3/11/2023 0 Comments Humboldt squidsIt is known that the life span of this species is about one year and that they typically breed just once during their lifespan given that, like other cephalopods, the jumbo squid often die after spawning.Įxploratory fishing for Dosidicus gigas began in the 1970s off the Pacific coast of America. Little is known about the reproductive habits of the elusive jumbo squid because it is likely that they spawn at depths out of reach for observation. These aggressive predators use powerful arms and barbed suckers to pull prey toward their razor sharp beaks. See Prey/Diet of Dosidicus gigas for more information. Jumbo squid, Dosidicus gigas, surface at night to feed on lanternfish, mackerels, sardines, shrimp, mollusks and other cephalopods. Jumbo squid are a social species often found traveling in schools of 1,200 or more individuals. Predators include swordfish, sharks, porpoises, blue marlin, Makaira mazara, sperm whales, Physeter catodon, Juan Fernandez fur seals, Arctocephalus philippii and Guadalupe fur seals, Arctocephalus townsendi. This is of concern to scientists who fear that increased ocean temperatures are to blame or perhaps overfishing of the jumbo squid's predators, which has allowed them to expand their range. It is important to note that jumbo squid populations have been increasingly migrating farther north than their normal range, in some cases as far north as Alaska. One of their common names, Humboldt squid, is taken from the Humboldt Current, which occurs off the coast of South America and is part of this species' habitat. See Distribution Range of Dosidicus gigas. Jumbo squid, Dosidicus gigas, can be found at depths between 200-700 meters in the waters of the eastern Pacific from Tierra del Fuego north to California. Jumbo squid can swim at speeds up to 24 kph rivaling some of the fastest swimmers in the ocean. They also have the ability to squirt ink as a defense mechanism. Like other cephalopods, they are equipped with chromatophores and are able to change color and flash light to communicate. This name also comes from their red hue when hooked, which is likely used naturally as a camouflage mechanism to keep them from view of predators and/or prey in deep waters and simply the result of them being angry/scared when fished out of the water. These elusive and mysterious creatures are aggressive predators, which has earned them the nickname "red devils" or "diablos rojos" (from Mexican shrimpers who fish for jumbo squid during the shrimping off season). They have a large, tough, thick-walled mantle and long arms with 100-200 hooked powerful suckers each and lightning-fast tentacles. Jumbo squid are enormous impressive squids that can reach up to 2 m in length and weigh up to 45 kg. Jumbo squid are members of the flying squid family, Ommastrephidae, and are known to eject themselves out of the water to avoid predators. Jumbo squid, Dosidicus gigas (D'Orbigny, 1835 in 1834-1847), aka jumbo flying squid and Humboldt squid, has many former scientific names (synonyms): Ommastrephes gigas (D'Orbigny, 1835 in 1834-1847), Dosidicus eschrichtii (Steenstrup, 1857), Ommastrephes giganteus (D'Orbigny, 1839-1842 in Férussac and D'Orbigny, 1834-1848), Dosidicus steenstrupii (Pfeffer, 1884), Sepia nigra (Bosc, 1802) and Sepia tunicata (Molina, 1782). Jumbo (or Humboldt) Squid - Dosidicus gigas
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