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Story: Octopus and squid

Ram’s horn shells

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Ram’s horn shells

These flat, spiral shells are about 1 centimetre in diameter. By varying the amount of air in the chambers, squid can rise or descend in deep water.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Melanie Lovell-Smith

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How to cite this page

Maggy Wassilieff and Steve O’Shea, Octopus and squid – Squid in New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/7934/rams-horn-shells (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Maggy Wassilieff and Steve O’Shea, published 2 March 2009.