The Squid as well as the octopus, cuttlefish and the chambered nautilus belong to class Cephalopoda, which means (head foot).These cephalopods are also molluscs and are therefore related to bivalves (scallops, oysters).

Squid are found in clear water in the wave swept intertidal region to the darkest depths all around New Zealand, and the world's oceans. (they do not like brackish water).I have often encounterd them around Kawau Island, the Mahurangi and other areas of the Hauraki Gulf in New Zealand, and around the southern coast of Tasmania in Australia.

The common squid found around the coast would be 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) long.

The giant squid found in the greatest depths of the ocean are at least 18 m or 60 ft long. It is the largest aquatic invertebrate. It lives at depths of 300 to 600 m or 985 to 1,970 ft, and it's prey is the sperm whale.

The squid has a large head, well developed senses and large brain and are thought to be the most intelligent of all invertebrates.

The squids body is elongated with two lateral fins. It is slightly stiffened by an cartilaginous. skeleton. This skeliton is spherical (cigar shaped) and called a pen.

Extended from the base of the body we have the mouth with a parrot like beak. From the mouth are eight sucker bearing tentacles and two contractile tentacles with widened tips, on these widend tips are four rows of suction cups encircled by rings of chitinous (horny) hooks.

The contractile tentacles, longer than the rest, are used to seize the prey and pass it to the shorter arms, which hold it firmly as it is torn apart by strong jaws.

The squid swims very fast by expelling water from the mantle cavity in the body, and is able to swim faster than any other invertebrate.

Squid, like the octopus can make their own smoke screen out of an ink substance that tyey squirt out when they are threatened.

The male squid has one smaller arm that is modified for the purpose of planting a packet of sperm in the female’s oviduct. The female squid fasten their eggs to seaweed or to the ocean bottom by a viscous filament. The eggs of the deep water squid are free floating.