Cannibalism Amongst Deep Sea Squid
Cannibalism is not so unusual in the deep sea, especially for squid, but until recently the diet of Gonatus squid was largely unknown. By using ROVs to make observations of these squid in their natural habitat, scientists now know a great deal more about their feeding behavior.
A recent paper by Henk-Jan Hoving and Bruce Robison reveals that the diet of the two similar Gonatus squid species—Gonatus onyx (bttm image) and Gonatus berryi (top) — have a higher than expected incidence of cannibalism.
Hoving is a former MBARI postdoctoral fellow and is now with the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany; Robison is an MBARI senior scientist and midwater ecologist.