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Common name: Humboldt Squid (also commonly known as: Jumbo squid, Jumbo
Flying Squid, Giant Squid, Diablo Rojo or Pota)
Scientific name: Dosidicus gigas
Description: 40% of the squid’s body is made up of a tube shaped mass. The
squid’s two diamond shaped fins are about 12% of the body, the tentacles are 14%, the outer skin 3% and the head and inner organs approximately 5%.
This particular type of squid features a large brain, big stereoscopic eyes, a total of three hearts, blue blood and eight arms with their own suction cups and bony ring of teeth. It features a large very sharp parrot-like beak used to tear its prey apart. The squid’s tongue also has a ring of curved teeth.
The Humboldt squid has the ability to change color like other cephalopods that have muscle-bound chromatophores on their skin. Their color can change from a deep purple color, to red, to even white.
The Humboldt squid gives off the odor of ammonia and an acid flavor. This odor could be a defense mechanism for the squid as most fish smell like ammonia when they start to decompose.
The squid can swim at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. Their life expectancy is usually a year, but can be prolonged up to 4 years.
Humboldt squid can reach lengths of up to six feet and weigh approximately 100 pounds.
Habitat: Humboldt squid are commonly found in waters 600 to 2300ft deep.
They live in waters ranging from Tierra del Fuego to California.
The squid’s name comes from the Humboldt Current off the coast of South America that majorities of the squid’s population reside in.
Recently, scattered populations of the Humboldt squid have been found in the northern waters of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and even Alaska.
Reproduction: Little is known about the spawning behavior of the
Humboldt squid due to the dangerous diving depths it lives in. A Humboldt squid egg has never been studied in nature.
It is approximated that Humboldt squid only spawn once in their lifetime, in accordance with their one-year life span.
Eating habit: The Humboldt squid feeds in schools at night. They hunt lantern fish, shrimp, mollusks and other cephalopods. Sometimes, this type of squid can be cannibalistic, feeding on other jumbo squid that have been injured or captured.
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