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| Facts about Humboldt squid |
- Their populations have now migrated to inhabit watersas north as Alaska. Humboldt squid is highly tolerant of oxygen-poor waters, also known as ocean dead zones.
- Dead zones in the ocean have become more common due to excessive nutrient pollution from human activities like fertilizing crops and sewage runoff. Humboldt squid has a reputation for being aggressive and inflicting a painful bite, causing them to be nicknamed,
- The Red Devil. They will flash bright red when angered or excited.
- They can travel in schools of over 1000 individuals. During reproduction, females castaway eggs in large, gelatinous groups that can contain over one million eggs. A newly hatched squid is only 1 millimeter long, but it may grow over 6 feet (1.8 m) long in its lifespan of only a few years. In order to maintain rapid growth, Humboldt squid has an endless appetite.
- They’re known for eating each other, as well as a variety of crustaceans and fish. They capture prey with their tentacles and rip it apart with their beak. Humboldtsquid is fast swimmers, allowing them to have large migration patterns. It is thought that they communicate with each other by rapidly changing the color of their skin.
Humboldtsquid is preyed upon by a variety of large animals, such as sharks, striped marlin, and sperm whales. In defense, they will shoot out large quantities of ink, in order to confuse prey so that they can make a quick getaway. Humboldtsquid is fished commercially and recreationally.