Greinar (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.01.1943, Page 174

REMARKS ON THE AGE AND GROWTH
OF THE SQUID
(Ommatostrephes todarus Raphinesque)
in Icelandic waters
By
ÁRNI FRIÐRIKSSON, M. A.
It is a well known fact, that the squid Ommatostrephes
todarus frequents Icelandic waters from the Atlantic al-
most every summer. It first appears off the S- and SW-
coasts, as a rule in the beginning of July or even in June.
Few weeks later, about the middle of August, it is often
found in enormous shoals off the NW-coast, where it
enters the fjords in the latter half of August, and at
the same time, it may appear off the N-coast, well known
there as an enemy of the herring which is caught here
in great masses at this time of the year. The squid-shoals
usually stay in the NW-fjords until November or perhaps
longer, but as the temperature of the sea decreases, they
withdraw entirely from the surface and live bathype-
lagically in the fjord-depths. In September and October
great shoals can often be observed at the surface, espe-
cially at night.
During the last decades this squid has been exposed to
considerable fishing in the NW-fjords and partly also off
the N-coast because it is an excellent bait for the longline
fishery, both fresh and frozen. The only implement used
for catching the squid is a rather slender cylinder about
10 cm in length, made of lead, painted red and armed
with a number of small hooks (10—20), that are fixed
to one end. This implement is, I think, of French origin
and was first used in this country in the NW-fjords during
the last years of the 19th century.