A Caribbean reef squid at night
What are Caribbean Reef Squids? These are part of the family of cephalopods, just like cuttle fish and octopus. They are often mistaken for Cuttlefish, as they are similar. These amazing creatures have 10 arms in total. 8 of which are short arms, while the other 2 are long with suckers lining them to help in reeling in their prey. The squid’s eyes are large compared to their body size. The Caribbean Reef Squids has shimmering speckles with a brown base colour. They are however masters of camouflage and can change colour if threatened or want to mate. They also flash hues of patterns.
If threatened, these squids can also squirt out ink like an octopus as a defense mechanism. When mating, the male courts the female with colour changes and dancing. Once successful, she can store his sperm. When ever she is ready, she lays the eggs and dies. They imitate seaweed to get closer to their prey to attack. These cephalopods also hang around in pairs or even schools.
The Caribbean Reef Squids eat small fish and arthropods such as small shrimps, both day and night. With they being predators, there are also fish that prey on the Caribbean Reef Squid such as Yellowfin Grouper and other large predatory fishes.
When in the Caribbean, whether you are snorkeling or scuba diving, you may see these amazing cephalopods hovering in the shallow waters. Some may allow a close approach, some may not, as they are spooked by diver’s bubbles as well as the sound of splashing by snorkeler’s fins. When approaching, you need to be very calm and somewhat quiet and cautious.