Episode 335: Squid

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Transcript 6/8/24:

Why do I sit in this dinghy? Is it for transportation, fishing, or to be rocked gently into tranquility? Welcome to The Nature of Phenology where we share the cycles and seasons of the outdoors. I’m your host, Hazel Stark, and this episode was written by Joe Horn.

Several years back, I was one of the caretakers for a local land trust of a small island off the coast of Maine. Days involved a good deal of trail work, upkeep of the various structures on the preserve, and talking to visitors. After a hot day of doing this work in the sun on this mostly treeless island, swimming was of course in order, followed by an early dinner and wrapping up the various chores of a life without running water or electricity. Once all that was done, I would often grab my fly rod and head down to the dock to see what fish I might be able to drum up as the tides shifted and the sun sank gently over the mainland. One such evening, I had very little luck and began to row back to the dock while dragging my small white fly behind my little craft. I saw the line twitch and dance so I swiftly scooped up the rod and attempted to set the hook—nothing. I tied off to the dock and continued to fish. Cast after cast I had the same result—a bite, the line would smoothly be pulled deeper into the water, and then nothing when I attempted to set the hook. This happened for several minutes until finally a soft bite resulted in a soft and quick fight back to the dock. Scooping my catch net into the water revealed a new species for me—a squid.

In the Gulf of Maine, we have two species of squid: longfin and shortfin squid. Longfin squid are notably smaller at roughly a foot whereas shortfin squid are larger and able to reach sizes up to a foot and a half. Both are considered fine table fare although the longfin is considered to be sweeter and more tender. Longfin squid tend to spend most of their life in deep waters out of reach of most anglers whereas shortfin squid migrate into coves and bays in great numbers to spawn starting in late spring and early summer. Both species of squid can change their color to communicate with each other and to camouflage, though the shortfins tend to be darker and redder. What is perhaps most remarkable about their coloration is that upon dying, their dark colors instantly and permanently flash almost completely white.

Both squid are primarily nocturnal hunters which rely on their keen sense of sight to spot their prey. Once their prey is in sight, they pull water into their mantle and force it out a nozzle to jet propel themselves swiftly and directly towards it. They catch their quarry by thrusting out their two long tentacles to seize the individual before pulling it in towards their eight arms which aid in further restraint while they eat their food using their sharp bill.

Both squid species reproduce throughout most of the year with eggs and young maturing more slowly when waters are colder, and faster when waters are warmer. Longfin squid eggs are held in capsules that float in the middle of the water column whereas shortfin squid lay their capsules, or fingers, on rocky bottoms where they stay attached until hatched.

Both species are extremely short-lived, only having an average lifespan of around a single year. Due to their great abundance and short life cycle, they are considered a very sustainable seafood that is high in protein and low in fat and heavy metals or other accumulated toxins. When cooked well, the meat is tender yet toothsome and extremely sweet and mild in flavor. For a long time, the American palate was not particularly interested in squid, but as abundance, availability, and price of different seafoods shifted, squid, in the form of fried calamari, slowly took hold as a seafood appetizer staple in many restaurants. Various other dishes featuring this delightful food followed, such as stuffed squid and paella.

So over the next few months, you could head to your nearest public wharf at dusk in search of a sight or catch of squid. There are specialized lures used specifically for squid, so be sure to swing by your local tackle shop and ask for recommendations and regulations. If you have no interest in fishing, you still might catch sight of these squid on the hunt darting this way and that if there are dock lights illuminating the water.

As we bring The Nature of Phenology to a close over the next few weeks, remember that you can easily access the transcripts and recordings of over 330 episodes and search by topic at thenatureofphenology.wordpress.com, which is also linked at archives.weru.org.  Thanks for listening and please join us next week for another dive into The Nature of Phenology.

References:

Fisheries, N. (2020a, November 3). Longfin Squid | NOAA Fisheries. NOAA. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/longfin-squid

Fisheries, N. (2020b, November 3). Shortfin Squid | NOAA Fisheries. NOAA. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/shortfin-squid