Giant Squid Invade California

Giant squid have appeared in massive numbers off the coast of California in the past few days devouring swimmers leading to bountiful catches by fishermen:

"Most of the fish we catch are better to eat, but they don't give you much of a fight."

He said the squid were "trying to crawl around and blow ink all over everybody."

Mr Woodbury said that 400 of the creatures had been caught since Friday night.

The animals weigh between 20 and 40 pounds, but a few fishermen have reeled in 60-pound squid.

The Humboldt squid is also called the jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid and squirts ink to protect itself.

They can grow up to 100 pounds in weight and six feet long and follow food sources.


Link via Digg | Image: NASA

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I love squid! I wish they were actual giant squid and not just those big old humboldts, the giants would have been such a great scientific opportunity! Well, in this case, I guess its just a great feasting opportunity :)
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There was a programme on television that explained why there is such huge numbers of Humboldt squid - it's mainly due to over-fishing that has allowed the squid to reach maturity and breed; rather than be eating by fish before they're capable of breeding. There is a fear that as more of the squid are produced they'll put more pressure on fish-stocks, and the Earth will reach a time where the seas will be thick with the Humboldt, and very few fish. There are similar fears over jellyfish. My advice is to eat lots-and-lots of squid to save the World's seas...
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Yikes! Humboldt squid are native to the Gulf of California, where the local fishermen call them "red devils" for good reason. They'll eat your bait, they'll eat what you catch on the hook, they'll even eat each other without hesitation. They've also been rumored to eat the odd fisherman that went overboard. Google has video of them attacking (but not harming) divers.

Search on "Humboldt Squid Attack" for more info.

Steve G.
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