Knowra Cephalopod Cephalopod A marine mollusk in the class Cephalopoda, including octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. Its head is surrounded by arms or tentacles, and most living species lack an external shell.
Mollusca : A large animal phylum whose members typically have a muscular foot, visceral mass, and mantle. Cephalopods are one highly specialized branch of this phylum.
Chromatophore : A pigment-containing cell or organ that changes an animal’s visible coloration by expanding or contracting. Cephalopods rapidly alter skin patterns using these pigment organs.
Octopus : A cephalopod with eight arms, a soft body, and no internal or external shell in most species. Octopuses exemplify flexible arms, camouflage, and problem-solving within the class.
Ammonoidea : An extinct group of shelled cephalopods with coiled shells, abundant in the fossil record. Ammonoids illustrate the former diversity of shelled cephalopods.
Cephalopod fisheries : Commercial and subsistence harvesting of octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish. Many cephalopod populations support important fisheries and seafood markets.
Cephalopoda : The molluscan class comprising octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. This is the taxonomic class containing every cephalopod.
Cephalopod camouflage : Color, pattern, and texture changes that help cephalopods conceal themselves or communicate. It combines rapid skin control with visual assessment of surroundings.
Squid : A streamlined cephalopod with eight arms, two longer tentacles, and an internal shell called a pen. Squids show the fast-swimming, open-water body plan of many cephalopods.
Orthocone : A straight, conical shell form found in several extinct groups of cephalopods. Orthoconic fossils preserve early variations in cephalopod shell design.
Cephalopod aquaculture : The captive breeding and rearing of cephalopods for research, conservation, or food production. Their demanding life cycles make large-scale farming difficult.
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