A cephalopod is Greek for kephalópoda, or 'head-feet'. Any member of the mollusc (soft body, hard shell) class Cephalopoda is characterized by bilateral body symmetry. Bilateral body symmetry means a capability of being halved into 2 equal parts so that 1 part is a mirror image of the other (with respect to external appearance only). A cephalopod has a prominent head and a modification of the mollusc foot, in the form of arms or tentacles. Cephalopods have the ability to squirt a cloud of dark ink to confuse predators, hence the fishing industry's name for this class as inkfish. About 800 distinct living species of cephalopods have been identified including:

• Octopus.
• Squid.
• Cuttlefish.

Cephalopods are found in all the oceans of the earth, from the hydrothermal vents to the sea surface, but none of them can tolerate freshwater. The diversity of cephalopods is greater in the warmer waters nearer the equator, decreasing towards the poles. They are widely regarded as the most intelligent of the invertebrates and have well-developed senses and larger brains than those of gastropods (snails).

Cephalopods are social creatures, preferring the company of shoals of fish when isolated from their own kind. Some cephalopods are able to fly (through the water) of distances of up to 50m - an impressive range reached by the use of jet propulsion as opposed to any particularly aerodynamic facility. They are known to have advanced vision, and octopuses use their tentacles to explore their environment, whilst at the same time using them for depth perception. Most cephalopods rely on vision to detect predators and prey, and to communicate with one another.

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