Japanese scientists aboard a research vessel 15 years ago captured the first photographs of a formation of squid flying through the air, a behavior previously dismissed as sailor folklore. The shoal of about 100 squid rose unexpectedly from the Pacific Ocean, roughly 370 miles from Tokyo, and glided near the boat for about 30 meters. The researchers, astonished by the sight, documented what looked like the early stages of an alien invasion.
First Photographic Evidence of Flying Squid
The subsequent study identified the creatures as likely neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii), a species belonging to a 20-strong flying squid family known to leap from the water but, until then, only rumored to glide above it. The squid achieve such elevation using the hyponome, a funnel-like muscular organ also present in octopuses. This organ forces water out in a jet, propelling the body both in and out of the sea. Photographs show the gliding squid with their arms—they have 10 limbs in all—splayed outward.
Neon flying squid are about the length of a rolling pin and tend to gather near the surface to feed on fish and crustaceans. It remains unclear why they would fly in unison; one possible explanation is that they were evading a predator, such as a shark.
Rare Sightings and Expert Insights
Flying squid are found worldwide, and their penchant for emerging from the water sometimes results in them landing on boats. However, seeing such behavior is unusual, even for dedicated researchers. "You have to be lucky," said William Gilly, a Stanford University biologist who has spent decades studying squid. "I've seen a small humboldt squid leap out of the water to get away from a mahi mahi fish, and the fish leaped out of the water too and caught the squid mid-air. But I've never seen them glide in a group."
There is little doubt about the squid's ability to move quickly in water. Gilly tagged a humboldt, the largest of the flying squid, and tracked it swimming at 10 meters per second (36 km/h) to escape sea lions.
Distribution and Social Behavior
Neon flying squid live across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans and are highly migratory. They have a golden or silver-colored stripe down the middle of their undersides, possibly as camouflage. In popular imagination, squid are often overshadowed by octopuses, but squid possess their own intelligence, can change color, and swim more dexterously than their more celebrated neighbors.
They are also more social. "One squid alone is an unhappy creature, it's jittery and nervous," said Gilly. "An octopus is a loner. It will kill another octopus if you put them in a tank together. Squid are far more social."
The findings highlight the remarkable capabilities of these cephalopods, and the public can vote for their favorite invertebrate from 12 August to midnight on 16 August, with the winner announced on Tuesday 18 August.
