Squids don’t actually have “legs” in the usual sense; they have 10 appendages in total: 8 arms and 2 longer tentacles.

Quick Scoop: How many “legs” do squids have?

  • If you’re counting all the limb-like parts: a squid has 10 appendages.
  • Biologists break that into:
    • 8 shorter, gripping arms arranged around the mouth.
* 2 longer tentacles used mainly to shoot out and grab prey.
  • So if someone asks “how many legs do squids have,” the most accurate short answer is: 10 limb-like appendages (8 arms + 2 tentacles), not true legs.

Think of it this way: an octopus is the classic “8-armed” cephalopod, while a squid is the “10-limbed” cousin with two extra, super-long hunting tentacles.

Fun extra: why people get confused

  • In everyday language, people often call all squid appendages “tentacles,” or even “legs,” which isn’t anatomically correct.
  • Some forum and pop-culture references even misremember squids having 6 “legs” or tentacles, which adds to the confusion.

TL;DR: A squid has 10 appendages in total: 8 arms and 2 tentacles —no proper “legs.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.