Squid are some of the most numerous creatures on Earth, and play an important role in food webs throughout the oceans. Because they are fast growing (most complete their life cycles in under two years) and very sensitive to changes in the environment, they are an excellent indicator of the health of an ecosystem. When something changes -- a decrease in large predators (like fish and mammals) or prey (smaller squid, fish, krill), the squid population reflects the change much more quickly than other more slow-growing animals in the ecosystem.

The waters around New Zealand have more species of squid (90+) and octopus (42+) than have been recorded any other country in the world so far. The abundance of cephalopods (octopus, squid, and their relatives) helps to support populations of other animals - whales, penguins, seals, albatross, and large fish - and has helped some of these animals withstand the loss of other prey items through heavy fishing. Whales, for example, used to consume large fish as nearly 40% of their diet, but now (reflecting these species' decline) eat almost exclusively squid in the waters around New Zealand.

If we collect larval or paralarval squid (young squid that differ from adults only in size rather than in babyish physical features), studying them will help us learn more about the possibility of raising squid in captivity, where we can learn even more about them.

For more information on squid and octopus, visit www.TONMO.com.