Bobtail Squid Essay

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Writing Assignment 2 The Hawaiian Bobtail Squid Euprymna scolopes Matthew Chung BIO 172L Angela April 21st, 2013 In the marine coastal environment of the Hawaiian archipelago, the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, is a fascinating mollusk that belongs to the class cephalopoda. Mollusks are bilaterally symmetrical and are believed to have evolved from annelid-like ancestors. In lab, the clam from the Bivalve class was studied to get a better understanding of the phylum Mollusca. With over 85,000 species recognized in this phylum, the Hawaiian bobtail squid is just one of the many fascinating mollusks discovered (Boyle and Boletzky 1996). Cephalopods such as E. scolopes appear to be very different from other mollusks, but physiologically they are similar. Like most mollusks, they have a mantle, a mantle cavity, a radula, and a U-shaped digestive tract. They have two kidneys and three hearts, which pump blue blood (Jones and Nishiguchi 2004). Cephalopods have a more developed nervous system than any other mollusk and also have very well developed eyesight used in finding prey. Once prey is found, it is grasped firmly with tentacles? that move food to the mouth located at the base of the arms. Cephalopods have a parrot-like beak, which allows them to bite into prey. Bivalves, on the other hand are mainly filter feeders. This means that they use other means to trap suspended food in the water in order to be digested (Lab 7 Manual: Mollusca). One of the most intriguing aspects of cephalopods and E. scolopes, in particular is their intelligence. With a centralized brain, the largest of all invertebrates, and highly developed eyes and other sense organs, they are able to remember and learn by example or through trial and error (Nyholm, S.V., and McFall-Ngai, M.J. 2004). Cephalopods differ from other mollusks in having a distinct head, marked off

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