Squid Humboldt - the mysterious giant of the sea depths

Humboldt's squid is a cephalopod, related to the family Ommastrephidae. Mostly inhabits the part of the Pacific Ocean where the Peruvian current passes , at depths from 0.2 to 0.7 km.

Its dimensions are impressive, the length can reach up to 2 m, and the weight up to 50 kg. The body consists of a head, legs and 10 tentacles. There is no external shell. The lower part of the leg is modified to the funnel, necessary for movement. The rest is represented by a mantle cavity with internal organs. Tentacles running from the foot and surrounding the mouth are provided with suckers. There are two trappers, they are longer. The remaining 8, sometimes called the hands, serve to hold the victim.

Complex vision has a Humboldt squid. The photos presented in the article show good eyes. Sensory organs develop a sense of touch, there are taste cells. Chromatophores are common to most cephalopods. In a moment, the body color can change from creamy gray to red and back.

The squid marine has a bioluminescence, consisting in the ability to glow with the lower part of the body. This feature helps to hunt and confound predators. In the mating season, it is used to attract attention.

Squid Humboldt has colorless blood. When interacting with oxygen, it becomes blue, because In the composition of hemocyanin, the protein that carries oxygen, there are copper ions (our blood is red, because in it oxygen is transferred by hemoglobin, the basis of which is iron ions).

Squid Humboldt is not alone. The way of life leads schooling, sometimes such company exceeds 1000 individuals. They feed on fish, crabs, and sometimes their relatives. Cases of attacks on people are described. In a full state they are passive, sometimes curious.

Movement with the release of water in the opposite direction is energetically expensive. For a long time it remained incomprehensible how, when immersed, it passes through a region of ocean water with a reduced concentration of oxygen. Recently it was found out that the Humboldt squid is able to slow down metabolic processes by 80%, sinking into places inaccessible to hunting tuna, sailfish, marlin, and others.

The process of reproduction is interesting. In males, which are usually smaller than females, one of the tentacles is intended for fertilization. They extract it from the mantle cavity Spermatophores containing sperm, and places in the cavity of the female. After a certain time, the future mother lays eggs, which are large enough. The nest is built in advance from the stones and the remains of the shells. The female vigilantly protects the eggs, and later - the young ones that have appeared.

Unfortunately, much of the life of the Humboldt squid remains unknowable because of its habitat. In a living form, he can not be moved to the laboratory, he dies within a few hours. His migration to the areas of production of marine life is a cause for concern among scientists. As it reproduces fairly quickly, it can threaten many populations of commercial fish.

The local population of those countries where these squid are found offshore is happy to catch them. Meat is delicious, it is found on the shelves of coastal shops. In large quantities, it is exported to different countries.