Squid. Colossal squid: description, sizes, photos Type of squid
Report
Topic:Squid
General characteristics of seafood:
Squids are cephalopods. They are widespread in the fully saline seas of our planet - from the icy polar waters to the Coral Lagoons, from the surface to the Abyssal depths. The squid order is divided into 2 suborders: Neritic squids (Myopsida) and Ocean squids (Oegopsida).
Squid meat is an excellent delicacy, the dishes from which can be proudly served in the national cuisines of the Mediterranean. Squid is one of the most famous seafood products, distinguished by its popularity and suitability for many culinary recipes, and is also considered a delicacy. After all, if you look, now many gourmet and signature dishes are squid dishes.
Appearance and biology:
Reddish squids are powerful, move reactively, look like torpedoes in the water, and when they become prey for fishermen, they look inexpressive. Squids usually reaching 25-35 cm in length and weighing from 300 g to 1 kg, live at depths from 30 to 1200 m. They are good swimming marine animals. The body is streamlined, pointed at the rear end, with two triangular fins on the sides. The head is directed backward when swimming. There are 10 tentacles with suction cups on it, 8 of which are short (“arms”), and two are especially long. The tentacles are used to grasp prey. The squid's shell is transformed into a narrow horny plate lying under the skin of the back. Giant squids reaching length. 18 m (with elongated tentacles), the largest invertebrate animals. Giant squids live at depths from 200 to 1500 m. The squid feeds on small fish and crustaceans, and they themselves often serve as the main food for many fish, toothed whales, seabirds and fur seals. Delicacy human food product; are also used as medicinal raw materials. Juveniles are often found near the surface, adults stay near the bottom, but perform daily migrations, rising into the water column at night.
Squids are one of the fastest growing marine animals and reach high numbers. The Argentine squid reaches a length of about 40 cm in one year, reproduces, and after reproduction dies!!!
Features of primary culinary processing, techniques and features of heat treatment:
Basically, squid are supplied to catering establishments in frozen form, cut up (carcasses) or frozen, headless (fillets). Frozen squid is defrosted in air or in cold water (since tissue coloring occurs in warm water) with a small addition of salt. After thawing, you need to grab the head at the base and carefully break the ligaments between the mantle and the head part and, with a slight tug, separate the head along with the entrails. Perform this operation carefully so as not to crush the sepia bag, otherwise the mantle will turn black.
To prevent the squid fillet from shrinking and becoming tough during frying or boiling, it is beaten on both sides. Squid are considered defrosted if the temperature in the thickness is t° = -1°C. After this, you need to remove the remaining entrails, chitinous plates and place the carcasses or fillets in warm water (60-65°C), and the volume of water should exceed the volume of squid in 3-4 times. “It should be remembered that squid meat does not require long heat treatment; if boiled or fried for too long, it quickly loses its taste and nutritional properties. The average time for such processing for squid meat is 3-5 minutes.” After 3-5 minutes from the moment the water boils, the carcasses or fillets need to be removed and cleaned of the film. The most convenient way to do this is with a soft brush. Prepared carcasses and fillets are washed 2-3 times in cold water or left in the broth to cool them.
Assortment of Squid dishes:
Squid stewed with onions
Stewed squid
Squid stewed with rice
Squid fried in breadcrumbs
Squid with vegetables in sour cream sauce
Stuffed squids
Fried squid
Squid stuffed with fresh cabbage
Squid in sour cream sauce
Squid kebab
Squid stewed with vegetables
Squid hwe
Squid with red wine
Beef squid stroganoff
Squid stew
Squid in tomato juice with vegetables and sour cream
Squid stewed with pickles
Squid stuffed with crabs
Squid in coconut milk
Squid stewed with pepper and sesame seeds
Squid in nut batter
Squid brizol
Squid with cheese and garlic
Palanoff
Squid in sour cream with soy sauce
Squid fried with onions
Squid stuffed with ham
Squid stewed with mayonnaise
Squid with ketchup
Squid in teriyaki sauce
Squid meat with tomato sauce
Rice with squid in Spanish
Spicy squid with bulgar
Squid rings
Squid in garlic sauce
Squid azu
Squid with celery or parsnip root
Squid with apples
Pickled onions with squid
Fried squid
Squid in mustard sauce
Squid with wine and tomatoes
Squid with basil
Technology for preparing an interesting dish of Squid:
Squid azu
For the recipe you will need:
Squid (fillet) - 500g
Cucumbers (salted) - 2 pcs.
