Loligo (sea arrow or squid)

Loligo is commonly known as 'squid' or 'sea-arrow'. It is also a decapod cephalopod, like Sepia, and is found in warmer seas. Its body is long, like a Torpedo, and resembles very much that of Sepia in form except that it is narrower than that of Sepia. The head bears a circle of 10 oral arms provided with suckers devoid of horny rims. Two of these arms are long and called the tentacles which are more retractile than others and bear suckers only at their distal ends. The lateral fins (parapodia) cover about half of the trunk surface and meet at the posterior end to form a sort of 'arrow-head'. Loligo is a fast swimmer in the open waters of the sea. The shell is a narrow internal pen-like strip. The ink sac secretes the ink. Sexes are separate. The copulation is followed by spawning and death.