Creature Feature – Striped Pyjama Squid
It’s Cephalopod Week! Each June, we celebrate all things Molluscan, i.e. Octopus, Squid, and Cuttlefish. So, in honour of this special week, today’s featured creature is the Striped Pyjama Squid. This cute cephalopod is actually a cuttlefish, not a squid. Cuttlefish are versatile animals that can often change its appearance and have an internal shell, eight arms and two feeding tentacles.
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Sepioloidea lineolata
Phylum: Mollusca
Order: Sepiida
Family: Sepiadariidae
Genus: Sepiodloidea
© Oceana
Striped Pyjama Squid Fact File
Size: Individuals are small, reaching up to 7 cm long
Distribution: They are found in the southern Indo-Pacific waters of Australia
Diet: Their diet primarily includes small shrimp and fish
Behaviour: Similar to other small cephalopod species, this species is an underwater master of camouflage as they can change colours. In addition, they also have glands underneath their body that can secrete a toxic slime whenever the squid is being attacked by a predator
IUCN Status: Data Deficient. Of all the Cephalopod species, one is Critically Endangered, two Endangered, two Vulnerable and one Near Threatened. However, Cephalopod species are significantly affected by deep-water trawling so further research is needed to fully understand the status of the this species and it’s future in our oceans
