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 the resemblance in shape and the inky fluid that squid secrete; "calamarius" in turn derives from the Greek "kalamos" 'reed' or 'pen'. Allergies to calamari can occur. As with other molluscs, the allergen is probably tropomyosin. 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