This week’s Video of the Week was shot by Pim van Schendel of Murex Dive Resorts. He was lucky enough to come across several pairs of Bigfin Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis Lessoniana) mating and laying eggs in Manado Bay, Indonesia.
Bigfin Reef Squid, also known as Oval Squid, inhabit the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. They are most active at night, surfacing in darkness to avoid being detected by predators. Generally they are found in shallower waters, up to a depth of 100 metres/330 feet, around reefs, sea grass, sandy bottoms and shorelines.
Averaging between 3.8-33 centimetres/1.5-13 inches in length, Bigfin Reef Squid look quite similar to cuttlefish due to their large oval fin that extends throughout the margins of its mantle.
Bigfin Reef Fish are fast-growing, highly tolerant of handling and captivity and not seasonal, making them a popular food source and heavily farmed in Asia. In fact, they are regarded as one of the most promising species for mariculture. As a species, they have the fastest recorded growth rates of any large marine invertebrate, reaching 600 grams/1.3 pounds in just four months. They are a short-lived species, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 315 days.
In the above video, we see the male guarding the female as she deposits the eggs in clusters onto the artificial structure. Egg capsules incubate for 15 to 22 days, depending on temperature, and on average there will be 680 offspring. Upon hatching, the paralarvae are planktonic (meaning they float or drift in great numbers in bodies of water) and have fully functioning fins, ink sacs and the ability to change colour.
If you’re interested in other incredible critters Murex Dive Resorts have come across in the waters of North Sulawesi, check out their Facebook page and YouTube channel.
If you’re interested in diving Indonesia, visit our Vacation Spotlight to learn more.