Onions - 2-3 pcs.
Tomato paste - 1 tbsp.
Wheat flour - 1 tbsp.
Butter - 80g
Parsley (chopped greens) - 2 tbsp.
Bay leaf - 1 pc.
Allspice (peas) - 3-4 pcs.
Salt - to taste.
Cooking technology:
Cut the onion into strips and sauté with some butter. Add tomato paste diluted with a small amount of water and sauté for another 5 minutes. Peel the cucumbers and remove seeds, cut into slices and simmer in 1/2 cup of water. Cut the squid fillet into strips, add salt, bread in flour and fry in the remaining oil until golden brown.
Combine the prepared ingredients of the dish, add bay leaf, pepper and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Serve the basics with mashed potatoes, sprinkled with herbs.
The message about the squid will tell you in detail about the life of these amazing creatures.
Message about the squid
Squids are the largest and most agile cephalopods. They can move at a speed of 200 km per hour. By the way, squids are the closest relatives of cuttlefish and octopuses.
Usually have dimensions of 0.25-0.5 m, but giant squids of the genus Architeuthis can reach 16.5 meters
General characteristics of mollusks
In general, their physique resembles cuttlefish and octopuses. All internal organs of squids are hidden in a cavity sac - the mantle. The large head in front is crowned with a bunch of 8 so-called arms. Two more hunting tentacles are placed near the mouth. They are equipped with powerful suction cups, which in some cases turned into hooks.
Squids live only in salt water. Their habitat ranges from Arctic regions to warm tropics. Some of them are located at a depth of 100-500 m, other species stay on the very surface of the water, and still others live at great depths, not seeing the sun at all.
It is worth noting that squids are neutrally buoyant. There is a bladder in their body that is filled with ammonia. The liquid in the bubble is lighter than the water itself, so the squids, being motionless, still do not drown.
What do squids eat?
What squid eat generally depends on its size. They can feed on both small planktonic organisms and fairly large animals - fish, pteropods, mollusks and even their own kind.
Squids catch prey using their tentacles, which can contract and elongate to better grasp and hold it. Thus, he can catch the prey without coming close to it. Sometimes, in order to lure prey, the squid releases a special substance - fluorescence.
What types of squid are there?
There are approximately 300 known species of these creatures, but the most common and famous are:
- European
- Pacific
- Komandorsky
- Argentinian
- Ordinary
How do squids reproduce?
The process of reproduction in animals occurs once a year and only in certain spawning areas where the hydrological regime is favorable. When the time comes to reproduce, the male presents the female with a gift in the form of a spermatophore - a bag of sperm. The female places it along with her eggs, of which there may be more than a dozen, and hurries to the bottom. It happens that a caring mother attaches her clutch to seaweed, hides it in a secluded corner, or simply places it at the bottom.
The common squid (lat. Loligo vulgaris) belongs to the cephalopod mollusks from the order Ten-armed (lat. Decapodiformes). It lives in salty waters. Its range lies in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Ireland to Guinea, including the Mediterranean Sea.
These mollusks are usually found in shallow coastal waters, staying close to the bottom or swimming in the water column. In many countries, their meat is considered an exquisite delicacy.
Commercial fishing for squid is carried out at night, when they begin a collective hunt for schooling fish.
Behavior
Common squids annually make seasonal migrations, swimming several thousand kilometers in search of food-rich areas of the World Ocean. In summer they stay close to the surface of the water, and in winter they dive into the depths.
Typically, squids drift at a depth of 20-50 m, but individual specimens have been caught even at a depth of 500 m. These mollusks can lead a solitary lifestyle or gather in fairly large groups. Groups hunt together, as if surrounding schools of small fish with a dense fishing net.
