NEWPORT -- Last year when fish surveyors went out to count whiting -- Oregon's largest fishery by volume -- they found plenty to count all right, but it wasn't what they expected.

Instead, they found themselves looking at so many Humboldt squid, they couldn't see the whiting -- also known as hake -- to get an accurate count, said Selina Heppell, an associate professor in fisheries at Oregon State University.

"People are really worried about this," Heppell said. "Because we have evidence of squid having a negative impact on whiting in Chile, the concern is that they could be affecting whiting here."

typically were found in Southern California, Mexico and the waters off Chile and Peru, but in recent years the jumbo squid have been found in increasingly large numbers in northern waters off California, Oregon and Washington -- even Alaska.

Now researchers and fisherman are pondering a number of questions about the predator squid: Why are they here? What will it mean to traditional fisheries such as whiting and salmon? Will they stick around?

And there's another possibility: Could the jumbo squid spawn a new fishery in Oregon and beyond?

Humboldt or Jumbo squid facts

Habitat: Live at depths of 660 to 2,300 feet and traditionally ranged from Tierra del Fuego north to California. More recently, they have been appearing further north.

Size: Up to 6 feet and 100 pounds. Skin varies from deep purplish-red to white. They have two diamond-shaped fins which they use to swim and glide.

Lifespan: About one year

Prey: Lanternfish, shrimp, mollusks, and other cephalopods. Also known to cannibalize other squid.

Behavior: Notoriously aggressive. Hunt in schools containing as many as 1,200 individuals, and swim at speeds from three to 15 mph. Can eject themselves from the water and glide through the air to escape predators.

Reproduction: Experts know little about spawning habits, largely because the squid spend most of their lives at depths unsafe for diving. Their eggs have never been observed in nature. Like most cephalopods, Humboldt squid reproduce only once in their lifetime.

Source: Smithsonian

And there's another possibility: Could the jumbo squid spawn a new fishery in Oregon and beyond?

People first reported seeing squid north of their native waters in the late 1990s after the El Niño occurred in about 1998, Heppell said. After last year's numbers proved so dramatic, Heppell and researchers in California and the Pacific Northwest decided the time had come to learn more. Earlier this year, they received a two-year, $120,000 grant from Sea Grant, a federal university-based program to support coastal resources, to study them.

"To me, what we really want to know is what the squid are eating at different times of the year," Heppell said. "How many are there? They move fast and over a wide range and are not easy to detect with acoustic gear. Trying to estimate how many squid there are is not an easy thing to do."





One study in the Gulf of California put the population there at 4 million in 30 square miles, according to

.

"That's a lot of squid"



"If the density is anything like that off

or Astoria, that's a lot of squid in a frighteningly small area," Gilly said. He believes if the squid develop a taste for salmon smolt -- and there is evidence they have -- it could wipe out the fish for the season.

Humboldt squid can measure as long as 6 feet and weigh upward of 100 pounds. The largest spotted off Oregon have been about 5 feet long and 25 pounds, according to Heppell. Their tentacles are covered with small suckers that have spiky teeth, and they have a large triangular beak they use to tear at their prey. They are voracious eaters and will cannibalize their own.

"These squid grab whatever comes by them," Heppell said. "If what comes by is mostly squid, that's what they eat."

They also have been said to grab seabirds, and there are stories of squids killing divers.

"They are creepy," said Al Pazar, who fishes out of Newport. Pazar caught 15,000 pounds of squid last year to use for crab bait. He recalled waking up on his boat one night and finding himself surrounded by tens of thousands of squid. "It is quite impressive to see these things on the surface. When they are together, it is incredible. In South America, they call them the diablo rojo, or red devil. You don't want to fall into the water with a swarm of these things."

Lucrative possibilities



But while they may not be the most attractive of sea life, they could be lucrative, Gilly said.

"In places like Astoria and Newport, there are a lot of fishermen who would like to go fishing, developing a new product. There could be a big future in that."

Squid already is considered by some to be among the best crab bait, and calamari steaks -- imported from Mexico and elsewhere -- can be found in most seafood shops. Gilly thinks the squid also could be used for aquaculture food, as protein or for pharmaceuticals.

"I have seen in Japan squid flour, and there is a company in Norway making a type of fish-oil product from squid," Gilly said.

The

has begun researching the idea, director Heather Mann said.

"We are in the process of starting to think about whether or not there might be some opportunities," Mann said. "We're looking at what research would need to take place to develop the Humboldt squid. We do know there is some labor-intensive work in harvesting Humboldt squid because of their size and also in preparing them for food."

And there is another problem -- no one seems to know how long the squid will stick around.

"The squid have come and gone and come and gone again in Peru," Heppell said. "You don't want to start a fishery if they are not going to be here."

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