Cephalopod eight or ten. Decapods such as cuttlefish and squid have five pairs. The longer two, termed "tentacles", are actively involved in capturing prey; they can lengthen rapidly (in as little as 15 milliseconds). In giant squid they may reach a length of 8 metres. They may terminate in a broadened, sucker-coated club. The shorter four pairs are termed "arms", and are involved in holding and manipulating the captured organism. They too have suckers, on the side closest to the mouth; these help to hold onto the prey. Octopods only have four pairs of sucker-coated arms, as the name suggests, though
Squid as food Squid as food Squid is eaten in many cuisines; in English, the culinary name calamari is often used for squid dishes, notably fried squid (fried calamari). There are many ways to prepare and cook squid, with every country and region having its own recipes. Fried squid appears in Mediterranean cuisine. In Lebanon, Syria and Armenia, it is served with a tarator sauce. In New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, it is sold in fish and chip shops. In North America, fried squid is a staple in seafood restaurants. In Britain, it can be found in Mediterranean 'calamari' or Asian 'salt