During the day, squids lie serenely on the seabed, hiding in stones or in a cluster of algae, and with the arrival of darkness they turn into energetic predators.
They grab their prey - fish and crustaceans - with two long tentacles and kill them with poison, after which they methodically tear off piece by piece and swallow with pleasure.
Squids themselves are a favorite delicacy of many sea creatures. Dolphins and sperm whales especially love to feast on them. To save their lives, they learned to change the color of their bodies and seem to dissolve in water, becoming invisible.
If threatened, the mollusk shoots a stream of dark liquid at the aggressor, which envelops him in a kind of smoke screen. After such a chemical attack, he manages to hide from a dangerous predator in a matter of seconds.
Swimming in the water column, squids slowly flap their fins. To develop greater speed, the squid, with rhythmic muscle contractions, sucks water into the mantle cavity and forcefully pushes it through the siphon, thereby creating a strong jet thrust.
Representatives of the species Loligo vulgaris, who prefer a solitary lifestyle, having encountered a smaller relative, often eat it without much remorse.
Reproduction
Common squids breed all year round. They have clearly expressed sexual dimorphism - males are much larger than females. Having met a female ready to spawn, the male begins to persistently swim around her, trying to demonstrate all his charms and advantages.
The female lays eggs in lumps hidden in gelatinous capsules and sticks them to underwater rocks, algae or objects drifting in the water. Often, many females prefer to lay eggs as a group in one place.
Squid larvae are similar to adult individuals, differing from them only in the ratio of body parts to each other.
At first, young squids with a body length of about 1 cm swim at the surface of the water in friendly schools and feed on plankton. They grow very quickly and soon begin to hunt small crustaceans and fish.
Description
Adults reach a body length of 30-50 cm and weigh up to 1.5 kg. The long body has a streamlined shape. The upper side of the body is colored reddish-brown.
Small dark specks are scattered on the lighter background of the lower side. The mollusk has 10 tentacles: 8 short and 2 long grasping ones. Each of the tentacles is equipped with suction cups.
Between the tentacles and the head, clearly separated from the rest of the body, there is a mouth opening with strong jaws, with which the squid can easily crush the shells of its victims. There is a special grater in the throat for grinding food.
The underdeveloped shell in the form of a keratinized shelf is completely hidden by the folds of the mantle. On both sides of the body there are 2 sail-like fins.
On the lower side there is a siphon through which water is pushed out from the mantle cavity, creating jet thrust. This species has very large eyes, which are the most advanced organ of vision among all invertebrates.
The lifespan of common squid does not exceed 2-3 years on average.
Description
Spreading
The species is distributed in the coastal waters of the eastern part of the North Atlantic from the North Sea to West Africa, as well as in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. It lives at a depth of approximately 100 m or more, but can also be found at a depth of 400 to 500 m.
Reproduction
In the north of its range in the North Sea, breeding begins in early spring after dark. Animals arrive there before the height of summer. The clutch consists of several elongated, sausage-shaped eggs, which are attached to a stationary substrate at a depth of about 30 m. These can be parts of the seabed, for example, rock, as well as parts of a living creature, such as the calcareous shells of other mollusks, dead organic matter material or the like. However, several animals prefer to lay their eggs in a common place. The larvae are morphologically similar to adult specimens, differing in the ratio of body parts to each other. Their size when appearing in June is less than 1 cm. The development period of embryos until hatching at temperatures above 20 °C ranges from 20 to 30 days, at temperatures less than 15 °C - approximately 40 to 50 days.
Meaning
The common squid, especially in European Mediterranean countries, is an integral part of the diet and is therefore commercially fished. It is relatively easy to catch large schools of animals in large numbers, making the harvest economically profitable.
Notes
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
See what “Common squid” is in other dictionaries:
Squid Squid Mastigoteuthis flammea Scientific classification ... Wikipedia
- (Loligo) an animal from the class of cephalopods (Cephalopoda), order of bibranchs Dibranchiata), suborder of decapods (Decapoda), from the family. Myopsidae. The genus Loligo is characterized by an elongated, posteriorly pointed body, with a pair of triangular fins along ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
- (Loligo) an animal from the class of cephalopods (Cephalopoda), order of bibranchs (Dibranchiata), suborder of decapods (Decapoda), from the family. Myopsidae. The genus Loligo is characterized by an elongated, posteriorly pointed body with a pair of triangular fins... ...
