Trivia question for May-28-2011

Carter thought these guys were pretty amazing so he searched out a few cool facts for his trivia.  This is an intelligent, jet propelled predator with a poisonous bite and powerful suckers.

These guys are cannibalistic predators that feeds on smaller prey species such as fish, crabs and shrimp, mollusks, and other juvenile species of its kind. It uses its two longer tentacles with tentacular clubs on the end to snare and catch its prey. These guys themselves are an important food source for many predators like larger fish, sharks, marine mammals, sea birds, and also humans. Its predators include the Common Seal, California Sea Lion, Blue shark, Chinook salmon, Black-throated Diver, and Brandt’s Cormorant.

So here are Carter’s questions: Tell us what this species is and where they can be found.  Also, tell us how these guys communicate emotions such as fear and aggression.

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations again to our friend Carmel.  Yes this is a squid and they communicate via color changes depending on mood.  The squid we featured is the Opalescent Squid.  The Opalescent Inshore Squid is a small squid (mantle length (ML) up to 190 mm).  It is a myopsid squid, which is the near shore group and that means that they have corneas over their eyes. The species lives in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Mexico’s Baja California peninsula to Alaska, USA, within 200 miles of shore.

The color of these guys can range from white to brown, with the animals able to change their color shades using chromatophores depending on mood and for camouflage. They are normally a bluish-white to mottled brown and gold, and they change to dark red or brown when excited, frightened or feeding.  Here is more on these little guys: Opalescent Squid

Thanks for playing along 😉