Squid news...
Humboldt squid, also called jumbo squid, (Dosidicus gigas) have been showing up in huge numbers off the coast here recently, more than the usual summer appearance; commercial fishermen are complaining that they are catching too many (and there being no market to sell them) and the squid are eating stuff they are usually catching. The local sport boats are running special charters for them. One of our managers was recently heard saying she hoped they were preying on all the Pacific mackerel that supposed to be out there now (very high harvest guideline this season) and not the rockfish, whose populations are recovering. There is a concern about effect such an influx of voracious high level predators has on an ecosystem; it's the symposium topic for the CalCOFI conference this coming November. I'm looking forward to hearing those presentations.
My boss sent this link to a video posted on Orange County diving listserv.
http://diver.net/waltermarti/Squid1.htm
Wow. Fascinating video - I wasn't sure if they were changing colors that quickly or it was just the flicker of the lights, but I'm assured they really do flash that fast. Unfortunately, one squid seems to be caught on a lure. I'm not sure I'd actually want to be diving with them without a little more protection, and these are only little guys, about two feet long (they get up to two meters, I think). Those suckers have teeth on them.
(The rest of his site has some other pretty neat underwater video as well - http://diver.net/waltermarti
My boss sent this link to a video posted on Orange County diving listserv.
http://diver.net/waltermarti/Squid1.htm
Wow. Fascinating video - I wasn't sure if they were changing colors that quickly or it was just the flicker of the lights, but I'm assured they really do flash that fast. Unfortunately, one squid seems to be caught on a lure. I'm not sure I'd actually want to be diving with them without a little more protection, and these are only little guys, about two feet long (they get up to two meters, I think). Those suckers have teeth on them.
(The rest of his site has some other pretty neat underwater video as well - http://diver.net/waltermarti