tentakels

Tentakels, the Dutch term for tentacles, are elongated, flexible appendages used by many animals for sensing their environment, grasping objects, feeding, and in some species propulsion. In cephalopods, a practical distinction is that octopuses have eight arms, while squids and cuttlefish have eight arms plus two long feeding tentacles that can extend rapidly to seize prey. Tentacles also occur in cnidarians such as jellyfish and hydras, as well as in certain annelids and mollusks.

Anatomically, tentacles are composed of muscular tissue and a nerve network that allows controlled extension, retraction, and manipulation. They may be lined with sensory cells and equipped with suction cups, hooks, or photoreceptors. In cnidarian tentacles, specialized cells called nematocysts can immobilize prey.

Functionally, tentacles serve to explore the surroundings, capture food, and assist in locomotion or feeding. In cephalopods, tentacles can perform rapid grasping and rapid strikes to seize prey, while the arms provide handling and processing of captured prey. In jellyfish and related species, tentacles act primarily in prey capture and defense.

Etymology and usage: The term tentacle traces back to Latin tentaculum; in Dutch, tentakels is used for the same concept and can appear in metaphorical senses as well.