Strawberry Squid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Strawberry Squid |
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| A black and white photo of a Strawberry Squid at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. | |
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Calliteuthis heteropsis (Berry, 1913 ) |
The Histioteuthis heteropsis, often called the strawberry squid, is a unique type of cock-eyed squid. Its scientific name comes from its two eyes, which are different sizes. One eye is small and blue, while the other is large and yellow. Scientists believe the big eye helps it see objects in dim light, like sunlight filtering down. The smaller eye is thought to be better at seeing flashes of light made by other ocean creatures.
This squid's common name, "strawberry squid," comes from its bright red skin. It also has many tiny light-producing organs called photophores all over its body. These photophores make it look like a strawberry covered in seeds.
Strawberry squids live in the ocean's mesopelagic zone, also known as the "twilight zone." They are found in areas like the California Current and the Humboldt Current. We don't know much about how they find food or mate. However, we do know a bit about how they use their ink. They usually only release ink when they feel threatened.
H. heteropsis was first discovered by a scientist named Berry in 1913. It was shown to the public for the first time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on June 27, 2014.
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What Does the Strawberry Squid Look Like?
Strawberry squids are small. Adult males usually measure between 54 and 89 millimeters (about 2 to 3.5 inches) long. They have a distinct purplish-red color.
Its Amazing Eyes
The eyes of the strawberry squid are very special. They are different in both size and color. This helps the squid see in the mesopelagic zone, which is 200 to 1000 meters (about 650 to 3,300 feet) below the ocean surface. In this deep part of the ocean, there are different kinds of light, mainly dim sunlight from above and light made by living things (bioluminescence).
When strawberry squids hatch, their eyes are the same size. But as they grow, their left eye gets much bigger and turns yellow. By the time they are adults, the left eye can be more than twice the size of the right eye!
Studies show that the large yellow left eye points upwards. It helps the squid spot things against the faint sunlight coming from the surface. The smaller blue right eye points downwards. It's better at seeing the flashes of light produced by other creatures in the dark. While the big eye can see bioluminescence pretty well, the small eye struggles to see dark objects in dim light.
Its Glowing Photophores
The strawberry squid has many small photophores all over its body. These are special organs that produce light. The photophores are more crowded near the squid's head and become smaller and more spread out towards its tail.
The strawberry squid mainly uses its photophores for two things:
- Hiding from predators: This is called counter-illumination. The squid produces blue light from its photophores. When seen from above, this light helps the squid blend in with the dim sunlight filtering down from the surface. This makes its silhouette disappear, so predators can't easily spot it. This type of bioluminescence creates a steady glow.
- Confusing prey: Sometimes, the squid uses short, bright flashes of light. Scientists are not entirely sure why, but it might be to confuse or scare its prey.
Where Does the Strawberry Squid Live?
Strawberry squids usually live at ocean depths between 200 and 1000 meters (about 650 to 3,300 feet). This area is known as the mesopelagic zone, or the "twilight zone," because it's always dim.
These squids move up and down in the water column each day. This is called diurnal vertical migration. During the day, they stay deeper, usually around 500–700 meters. At night, they swim up to shallower waters, typically around 300–400 meters.
Strawberry squids live in the Pacific Ocean. They are mostly found in the California Current and the Humboldt Current. They do not live in waters near the equator.
The strawberry squid is an important part of the ocean's food web. It is eaten by animals like tuna, porpoises, blue sharks, sperm whales, elephant seals, and albatross. As for what the strawberry squid eats, we know it feeds on fish, small crustaceans, and other smaller squids.
Strawberry Squid Behavior
How It Finds Food
The strawberry squid uses its eyes to find prey. When it spots something, it quickly strikes forward with its long tentacles. The tentacles then pull the prey closer to its arms. The arms hold the prey tightly with their suckers. Like most squids, the strawberry squid then bites into the soft parts of its prey with its beak, leaving behind the harder parts.
Reproduction and Mating
Scientists don't know much about how strawberry squids mate. It's thought that these behaviors happen in very deep waters. It's also unclear where they lay their eggs, but it might be in deep or mid-water, or even closer to the surface.
How It Uses Ink
Squids and their relatives (called coleoid cephalopods) lost their outer shells a long time ago. So, they developed inking as an important way to protect themselves. However, making ink uses a lot of energy because it requires special chemicals. Because of this, the strawberry squid usually only releases ink when it's approached very closely or touched.
Researchers have seen that the strawberry squid often creates "pseudomorphs." These are dense blobs of ink that are about the same shape and size as the squid itself. This can trick a predator into attacking the ink cloud instead of the squid. After releasing ink, the strawberry squid usually stays near the ink cloud unless it's bothered again.
About Its Discovery
In 1913, Berry discovered H. heteropsis. He placed it in the family Histioteuthidae because it has so many photophores. Based on its body features, scientists believe that H. heteropsis is most closely related to H. meleagroteuthis and H. bonnellii.
Is the Strawberry Squid Endangered?
According to an assessment in 2010 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the strawberry squid is listed as "least concern." This means it's not currently at risk of extinction. This is because it lives in a very large area of the ocean. There are no known threats to the species, and we don't have much information about its population size. The IUCN suggests that more research is needed to learn more about the strawberry squid's population and its role in the ocean's ecosystem.
