David Conroy, age 13, of Nashua, N.H., for his question:

WHAT IS A SEA ARROW?

A sea arrow is a sea mollusk. Similar to the octopus, nautilus and cuttlefish, it is an animal with a soft, boneless body. It is more properly called a squid.

Squids or sea arrows live throughout the world. They frequently swim in large groups called shoals.

The common squid is found from Nova Scotia to Florida. Giant squids swim in Pacific waters near New Zealand and in the North Atlantic.

The sea animal's body has two fins at the tail end. The head is surrounded by 10 arms, two of which are longer than the others. Each arm has rows of round sucking discs which it uses to catch and hold its prey.

Squids range in size from less than one foot to nearly 40 feet in length, including the arms. The giant squid may measure 55 feet long.

The squid or sea arrow has two well developed eyes, a pair of powerful jaws and a rough tongue called a radula. A muscular tube, or funnel, lies beneath the head. The squid swims by filling the folds in its body walls with water and forcing it through the tube. This "jet" action makes the animal move.