how to identify a squid from its tentacle

... tiny point of clarification ... except for the 'suckers and knobs' that can extend the length of the tentacle that might serve to hold the two together for their length when the animal is live
 
I do love clarifications. So easy to research something and >think< I've got it right, but for those pesky details.

So, to be sure I've really got it right: my character sees a piece of tentacle (which will be the club end), or piece of arm (the club (?) end). The teeth on the suckers will differ, depending on whether the specimen is tentacle or arm. I'm still not sure what the teeth on the Humboldt tentacle club look like.

My character would not know that difference. But I do need her to be able to identify it as coming from a Humboldt, as opposed to the local market squid (Loligo opalescens, as I've learned--don't know that my character will progress to the Latin). Size would be one important marker. Teeth would be another. I'm not yet sure whether it's important, in my plot, if the specimen is tentacle or arm, but dramatically nice sharp teeth would be good.

Thanks again to all who have posted in response.
 
The beak would be even more definitive; cannot you have a Sherlock that looks at two characters for a conclusive?
 
I just got a new field guide to the cephs of your area-- see http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthr...-Eastern-North-Pacific...&p=156300#post156300

Here are some highlights:

Doryteuthis opalescens (commonly called Loligo opalescens but name was changed in 2005):

Arm armature consists of 2 suckers per row, tentacular club armature consists of four suckers per row.

Dosidicus gigas:

Arm armature consists of two suckers per row, except at distal tips which are attenuate and armed with hundreds of tiny suckers; tentacular club armature consists of four suckers per row, medial suckers enlarged.
 
Hi, I'm back with another question: if a Humboldt squid tentacle/arm grabbed onto an anchor rope, is it possible that the teeth in the sucker ring could catch in the rope, and the ring could detach (as the squid tries to yank free)?

Thanks.
 
This is definitely possible. It's also possible for the whole tentacle to be pulled off say, if it got caught, tried to writhe free, attracted other hungry squids, and ripped itself free to avoid being cannibalized.

Also - in comparison to market squid, Dosidicus would have it on size alone. A whole Doryteuthis tentacle could pass through the biggest Dosidicus tentacle club rings.
 
mucktopus;170276 said:
This is definitely possible. It's also possible for the whole tentacle to be pulled off say, if it got caught, tried to writhe free, attracted other hungry squids, and ripped itself free to avoid being cannibalized.

Also - in comparison to market squid, Dosidicus would have it on size alone. A whole Doryteuthis tentacle could pass through the biggest Dosidicus tentacle club rings.

Thanks Mucktopus! BTW, just how big is a Dosidicus club ring? I've seen pix but they didn't mention the size.
 
It could, but likely wouldn't. Climbing is a movement "program" not needed in daily life, as opposed to Octopus species, so unlikely to occur in squid. The tentacles know one thing only, "shoot out, grab, retract". The arms are "grab/envelop", most of the rest of behaviour is centered around the three basics: "om nom nom nom", "run to the hills!" and "put Barry White on" :wink:
 
ob;170719 said:
It could, but likely wouldn't. Climbing is a movement "program" not needed in daily life, as opposed to Octopus species, so unlikely to occur in squid. The tentacles know one thing only, "shoot out, grab, retract". The arms are "grab/envelop", most of the rest of behaviour is centered around the three basics: "om nom nom nom", "run to the hills!" and "put Barry White on" :wink:

You mean putting Barry White on WOULDN'T make a squid reprogram itself???

But I get your point. Thanks for the explanation.

And no, I didn't mean actually climb out of the water. I have a scenario in which there is turbulence in the water from an explosion, riling up the squid, and the squid briefly latch on to an anchor rope and then pull away, leaving behind sucker rings. Later, a character sees the rope with the attached rings and tries to figure out what happened. He says something along the line of, looks like the squid was trying to get away from something, or climb up the rope...

My story is fiction, a mystery, but I don't want to stretch credulity.

And I really do appreciate all the help from the experts here!
 

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