Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Three hundred species! It is said that new ones are still being discovered!
Cephalopods consists of squids, cuttlefish and octopuses.
The ones we commonly catch are squids. Not cuttlefish or calamari.
Calamari is an Italian word used to market squid as a food item.
Reproduction
It is said that a female squid can produce up to 70,000 cute little baby squids each. But most gets eaten by predators and never gets to adulthood. So no overpopulation of squids in the ocean will happen.
The little squids have to fend for themselves from the moment they hatch and many do not live past the first few days as fresh squids are so yummy.
For many species of squids, the parents die soon after reproducing due to the very short life span (about a year to two) of these creatures.
As Food
In English-speaking countries, squid as food is often marketed using the Italian word calamari. Squid is a good food source for zinc, manganese and high in the recommended daily intake of copper, selenium, vitamin B12, and riboflavin.
