SUBCLASS COLEOIDEA

Squids

Squids are mostly elongate with eight arms and two tentacles. The shell is reduced to a light horny pen.

Squids swim by water jet and can hover, cruise slowly or dart rapidly. They are the fastest aquatic invertebrates reaching speeds of up to 45 km/hr. The two posterior lateral fins are used as stabilisers and rudders and for moving slowly.

Right: Our specimen of Ommastrephes sagittatus is rather special. Its label, in Professor J. H. Ashworth's writing, reads as follows:

'This specimen was seen swimming in the sea by a shore reef off rocks between Port Seton and Longniddry on Wednesday morning June 12 th 1929 at 12.30 am. It was brought by car alive in a pail of seawater. Obtained and presented by Mrs Ashworth. '