mechanics that they use to hook with their tentacles, give them an enormous force that is only unfortunately surpassed by the other species.
The moment a squid is able to get good amounts of food, it will grow faster. The lack of food in quantities generates weakness and will make them unable to survive in the harsh conditions of their habitat, this is the reason why large amounts of food can often be obtained. squid in the places where they usually get the food they need for their development.
The children of this species must resolve themselves from the moment they are born, they eat plankton until they have enough life time to be able to eat other types of species, but it should be noted that plankton contains a diversity of organisms found in water, as well as bacteria, small animals, and plants.
However, sometimes this type of plankton has parasites and other components that are not healthy for the animal, this can mean that it does not complete its development cycle in the right way, and even lead to its death. Most of the food squid it depends on the seasons and specific places, it is also good to know that they have a lot of intelligence, so they cannot have much creativity to get available food.
Squid Reproduction
Their life cycle and increase in size is quite fast, so they can have large populations in the seas, although their life expectancy is reduced to one year, in the case of huge molluscs it is a bit different, since they have life cycles up to two years.
Those belonging to the female species of the squid they have entrails that are related to the production of food and covered with eggs, they have a transparent ovary located in the back of their stomach or viscera. In contradiction, the males have a bag of spermatophores that are embedded in the female at the time of the mating act, the females die after laying their eggs.
Threats to the Squid
Their natural threats are dolphins, walruses, penguins, sharks and sea turtles, among other varieties of species that threaten them. The squid It is quite loved and fished by the human being, usually to be used in the gastronomic varieties of different countries, since it is part of the Marine species in Mexico, Japan and Italy.
This mollusk is of great importance in marketing, which is destined for various places of sale and distribution, where the adverse impact is that the thousands and thousands of kilograms that are hunted each year affects the direct food of many animals that make life in the seas. That is why we must emphasize that the squid they are part of the feeding routine of diversity of marine species.
Gastronomic Applications
The squid They are animals that have a delicious flavor, which is why many people have experienced themselves in the kitchen to prepare exquisite dishes like these, where this animal is the main ingredient. First of all, to prepare them properly, they must be cooked for a short time, since leaving it for a long time in the fire can harden it.
Among the most famous dishes prepared with squid there are the stuffed ones and cut into rings or strips, in addition to being prepared fried. However, there are many different ways to prepare them all over the planet.
First of all there are the squid Battered, where the meat of the animal is cut into rings or strips, wrapped with egg and wheat flour, so that they can then be fried at high temperature, this form of preparation is widely used in Greece, Spain and other regions.
On the other hand, in the case of the Mediterranean they use the shrimp ink to make black rice, the risotto of squid, and black cuttlefish spaghetti, in addition to the fact that this species is used in stews such as bouillabaisse, among others. In Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisines, the squid It is a very famous ingredient that has a great diversity of sauces, where there are rice and pasta dishes, which are eaten very seasoned.
Now, in Mexican cuisine, the squid for a great variety of dishes that are made combined with rice and corn, although in Oaxaca it is also used to prepare corn tamales. In Peruvian cuisine it is used to prepare very famous dishes, cut into rings, battered and fried, accompanied by Sierra Products, such as yucca and corn.
In Thailand and Japan they use it to prepare it completely on the grill, while in other regions of Asia they put it to dry in the sun, then cut it into strips and vacuum-pack it, so that these can be consumed as an appetizer. This animal is widely used to prepare sushi and sashimi.
Another activity to be carried out would be that in Japanese cuisine the squid it is fermented with its viscera, for approximately one month, and is sold in small containers, then it is consumed accompanied by rice and this dish is called shiokara.
Relationship with the Human Being
Some of the species of squid They tend to be a bit warlike, however the smallest ones do not represent any danger to the human being, unlike the giants that can be dangerous if a human runs into one head-on, although the squid giant is not edible due to the ammonia in its body.