What Are These???

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:07 pm

I know I should know this, and am assuming that they are critter eggs of some kind, but for the life of me I can't remember, and I don't think they've published a "Critter Egg's of the Pacific Northwest" book yet

John?

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Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:43 pm

Ah yes; these are the rare and very elusive Smallis Eggis Pointieess Conees Minimus.

:rr:

Jan K · Post by **Jan K** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:54 pm

Nice shot Tom. Stubby squid eggs (Rossia pacifica),

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:08 pm

Jan K wrote:Nice shot Tom. Stubby squid eggs (Rossia pacifica),

Right. I was using the local slang. $\:D/$

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:00 pm

Jan K wrote:Nice shot Tom. Stubby squid eggs (Rossia pacifica),

Thanks Jan! So... those are Stubby squid eggs as opposed to the longer white bunched egg casings that I've seen that I've also been told are squid eggs?

Cool! The eggs are kind of like the critter! $\:D/$

Love those stubbies!
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Aquanautchuck · Post by **Aquanautchuck** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:04 pm

I think a Stubby Squid is the one of the only fish I have never seen and want to. They are almost as neet at Grunt Sculpin.

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 12:49 pm

Aquanautchuck wrote:I think a Stubby Squid is the one of the only fish I have never seen and want to. They are almost as neet at Grunt Sculpin.

Oh, they are really cute little suckers.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:29 pm

Tom Nic wrote: Thanks Jan! So... those are Stubby squid eggs as opposed to the longer white bunched egg casings that I've seen that I've also been told are squid eggs?

Yes. The stubby squid eggs tend to be underneath overhands and attached to flatish surfaces as shown.

Pelagic squid eggs are elongate like little sausages. And tend to be in clumps like a mop. And attached to things like the boundary line at Cove 2 out in the open.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:29 pm

So the "bush" looking thing of eggs is an opalesent (sp?) squid and not a stubby squid eh? Learned something, thanks!

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:13 pm

Sounder wrote:So the "bush" looking thing of eggs is an opalesent (sp?) squid and not a stubby squid eh? Learned something, thanks!

If you're lucky, you'll chance upon a bunch of squid creating one of those egg "bushes" ... I've hung out for 10 or more minutes at times just watching.

We're coming into that time of year ... just gotta be out there at night ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Pez7378 · Post by **Pez7378** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:18 pm

Okay so here's a question. Do they put the eggs in the same place year after year? Or is it just a lucky encounter to find them "laying" the eggs in a suitable location. Where would we look to see this behavior? We saw some eggs at Muk. Then one day we were in relatively shallow water and we saw 7-8 squid showing off their bouyancy skills just hovering around the egg nest.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:30 pm

They seem to be anywhere from 40 to 100ft at all our typical sites (eg. Mukilteo, Cove 2, 3Tree, etc). They only attach to some sort of upright structure in my experience. The eggs must not do to well if they touch the bottom (not enough water flow or maybe silt). So look for stuff sticking up off the bottom.

They die after laying so its not like the same squid is returning to a spawning site. Despite that, Cove 2 is a reliable location. Try in 35-60ft near the big plastic balls leading up from the I-beams towards the honey bear.

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:33 pm

Aquanautchuck wrote:I think a Stubby Squid is the one of the only fish I have never seen and want to. They are almost as neet at Grunt Sculpin.

Hey Chuck! I haven't seen one either - welcome to MY world...

- Janna

PS: It ain't a fishie

- it's an invertebrate!

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:53 pm

nwscubamom wrote:
Aquanautchuck wrote:I think a Stubby Squid is the one of the only fish I have never seen and want to. They are almost as neet at Grunt Sculpin.
Hey Chuck! I haven't seen one either - welcome to MY world...

- Janna

PS: It ain't a fishie - it's an invertebrate!

Wow Janna!! Come to Redondo with us!! I had no idea!! Not many of them in the other Vancouver eh?

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:57 pm

Thanks Doug!

Alas, my world is also a dry one lately - my suit got shipped up to Canada for some long-needed repairs. I'd been nursing the suit along through the busy season (August and September) of diving projects - and after the Critterwatcher's dive on the 29th - it went in!

Who knows when I'll see it again?

- Janna

gcbryan · Post by **gcbryan** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:04 am

For the record I have seen the bunches of Opalescent Squid eggs deposited directly on the ground when there is no vertical structure available but they do seem to look for structure first.

It's interesting that not every year results in the same numbers of mating/egg deposits. Most years at Cove 2 I've seen dozens mating at one time but several years ago I was there when hundreds were mating at the same time.