Octopus and Squid
Octopus and squid are animals that are not easily found in
the sea. That means that these creatures were not hunted for raw
materials like the whales were, but they do
contain some natural polymers.Octopus and Squid are from the same group of organisms as clams, and snails. They have a shell, even though it cannot be seen. The shells that they have contain chitin just like the shells of crustaceans, although chitin is still far more abundant in crabs.
Chitin looks like this:
Crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, are the primary diet of the
octopus. Squid have more of a tendency to stick to more immediate family
such as clams, snails, and sometimes octopus. Gives a whole new sense to
the phrase "Keeping it in the family".
Cartilage, which is also found in squid and octopus, is a type of
protein which is a natural polymer.
Protein looks like this:
Cartilage is found in all living things,
including sharks. It is also found in your bones
and hair.
Octopus live around caves, which are made of stone (not a polymer) and
some smaller species can be found among coral
reefs. Squid are mainly in the deeper parts of the
ocean, and are very rarely seen. Sometimes they can be found in the
belly of sperm whales, which quite honestly is
a place that I would not want to be.