Voracious jumbo squid invade California

This Associated Press story (and related video) posted here http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/...squid_invasion

Voracious jumbo squid invade California
2 hours, 6 minutes ago

Jumbo squid that can grow up to 7 feet long and weigh more than 110 pounds are invading central California waters and preying on local anchovy, hake and other commercial fish populations, according to a study published Tuesday.

An aggressive predator, the Humboldt squid — or Dosidicus gigas — can change its eating habits to consume the food supply favored by tuna and sharks, its closest competitors, according to an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

"Having a new, voracious predator set up shop here in California may be yet another thing for fishermen to compete with," said the study's co-author, Stanford University researcher Louis Zeidberg. "That said, if a squid saw a human they would jet the other way."

The jumbo squid used to be found only in the Pacific Ocean's warmest stretches near the equator. In the last 16 years, it has expanded its territory throughout California waters, and squid have even been found in the icy waters off Alaska, Zeidberg said.

Zeidberg's co-author, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute senior scientist Bruce Robison, first spotted the jumbo squid here in 1997, when one swam past the lens of a camera mounted on a submersible thousands of feet below the ocean's surface.

More were observed through 1999, but the squid weren't seen again locally until the fall of 2002. Since their return, scientists have noted a corresponding drop in the population of Pacific hake, a whitefish the squid feeds on that is often used in fish sticks, Zeidberg said.

"As they've come and gone, the hake have dropped off," Zeidberg said. "We're just beginning to figure out how the pieces fit together, but this is most likely going to shake things up."

Before the 1970s, the giant squid were typically found in the Eastern Pacific, and in coastal waters spanning from Peru to Costa Rica. But as the populations of its natural predators — like large tuna, sharks and swordfish — declined because of fishing, the squids moved northward and started eating different species that thrive in colder waters.

Local marine mammals needn't worry about the squid's arrival since they're higher up on the food chain, but lanternfish, krill, anchovies and rockfish are all fair game, Zeidberg said.

A fishermen's organization said Tuesday they were monitoring the squid's impact on commercial fisheries.

"In years of high upwellings, when the ocean is just bountiful, it probably wouldn't do anything," Zeke Grader, the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. "But in bad years it could be a problem to have a new predator competing at the top of the food chain."

Wow, giant squid. I was told that the Humbolt Squid would actually attack a human!

I suppose now the fisherman will be learning to fish for squid.

I believe that if you pre-cook it in a pressure cooker, then fry in a pan with canola oil, it tastes heavenly. (add peri-peri to your taste). So I suppose we will have to adapt our taset from Hake to Calamari :)

last I heard fishing boats were pulling in up to 200 per boat. marine biologists were encouraging fishing boats to only take what they were going to eat. uh, 200 is probably much more than what ends up being consumed. I was told that charter boats do this to make their numbers look more attractive.

an excerpt from a blog I remembered regarding this:


"Fisherman are thankful, but biologists are worried."

"I have nearly a thousand dives with these animals and I have been either tested or full out attacked about 80 percent of the time," Scott Cassell said.

Cassell has been studying the Humboldt squid for the past 13 years.

"These animals are some of the most mysterious and unknown species in the world," Cassell said.

Cassell has even made a movie about his diving adventures, underwater excursions that require an armor plated suit.

"I have felt my life was in danger several times with the squid, but knowing that the cable and the armor I was pretty much impervious to the damage," Cassell said.

But Cassell, like other marine experts, says something is not right.

For the third time in ten years, massive amounts of Humboldt squid have been flourishing in the waters of Southern California.

"There is more population of Humboldt squid than is naturally proper," Cassell said.

...but I didn't want to repost any of those "open-season type" ones (from a video report on the 200-a-day catch...to a squid-slimed fishing vessel...to a family doing their own hauling for fun...) from you tube.
let's just do this 19-second grace-and-power bit, okay?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfGVWxbnAYg

Sushi for everyone!

From memory(rather hazy after a few friday night drinks) didnt Steve-o from Jackass/Wildboys dive with these in a funny looking suit?

Matt