- (Loligo) an animal from the class of cephalopods (Cephalopoda), the order of bibranchs (Dibranchiata), the suborder of decapods (Decapoda), from the family. Myopsidae. The genus Loligo is characterized by an elongated, posteriorly pointed body with a pair of triangular fins... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Squids are the largest and most agile cephalopods. About 300 species of these animals are known in nature, among which there are amazing life forms. Their closest relatives are octopuses and cuttlefish. The hellish vampire squid, classified as a separate order, occupies a special systematic position. In fact, it is an intermediate form between squid and octopus.
Southern sepioteuthis squid (Sepioteuthis australis).
The general physique of squids is similar to octopuses and cuttlefish. Their internal organs are placed in a cavity sac - the mantle. The large head is crowned in front by a bun of 8 arms. In addition, near the mouth there are two more hunting tentacles armed with powerful suckers; in some species the suckers turn into hooks.
A squid with outstretched arms and hunting tentacles.
Between the tentacles are beak-shaped jaws. The blood of these mollusks is blue. The excretory organs of squid produce ammonia, which gives their meat a specific smell. Like cuttlefish and octopuses, squids are highly intelligent; their brains are enclosed in a cartilaginous box - a kind of prototype of the skull. True, their chromatophores (pigmented skin cells) are very poorly developed, so squids cannot change body color and thus transmit signals to their relatives. But their intelligence is manifested in the ability to quickly process information, which is very important for such active animals. These mollusks have the thickest nerve fibers among all living creatures, their thickness (and therefore the speed of the nervous system) is 100 times greater than the thickness of human nerves!
The eyes of squids are relatively large and are similar in structure to the eyes of vertebrates. They also have binocular vision, which allows them to focus their gaze on prey and determine the distance to it with great accuracy.
Squids differ from other cephalopods in their oblong-cylindrical body shape. They do not have membranes between the tentacles, but on the sides there are small diamond-shaped wings. In some species they can stretch almost the entire length of the body, and this makes squids similar to cuttlefish. Wings play a supporting role in swimming. The forward movement is carried out by pushing water out of a special siphon tube, thus creating a very powerful jet stream. Squids can turn the siphon in different directions and instantly change the direction of movement, reverse; moreover, if necessary, many species are able to jump out of the water and fly tens of meters above the waves.
Bartram's flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) glides above the waves with its tentacles and wings spread out.
The hellish vampire squid looks very unusual. This is the only species of these mollusks that has a real membrane between the tentacles. Because of this, it was first classified as an octopus, and only later did scientists discover signs of squid in this species. Now this species is classified as a special order and occupies an intermediate position between true squids and octopuses. This relict inhabitant of great depths received its unflattering name because of its bright red color and ability to phosphorescent in the dark; nothing else unites it with hell and especially vampires.
The hellish vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infrnalis) reaches a length of only 37 cm and has nothing demonic in its appearance.
Most squids are not very brightly colored; they are more often white, bluish, and pinkish in color. Their body is devoid of complex patterns, but many of them are able to glow in the dark in purple or blue. This glow is provided by special bacteria that live in the tissues of mollusks. The accumulation of many phosphorescent squids is a fabulous sight! The sizes of these animals also vary widely. Most species of squid are small, their length ranges from 25 cm to 1 m. But there are exceptions to this rule. The smallest species is the dwarf piglet squid, barely reaching a length of 10 cm, and the largest is the giant squid. The existence of these animals has been known since ancient times; the northern peoples have many legends describing the kraken - a monster with tentacles that attacks entire ships. Scientists could not find the giant squid for a long time, so the kraken was declared a fiction. And only in the second half of the twentieth century, as a result of the development of the ocean, researchers began to come across, first, huge pieces of tentacles, and then the entire remains of colossal mollusks. Of course, they do not attack ships, but the size of the giant squid is amazing: it reaches 18 m in length, of which about 12 m are tentacles!
