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Ram's Horn Squid

Spirula spirula
Today we have another reader suggestion, Spirula spirula, also known as the Ram's Horn Squid. As the suggester points out, the shell of this creature may look very familiar, but most people probably don't know that it belongs to a tiny, deep sea cephalopod!

The Ram's Head Squid can be found in tropical waters at depths as far as 3,300ft (1,000m). They are little things, with body lengths measuring only around 1.6in (40mm). The Ram's Head Squid has eight arms and two longer tentacles, all of which have suckers. Adults are able to partially draw them in to their mantle.
Internal Shell

The shell that we spoke up earlier is actually found completely within the squid, and it helps to control buoyancy.  Because of that mechanism the Squids swim in a head-down motion.

Ram's Head Squids only live about a year and a half, and a lot of their behavior is not well known due to their small size and deep sea living. We do know that they are carnivores, that they reproduce in a way similar to many other squids. Males use a a tentacle to implant a sperm sac on to the female.
IUCN Status :  Not listed
Location : Tropical Oceans
Size : Body Length up to 1.6in (40mm)
Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Cephalopoda -- Order : Spirulida
Family : Spirulidae -- Genus : Spirula -- Species : S. spirula
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Comments

  1. DianeMay 21, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    Have certainly learnt something new today! Diane

    ReplyDelete
  2. Emma SpringfieldMay 21, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    You have presented another unique member of the animal kingdom.

    ReplyDelete

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