konserwowanie: Cephalopod

Evidence: 94 • authority: 72

A cephalopod (; also in British English) is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda (Greek plural κεφαλόποδες, kephalópodes; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles (muscular hydrostats) modified from the primitive molluscan foot. Fishers sometimes call cephalopods "inkfish", referring to their common ability to squirt ink. The study of cephalopods is a branch of malacology known as teuthology. Cephalopods became dominant during the Ordovician period, represented by primitive nautiloids. The class contains two, only distantly related,…

Evidence: 36 • authority: 72

Cephalopods, which include squids and octopuses, vary enormously in size. The smallest are only about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) long and weigh less than 1 gram (0.035 oz) at maturity, while the giant squid can exceed 10 metres (33 ft) in length and the colossal squid can weigh almost 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) or more, making them the largest living invertebrates. Living species range in mass more than three-billion-fold, or across nine orders of magnitude, from the lightest hatchlings to the heaviest adults. Certain cephalopod species are also noted for having individual body parts of exceptional size. Cephalopods were at one time the largest of all organisms on Earth, and numerous species of c…

Evidence: 36 • authority: 80

Biology and ecology of the world’s largest invertebrate, the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni): a short review

Evidence: 36 • authority: 80

Studying the World's Largest Invertebrate - the Colossal Squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is a species of very large squid belonging to the family Cranchiidae, that of the cockatoo squids, or glass squids. It is sometimes called the Antarctic cranch squid or giant squid (not to be confused with the giant squid in genus Architeuthis) and is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only recognized member of the genus Mesonychoteuthis. The species is confirmed to have a mass of at least 495 kilograms (1,091 lb), although some specimens, known only from beaks found in sperm whale stomachs, may have weighed as much as 600–700 kilograms (1,300–1,500 lb), making the squid the largest extant invertebrate. The ma…