MadSci Network: Zoology |
One of the "weirdest" things you will ever touch is a pack of squid egg mass. They're jelly like white cases (the whole thing looks like an anemonie). Squid spawn in huge schools - the boys attract females by displaying changing chromatophores (their colour spots) and then fertilizes her with a special arm. She can receive the sperm from the male with a special pad under her sharp beak. Egg cases are laid on seaweed, other egg cases or whatever else is nearby. Squid adults generally die after spawning - the young hatch as miniature adults. Female squid can lay up to 70,000 eggs! By contrast, octopus generally guard their eggs, and don't die immediately after spawning. But Squid "live hard and die young", octopus have a much quieter, and longer life.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Zoology.