Squid

Squid are found worldwide; they range in size from tiny creatures measuring just 2.5 cm long to the infamous giant squid, the largest invertebrate on Earth, measuring up to 18 m long and weighing as much as 900 kg. They have a long, cylindrical head (also called a mantle, hood or tube), eight shorter arms and two longer tentacles and a thin, translucent, feather-shaped internal shell, known as a quill.

Calamari is the Italian word for squid, but the term also refers to those species of squid with side fins running the full length of their body, as opposed to those with relatively shorter side fins. Calamari are often more tender than other squid.