Squid

Finding long-finned squid (Doryteuthis pealeii formerly Loligo pealeii) eggs on the beach or in our benthic drag is always very exciting for our field course participants. Squid can be very elusive animals, so to see signs that they have been in the area is intriguing.

Female long-finned squid will lay their fertilized egg capsules on the ocean floor in large clusters. Each female lays about 20-30 capsules that contain 150 to 200 eggs each. Depending on the temperature of the water the eggs will hatch 11 to 26 days later.

Just below their skin squid have chromatophores, which are pigment containing cells that allow them to change their colour and pattern.

Squid egg capsules on the beach.

In a tide pool.

There are 150-200 eggs per capsule.

Many females will lay their egg capsules together.

  These egg cases were collected during a benthic drag aboard our research vessel, the Fundy Spray.

The squid larvae still in the egg case.

Newly hatched squid viewed through a microscope.

A larvae that had recently hatched. Watch as the chromatophores change!

This video can also be seen on our Twitter account.