Caribbean Reef Squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea are often encountered by divers in shallow reefs and... The TerraMar Project originally shared: Caribbean Reef Squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea are often encountered by divers in shallow reefs and are usually unafraid of them. Adult reef squid closely resemble their cousins, cuttlefishes, in that their bodies are broad and less streamlined than many other squids. Reef squid can also move about using jet propulsion by shooting water from their pallial cavity (an area inside their mantle) through their funnel to move rapidly through the water. The coloration of a Caribbean reef squid is incredible. Their dorsal (top) side is a mottled medium green to brown while their ventral (bottom) side has lighter coloring for camouflage from predators swimming above or below them. These animals are social creatures often found in small groups that communicate through a variety of complex signals. Both cuttlefish and squid communicate by controlling the pigment in their skin. Messages such as readiness to mate, sexual identification, and alarm are flashed through various colorful spots, blotches, and background color. To signal slight alarm, their brow ridges turn bright gold and their central arms turn white. Their entire body will pale when a squid retreats from a potential predator and in open water when faced with an extremely aggressive predator, reef squid can also hide themselves and confuse predators by ejecting a cloud of black ink. Learn more about the incredible marine life in our world's oceans by visiting us at: http://ift.tt/XJinpo Photo: Betty Wills/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)#oceanlife #VitaminSea #saveourocean #squid #marineconservation #ocean #seahope #seachange #seafuture View full size (760x600)

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