Fun Japanese Flying Squid Facts For Kids
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Ever wondered if flying squids are real? Yes, believe us when we say flying squids really do exist.
The Japanese flying squid is also known as Japanese common squid and Pacific flying squid. It is found in the North Pacific Ocean, East China Sea, and the Sea of Japan.
One of the most interesting and fun facts about the Japanese flying squid is that males and females have different growth rates. They use the technique of jet propulsion and pressure for flying above the water surface. These cephalopods use the surface currents as guides for migration.
In order to minimize the impact while entering the water after gliding above the water, Japanese flying squids fold their fins and tentacles back in. These water creatures are popular as food items across Japan.
Here are some fun facts about Japanese flying squid (species name Todarodes pacificus) for your perusal. After reading these Japanese flying squid facts for kids, do have a look at our other articles on vampire squid and giant squid.
Japanese Flying Squid Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Japanese flying squid?
A Japanese flying squid is species of squid that belongs to the family Ommastrephidae and can be found along the coast of Japan.
What class of animal does a Japanese flying squid belong to?
A Japanese flying squid belongs to the cephalopods class of animals. It has the unique ability to glide above the water surface to be safe from predators such as dolphins and rays.
How many Japanese flying squids are there in the world?
There is no exact count on the number of Japanese flying squids in the world. Every year thousands of tonnes of Japanese flying squids are fished. But even after that, their population is still abundant.
Where does a Japanese flying squid live?
The Japanese flying squid is a marine species that inhabit deep waters of the northern Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan, and the East China Sea.
What is a Japanese flying squid's habitat?
The Japanese flying squid habitat consists of upper layers of the ocean. These squids prefer to live in the shallow ocean. They are found at depths of around 330-1,650 ft (101-503 m). These squids live in gyros, ocean fronts, and dismounts. They prefer to stay where the food source is abundant.
Who do Japanese flying squids live with?
Japanese flying squids live with species of their own kind in large schools. They are found living amongst other sea animals as well.
How long does a Japanese flying squid live?
A Japanese flying squid has a very short life cycle. It has a life expectancy of about one to two years.
How do they reproduce?
Japanese flying squids have a very unique reproduction method. As soon as they cross their larval form, they start migrating to their breeding grounds. The males mature before females and leave their sperms on females en route to the breeding grounds.
The males of this species die soon after mating. The females continue their journey until they reach almost the same place they were born.
They lay their eggs there. The incubation period for the eggs is 102-113 hours after which the young juveniles are born. The period of incubation depends on the water temperature.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the Japanese flying squid is Least Concern as the population of this species is stable across the natural habitat.
Japanese Flying Squid Fun Facts
What do Japanese flying squids look like?
Japanese flying squids are brown to dark brown in color. They have elongated bodies. They have two fins at the top. Surprisingly, these two fins are not used for the purpose of swimming.
These fins are triangular in shape. These animals have eight arms at the bottom. Their mouths are situated in between these arms. Besides the eight arms, they also have two tentacles. Suction cups are situated on all the arms.
How cute are they?
Japanese flying squids cannot be said to be cute. They look very gross and slimy. Their tentacles are very scary-looking.
How do they communicate?
Very little information is available on the communication methods of Japanese flying squids. It is only known that they use the inks from the ink sacks present in their body in order to protect themselves and warn others of the danger.
How big is a Japanese flying squid?
A Japanese flying squid is a medium-sized species. The males of this species are smaller than the females. The females can grow up to 19.6 in (50 cm) in length (mantle length).
How fast can Japanese flying squids move?
Japanese flying squids are a very fast-moving species. They can move as fast as 25 mph (40 kph). They have exceptional speed.
How much does a Japanese flying squid weigh?
A Japanese flying squid is very light in weight. It does not have many bone structures to add to its body weight. Hence, it weighs up to 1.1 lb (0.5 kg) only.
What are the male and female names of the species?
No specific names are assigned to the males and females of the Japanese flying squid species. They are known as males and females respectively.
What would you call a baby Japanese flying squid?
A baby Japanese flying squid is called a larva.
What do they eat?
Japanese flying squids are carnivorous species of animals. They feed on phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, gastropod larvae, and crustaceans. Cannibalism is very commonly observed in this species.
Are they dangerous?
Yes, Japanese flying squids are dangerous. They use their tentacles and arms to attack humans if they come in their range. They bite with their teeth which can cause bad effects on humans.
Would they make a good pet?
Japanese flying squids are not ideal pets. They are very difficult to take care of. They are prone to bite humans and it is better to steer clear of them.
Did you know...
Japanese flying squids can fly just like flying fish.
Behavior of the Japanese flying squid
Japanese flying squids are attracted towards blue and white colors and get dispersed at the sight of red and yellow colors. They have the ability to expand and contract their body which they do to catch their prey.
How far can Japanese flying squids fly?
Japanese flying squids do not just jump out of the water, they really have the ability to fly. They fly above water to escape their predators. Their predators are whales such as sperm whales and baleen whales. They can fly at heights of up to 108 ft (33 m) above the water level.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other cephalopods from our coconut octopus facts and colossal squid facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Japanese flying squid coloring pages.
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