The pygmy piglet squid (Helicocranchia pfefferi) gets its name from its barrel-shaped body and tiny “snout”, which is actually a photophore.
Squids live exclusively in salty waters - from the warm tropics to the Arctic regions. In the seas and oceans they have mastered all niches: some species live in the water column at a depth of 100-500 m, others prefer to stay close to the surface, others are found exclusively at great depths (up to 1500 m) and never see the sun. Deep-sea squid are often solitary, but small species that live near the surface live in schools. All types of squid are very mobile and spend their entire lives swimming; they do not have permanent habitats. Moreover, many species perform daily vertical migrations, rising to the surface of the water at night, as well as annual spawning migrations. In the latter case, in three months of travel, squids cover more than 3000 km, that is, on average they swim 30 km per day! It is not surprising that their migrations take place at cruising speed. Flying squids are especially mobile; many of their species can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h! The smallest species, on the contrary, are planktonic; instead of actively swimming, they drift with the current. This drift is provided by another amazing ability of these animals - neutral buoyancy. In the body of planktonic squids there is a bladder filled with ammonium chloride (ammonia). This liquid is lighter than water, so the mollusks, even if motionless, do not drown.
The body of the Hawaiian short-tail squid (Euprymba scolopes) is colored with symbiotic luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri).
Depending on the size of the squid itself, its prey can be both small planktonic organisms and relatively large animals: fish, pteropods, squid of other species, and even its own juveniles. The giant squid preys on large deep-sea fish. Cases of attacks on sperm whales are often attributed to this mollusk, citing its large size, but this is not true, since even the largest squid weighs up to 800 kg, and the sperm whale weighs 30-50 tons. It is clear that even with long tentacles, the giant squid is not able to cope with such prey. Contrary to the tales of sailors, it also never attacks ships, since it lives at great depths. No one has ever seen a living, healthy giant squid; only dead or dying specimens have fallen into the hands of researchers. Squids catch their prey using tentacles (not to be confused with arms), and in some mollusks the tentacles can significantly lengthen and shorten. By casting this unique fishing rod, the squid is able to catch prey without approaching it closely. Fluorescence is also used to lure victims.
This is what phosphorescent squids look like in complete darkness.
Reproduction in squids usually occurs once a year in certain spawning areas with a favorable hydrological regime. During this period, the males wrap their arms around the female and present her with a spermatophore. The female places this packet of sperm next to her eggs and immediately hurries to the bottom. One female lays up to several dozen eggs, similar to elongated snow-white cans. Sometimes the female hides them in a shelter, sometimes attaches them to algae, and more often places them on a flat bottom. In places of mass squid spawning, many clutches form a continuous carpet, which sways fantastically under the influence of currents. The larvae of many squids at first are not very similar to their parents, but they grow very quickly and reach sexual maturity by 1-2 years.
Mating Tasmanian squid (Euprymna tasmanica).
Since squids are common species of animals, they are hunted by everyone in the sea. Small species are eaten by gulls, albatross, petrels, as well as larger squid. Dolphins hunt for larger shellfish, and the largest and deep-sea species are the main food of sperm whales. They use many tricks to protect themselves from enemies. Firstly, squids, like octopuses, have an ink sac containing a dark liquid, which they release in case of danger, disorienting the enemy. Secondly, fast-swimming species rely on speed, including flight, which saves them from many fish. Finally, in deep-sea species, photophores (luminescent organs) serve as deterrents. It turns out that squids are able not only to passively glow, but also to regulate the glow, suddenly flashing with bright lights. Moreover, the magic lamp squid is capable of releasing a luminous liquid: while the enemy wanders in the sparkling cloud, the squid quietly disappears from sight.
A newborn squid against the background of eggs, inside of which its fellow embryos are visible.
Squid are caught in large quantities in almost all fishing areas. Their meat is used in the cuisine of many countries; it is nutritious and tasty, cooks quickly and is easily digestible. The harvest of these animals must be regulated to avoid overfishing. Many deep-sea species are still little studied and are known from isolated specimens accidentally collected.