Difference Between Octopus and Squid

Both octopuses and squids are aquatic animals that belong to the group of cephalopods. “Cephalopods” means that they are animals that have their feet around their heads. The body of these creatures is divided into head, neck and trunk. Difference Between Octopus and Squid

OCTOPUS  Difference Between Octopus and Squid

Octopuses belong to the Octopodidaes or Octopoda group. They are present in practically all seas. They have a large head and an oval body. The body does not have an internal shell and the fins are absent. Octopuses are known for their eight long, slender arms.

As for the behavior of these animals, they generally prefer to be left alone. They like to hide in their burrow, which they often dig themselves in order to hide. There is a wide variety of octopuses and most of them can be distinguished by the length of their arms.

SQUID

There are many types of squid. These animals belong to the group of the Decapods. They have a long and conical body, they also have a fin on each side of their body. They have eight muscular arms and two long tentacles. Both the arms and tentacles have suction cups.

They are widely distributed and are usually found near the coast, on the high seas, and also in the great depths.

The blood of octopuses and squid is blue in color, because their blood uses hemocyanin (instead of the hemoglobin that we all know) to carry oxygen. This protein contains copper instead of iron (the latter is contained in hemoglobin) and it is copper that gives it its bluish color.

Neither of these two animals usually pose a danger to humans, however, there are octopuses that produce enough venom to paralyze a person.

Other characteristics that differentiate octopuses from squids are that the former usually live in burrows; while the latter are commonly found in the open sea. They also differ in their diet. Octopuses eat crustaceans that live at the bottom of the sea and squid eat fish and shrimp.

Key differences between squid and octopus

• Octopuses tend to live alone, while squids tend to live both alone and in groups.
• The average lifespan of octopuses ranges from 1 to 3 years, while in squid it ranges from 9 months to 5 years.
• Squids have a small shell or shell, but octopuses do not.
• Octopuses have 8 arms and squids have 8 arms and 2 tentacles.
• Octopuses swim slower than squid.
• When attacking prey, octopuses use a technique to pierce their shells and inject the venom that causes paralysis. On the other hand, squid use their tentacles and beaks to separate the meat from their prey.
• The size of the octopuses ranges from 1 centimeter to 5 meters long. Squids can measure from 1 centimeter to 20 meters long.