Opalescent Inshore Squid
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 Loligo opalescens paralarva
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| Loligo opalescens Berry, 1911 |
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The Opalescent Inshore Squid (Loligo opalescens) is a small squid (mantle length (ML) up to 160mm) in the family Loliginidae. It is a myopsid squid, which is the near shore group and that means that they have corneas over their eyes. The species lives in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Baja, Mexico to Alaska, USA, within 200 miles (320 kilometers) of shore.
The life cycle of L. opalescens has four stages: eggs, hatchlings (called paralarvae), juveniles, and adults. Squid live for 4-9 months. L. opalescens eggs are laid on sandy bottom substrates in 10-50m depth, although there is a report of a shrimp trawler pulling up eggs from 400 fathoms. Females encapsulate hundreds of eggs in a sheath that is made of many layers of protein. Bacteria grow between the layers and may serve as an antibiotic for fungal infection. Females insert the egg capsules into the sand with a sticky substance that anchors them in place so that the ocean surge can ventilate them. The presence of eggs on the bottom of tanks stimulates females to lay more eggs. Groups of capsules are placed in masses that can extend into egg beds. Some egg beds can cover acres of the ocean floor. The eggs take 3-8 weeks to hatch with warmer water shortening the incubation time. Bat Stars (Asterina miniatus) are the most prevalent predators of eggs. Fish do not eat them, although they will nip at eggs not covered by the capsule sheath. There is no brooding.
Paralarvae of Loligo opalescens hatch from the eggs and immediately begin swimming. Where they go is unknown, but hatchlings of the closely related Loligo pealei swim to the surface in the first 12 hours post-hatching. Paralarvae must rapidly learn to hunt, as their yolk is either used up or detached upon escaping from the egg sheath. Through a series of trial and error as these 2-3mm ML hatchlings learn to eat copepods and other plankton in the first months of their lives. They are found in the greatest abundance at 15m depth by night and 30m depth by day. Thus, they perform a daily vertical migration of 15 meters, no small feat a creature only 3mm long. This daily migration coupled with the shear zone created by tidal and near-shore currents cause the hatchlings to become entrained within 3 kilometers of shore. That is good for them because in the near-shore environment the plankton is smaller and easier for them to eat.
By the time Loligo opalescens reaches 15mm mantle length (about 2 months old) they are strong enough to swim in shoals. These juveniles form groups of tens of individuals and swim over the shelf in search of food. Those that have survived to this point can hunt with the tentacular strike as seen in the adults. At some point between 4-8 months their sexual organs mature and they are now considered adults. Sexually mature animals can be 70-160mm ML and weigh about 40 grams.
Adult Loligo opalescens move off the continental shelf by day and can be found to depths of 500m. Adult shoals return to the surface at night to hunt. At some point these shoals move on shore to spawn where aggregations can reach million of individuals. Originally it was thought that the adults died after spawning, as the egg beds were often littered with dead squid. Now there is debate as to how long adults live after their first egg deposition and whether they can spawn repeatedly over the last weeks or months of their lives.
The fishery for Loligo opalescens began with the Chinese in Monterey Bay, California in 1860. By the turn of the century Italian fishermen had assumed the leading role. After World War II there was a resurgence in squid fishing. Since 1981 the fishery has really grown, as effort in Southern California has increased. Now Southern California, mostly areas around the Channel Islands, comprises 90% of the squid landings. The fishery in Monterey Bay occurs from April to November coinciding with the upwelling season. In Southern California landings begin in November and continue through April correlated with the greater mixing of winter storms. Since 1993 squid has been the #1 fishery in California with landings of 118,000 tons and $41 million in 2000. The population fluctuates greatly with the El Niño. During these warm water, nutrient poor years landings can disappear entirely in certain areas.
