Gayle Savage, age 12, of Winnipeg, Man., Can., for her question:
What are cephalopods?
The world's cephalopods are strange looking animals that might be mistaken for visitors from an alien planet. They have neckless, boneless bodies and more than their share of legs. Most of them change color to match their moods and spread smoke screens to confuse their enemies. The giant cephalopod is a 60 foot monster of the deep.
The word cephalopod means head footed. It is a suitable scientific term because a cephalopod's eight or more long legs are attached to his bulging head. Actually his supple legs are tentacles, fitted with rows of gripping suckers. The eight legged cephalopod is, of course, an octopus. His cousins include the frisky, jet propelled squids, the cuttlefishes and the little nautilus, who hoists a papery white shell to sail over the waves.
The more than 500 cephalopods belong to the sea. Though they have no outer shells, scientists classify them as mollusks, along with the clams and the snails. The body of the cuttlefish contains a bony sliver which may be the remains of a shell worn by his ancestors. All the cephalopods have blue blood and soft, boneless bodies.
About 150 of them are octopuses that share the worldwide seas from shallow shores to the deep ocean. These are the eight legged cephalopods. The smallest ones measure about two inches. The head and body of the giant octopus measures about 18 inches, though his mighty tentacles may spread 35 feet wide. He is a smart fellow, with large, keen eyes and a parrot type beak.
About 350 of the cephalopods are 10 tentacled squids. These frisky fellows shoot out squirts of water and travel by jet propulsion. A few species can jet themselves 20 feet into the air and often land on the decks of passing ships. Most squids are no longer than your fingers. But the giant of the family may measure almost 60 feet. He is the largest of all backboneless animals and one of the biggest monsters of the deep ocean.
The 80 or so cuttlefishes are eight legged cephalopods, famous for squirting ink to fool their foes. The body of the average cuttlefish is about 15 inches, plus tentacles of almost two feet
One of the most charming cephalopods is the argonaut, alias the paper nautilus. The female nautilus uses some of her many tentacles to create a graceful white parasol and uses it as a baby carriage to sail her eggs on top of the sunny waves.