Bonnie Prelesnik, age 8, of Lake Charles, La., for her question:

HOW LARGE WILL A SQUID GROW?

A squid is a sea mollusk or an animal with a soft, boneless body similar to the octopus. Squids live throughout the world and often swim in large groups called shoals.

Squids range from less than 1 foot long to monsters of as much as 55 feet, including their arms.

The squid's body has two fins at the tail. The head is surrounded by 10 arms, two of which are longer than the others. Rows of round sucking dics on each arm are used to catch and hold prey. A squid has no skeleton, but rather a horny shell inside its body.

The squid's head has two well developed eyes, a pair of powerful jaws and a rough tongue called the radula. A muscular tube or funnel lies below the head.

Many people eat squid. Some fishermen use them for bait.