Difference between Squid and Octopus
Main difference
Squid and octopus are aquatic animals that live in ocean waters. They belong to the same species, family and genus. They are both cephalopods. The basic difference between a squid and an octopus is that a squid lives in open oceans and prefers to live on the upper surface of the water, while the octopus lives in the dens of the oceans and prefers to live under deep dark waters. They both have eight arms each, as they are both cephalopods. Squid have two additional tentacles to catch and kill prey, while octopus does the same with eight suction cup-lined arms.
Comparative chart
| Squid | Octopus | |
| What are they? | The squid is a head-legged aquatic cephalopod that has eight arms and two tentacles. | The octopus is an aquatic cephalopod that also has legs on its head. It has eight suction cup lined arms. |
| Class | Cephalopoda | Cephalopoda |
| Edge | Mollusks | Mollusks |
| Order | Teuthida | Octopods |
| Kingdom | Animalia | Animalia |
| Anatomy | Squids have a flexible bone called a feather. They have two fins on their heads. They also have eight arms that have suction cup hooks and rings. Other than that, they have two long tentacles on the front. | Octopuses have round cloaks like heads that have eyes in them. They are provided with eight arms that have rows of suction cups. There are no hooks or rings. |
| Shell | Squids have a solid structure within their body that is just a flexible bone within them. This shell-like structure is called a feather. | Octopuses do not have any bones, shells, or solid bone-like structures in their bodies. Instead, they represent the pure edge of Mollusca. |
| Fins | Along with the long tentacles in front, squid also have two fins on their heads. | Normal octopuses generally do not have fins. But some rare species that live deep in the dens may possess. |
| Size | Squid are larger than octopus. Its average size ranges between 60 cm and 13 m. Some giants were also found at more than 20 meters. | Its average size ranges from 1 cm to a maximum of 5 meters. |
| Diet | Squid feed on fish and shrimp as a permanent and favorite food. | Octopuses eat the small sea creatures found near corals in the deep sea like crustaceans. |
| Life expectancy | The average lifespan of the squid is from nine months to 5 years. | The average life expectancy of the octopus is 1 to 3 years. |
| Hunting | Squids, unlike octopuses, do not use their arms to catch their prey. They catch and kill their prey using their two long enough tentacles. They eat their prey in pieces. | Octopuses use their eight suction cup-lined arms to catch and kill their prey. The octopus injects venom through the shell of its prey and paralyzes it. The meat of the prey dissolves with saliva. |
| Geographical distribution | Squids are found in salty and oceanic waters. Warm water is the best for your home. | Octopuses are also found in warm and salty waters. They prefer more specifically to live in deep oceans. |
The squid is an aquatic cephalopod that lives in salty oceans. Squids prefer to live in temperate regions and oceans where the water is warm enough. Squid are often mixed with octopus and are considered the same or believed to be a species of octopus. This concept is totally wrong since squids are very different from octopus and have their identity, although squids belong to the same family as octopuses and have the same phylum Mollusca and Class Cephalopoda. But their order is different from that of octopuses. They belong to the order of Teuthida unlike the octopuses. Squids, unlike octopuses, have a solid structure within their body, which acts like a flexible bone. It is also known as the shell of squid, but it does not have the proper shape that the shell usually possesses. Because of its shape, this bone structure is called a pen. Unlike octopuses, squids have two fins on their heads, which help them swim and most likely help them to quickly rise to the surface of the water. Squids have eight arms that are aligned similarly to the arms of octopuses, but unlike the octopus, squid have hooks and sucker rings present on them. The squid also has two long tentacles on its forehead that are not present in the octopus. The squid, unlike the octopus, uses these two long tentacles to catch and kill its prey. Squids eat their food in pieces. Squid prefer to eat fish and shrimp. Squids like to live in open water spaces and can also be found in the surface layer of the ocean. But unlike the octopus, squid have hooks and suction rings. The squid also has two long tentacles on its forehead that are not present in the octopus. The squid, unlike the octopus, uses these two long tentacles to catch and kill its prey. Squids eat their food in pieces. Squid prefer to eat fish and shrimp. Squids like to live in open water spaces and can also be found in the surface layer of the ocean. But unlike the octopus, squid have hooks and suction rings. The squid also has two long tentacles on its forehead that are not present in the octopus. The squid, unlike the octopus, uses these two long tentacles to catch and kill its prey. Squids eat their food in pieces. Squid prefer to eat fish and shrimp. Squids like to live in open water spaces and can also be found in the surface layer of the ocean.
What is the octopus?
Octopus are cephalopod aquatic animals that live in salty waters and temperate oceans. Octopuses prefer to live in the dark depths of the oceans. The octopus does not have a shell on its body. They do not have fins or tentacles, unlike squid. The octopus has a round mantled head and eight arms that have two rows of suction cups. Octopuses catch their prey with their arms and kill them by injecting poison into their body that paralyzes them. The average life span of an octopus is 1 to 3 years. Octopuses are normally between 1 cm and 5 m tall.
- The squid is the aquatic cephalopod animal that lives in salty oceans and prefers to live in open spaces of water.
- The octopus is the aquatic cephalopod animal that also lives in salty oceans but prefers to live within dark dens and deep, dense waters.
- Squids have a shell known as a feather, which looks more like a flexible bone.
- Octopuses do not have a shell or bone structure within their body.
- Squids belong to the order of Teuthida.
- The octopus belongs to the order of octopuses.
- Squids have two fins on their heads.
- Octopuses don’t have fins, but some weird guy might possess
- Octopuses have eight arms lined with two rows of suction cups.
- Squids have eight arms that have suction rings and hooks on them.
- Squids have two long tentacles.
- Octopuses do not have tentacles.
- The squid have eaten fish and shrimp.
- Octopuses eat crustaceans and other smaller organisms that live with corals.
- Squids capture and kill their prey with their tentacles.
- Octopuses grab their prey with their arms and kill them by injecting venom into their body.