Answer 1:
Squid (and also octopus) belong to a group of
animals called "Cephalopods" and these animals all
shoot out the black ink. They store the ink in ink
sacs between their gills. They jet it out with
some water in the siphon, a part of their bodies
that helps them breathe, move, and feed
themselves. Octopus ink is usually black, but
squid ink is mostly a blue-black color. They use
the ink to help them escape from predators. If
they feel under attack, they will shoot out the
ink so the predator will not be able to see
clearly and then the squids will swim away and
escape the predator. Cool right? |
Answer 3:
Great question! Squids and other cephalopods,
such as octopi and cuttlefish, use dark ink to
confuse their predators and thereby escape from
them. The ink itself is contained in an ink sac,
which is a muscular pouch that lies beneath the
gut. When the squid wants to release ink, it
contracts the muscles of the sac, which pushes a
small amount of ink out of the opening out the
"back side" of the squid.
The ink is mixed with a jet of water from the
squid's funnel as well as mucus. The water helps
to distribute the ink, and increasing the amount
of mucus helps the dark cloud that is released
retain a shape that looks similar to the squid.
These pseudomorphs, or "false bodies" confuse the
predator and allow the squids to escape!
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