| Caribbean Reef Squid |
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The Reef squid, Sepioteuthis Sepioidea (Blainville, 1823), or Caribbean Reef squid, are members of the 10 arm Cephalopod s ( Decabrachia ) with Torpedo -shaped bodies (with the hood-like part above the head called the Mantle which contains the Stomach , Gills , Ink sac, Pen , Reproductive Organs , and Digestive organs), two large Complex Eyes , 8 short Arms near the mouth and 2 longer Tentacles , tucked inside, armed with Suckers to capture prey. Their Fins extend nearly the entire length of the body and Undulate rapidly as they swim. All 10 appendages of the squid are "fixed to its head", and are arranged in a circle around the mouth. WORLD RANGE AND HABITAT Found throughout the Caribbean Sea as well as off the coast of Florida, commonly in small Schools (4-30) in the shallows associated with Reefs . The Habitat of reef squid changes according to the squid's stage of life and size. New hatchlings tend to reside close to the shore in areas from 0.2-1 m below the surface on or under Vegetation . Young small squid typically congregate in shallow Turtle Grass near islands and remain several centimeters to two meters from the surface to avoid bird predators. Adult reef squid venture out into open water and can be found in depths up to 100 m. When mating, adults are found near coral reefs in depths of 1.5-8 m. The Caribbean Reef Squid is the only squid species commonly sighted by divers over inshore reefs in the Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean region. FEEDING BEHAVIOR Squid are Voracious eaters typically consuming 30-60% of their body weight daily. Prey is caught using the club-like end of the long tentacles which are then pulled towards the mouth supported by the shorter arms. Like other cephalopods, they have a strong Beak used to cut the prey into parts so that the raspy tongue, or Radula , can be used to further process the food. They consume small fish, other mollusks, and Crustaceans . LIFE HISTORY Like other cephalopods, Caribbean Reef squid, are Semelparous ; that is, they die after reproducing. Females lay their eggs then die immediately after. The males, however, can Fertilize many females in a short period of time before they die. Females lay the Eggs in well-protected areas scattered around the reefs. After competing with 2-5 other males, the largest male approaches the female and gently strokes her with his tentacles. At first she may indicate her alarm by flashing a distinct pattern, but the male soon calms her by blowing water at her and jetting gently away. He returns repeatedly until the female accepts him, however the pair may continue this dance or Courting for up to an hour. The male then attaches a sticky packet of Sperm to the female's body. As he reaches out with the sperm packet, he displays a pulsating pattern. The female places the packet in her seminal receptacle, finds appropriate places to lay her eggs in small clusters, and then dies. |
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