Pacific Octopus and Squid | |
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No adventure beneath the sea is complete without an encounter with this charismatic denizen of the myth and lore. Nicknamed the "devilfish" by those who dare to enter its realm, this creature of legend can stir up feelings rivaling those of the shark. Octopuses and squids are members of the cephalopod family. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by their bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles modified from the primitive molluscan foot. Cephalopods became dominant during the Ordovician period, represented by primitive nautiloids. The class now contains two, only distantly related, subclasses: Coleoidea, which includes octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish; and Nautiloidea, which includes nautilus and allonautilus. In the Coleoidea class, the molluscan shell has been internalized or is absent, whereas in the Nautiloidea class the external shell remains. About 800 living species of cephalopods have been identified. There are only a few species of octopus and squid that inhabit the temperate waters of the Pacific Northwest. These animals can be found at all depths and come in a variety of sizes, the largest being the Giant Pacific Octopus which also is the largest cephalopod in the world.
Giant Pacific Octopus - Enteroctopus dofleiniGiant Pacific Octopus - Enteroctopus dofleini Giant Pacific Octopus Species Information and ImagesPacific Red Octopus - Octopus rubescensPacific Red Octopus - Octopus rubescens Pacific Red Octopus Species Information and Images Stubby Squid - Rossia pacificaStubby Squid - Rossia pacifica Stubby Squid Species Information and Images
Other octopus and squid of the Pacific NorthwestSmoothskin Octopus - Benthoctopus leioderma Opalescent Squid - Loligo opalescents Humboldt Squid - Dosidicus gigas Neon Flying Squid - Ommastrephes bartrami North Pacific Giant Squid - Onykia robusta Giant Squid - Architeuthis dux |