See a dancing squid

The name of this species of Octopus is Gonatus fabricii and it may reach a length of up to 35 cm. As most cephalopods, this species also has arms, ready to catch a passing prey.

It occurs in large quantities in e.g. the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, where this species is an important food resource for whales, seals, fish and seabirds.

In the Norwegian Sea, Gonatus comprise the main diet of the sperm whale, beaked whale and the narwhale. Observations of these whale species thus may be linked to the occurrence of squid.

"When the squid is less than 5 centimeters long it is found in the upper water layers. In the Norwegian Sea, we have previously observed large amounts of young Gonatus fabricii close to the surface in summer. As they grow, the squid migrates downwards to deeper water, and the adults reside at depths from 200 to 3000 meters," says Tone Falkenhaug, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Research.

Occurs in large quantities

Stomach analyses have shown that the sperm whales alone probably eat 500.000 tons of Gonatus in Norwegian waters each year, suggesting that the total amount of Gonatus is very large. The possibility of commercial exploitation of this species has therefore been discussed.

However, we have poor knowledge on both distribution and amounts of Gonatus in Norwegian waters, partly because it lives at such great depths.

Intelligent and mysterious

Generally, squids have the most developed brain of all invertebrates, and they have an ability both to learn and recall their experiences.

"Through repeated exercises, octopuses have learned to open beer bottles, play with a ball, and find their way out of a maze. There is still much we do not know about the biology and behaviour of squids, especially regarding species that live at great depths. Therefore, mysterious stories are connected to this group of animals," says Tone Falkenhaug.

-----------------------

Read the Norwegian version of this article at forskning.no

External links

• Tone Falkenhaug's profile

Related content

Mapping marine life before oil drilling starts

Foul-smelling bubbles rise from the floor of the Barents Sea. Living organisms in these depths are being studied before the oil and gas industry starts drilling operations.

Marine reptiles closer to extinction

The number of marine reptiles has fallen sharply in recent years and most species are now threatened with extinction. Man is the culprit, frightening the reptiles and destroying their breeding grounds, say researchers.