Squid

Introduction:
Ever since Captain Nemo fought a giant octopus on his submarine the 'Nautilus', man has been intrigued by squids. They are therefore fascinating creatures, swimming backwards through what is known as a 'propulsion system' in which they blow water through a kind of tube. To hide from the field of vision of many a hostile animal and man, they produce a black liquid from which they derive their name : ink. These cephalopods have ten limbs, eight of which are arms and two longer feeding tentacles. It is fascinating to see what they can do with these. The squids (Teuthida), although perfectly edible even on weekends, belong to the group of mollusks. Their strong fins, with which they can swim well, together with the slender body form an aquadynamic arrow, hence their name. The species introduced to us is the common squid or loligo vulgaris. Imported species from warm countries are more likely to be of the Illex family. However, it is good to know that there are dozens of families.

Squid are popular all over the world. In Japan they are consumed alive or nearly alive (katsu ika) For those who do not believe it should just YouTube. (Not for sensitive souls). Most people know this fish by the name "calamar" or "calamares. Cut into rings, dipped in a batter and deep-fried and you have a fish snack par excellence. Often we also find recipes in which squid is prepared in its own ink, the 'calamares en su tinta,' taking the name from Latin because 'calamarium' means inkwell. Non-battered rings are an indispensable element in paella. They also find their application in numerous marinades, in which ingredients such as olive oil, garlic, lemon, herbs and peppers are indispensable.The tubes of squid, in turn, are often used to fill such as with rice, risotto, vegetables or fish mousse.

In a lot of Eastern countries, squid are often offered dried.
Do not fry or deep-fry squid too long, it tends to become tough and rubbery quickly.

TIP: Don't throw away the tentacles. You make the most delicious salads with them.

Features:

Squids, also called "calamares," have an elongated body. They have a wafer-thin, transparent internal shell (while the cuttlefish has a thick internal shell). Squids have an even shorter life cycle

than cuttlefish. They die after reproducing, which happens as early as one year old
. The abundance of these short-lived species is highly influenced by
environmental variables. Because of this wide variation, it remains difficult to establish a "TAC" (Total
Allowable Catch). On the east coast of the United States and in the Falkland Islands, squid are managed by reporting catch data in real time. If the catch per 'unit effort' drops, the fishery is stopped to protect the remaining adults.

Caught with trawls

In France, some large trawlers (October-January) target squid. in the English Channel, accounting for annual landings of 4,500 tons. In the Northeast Atlantic, squid are often a bycatch in bottom trawls. Several species of squid can be found in the areas frequented by Belgian fishermen, including the common squid (Loligo vulgaris) and the Arctic squid (Loligo forbesii). Belgian fisheries land over 100 tons of them every year. Thus, the squid we see on the Belgian market come mainly from imports (approx. 3,650 tons), of which more

than half come from the Far East (China and India), but also Argentina et al.
Consequently, these are mostly other types of squid. A common form of presentation is cut into rings, breaded or not. These are then presented in a liquid that extends the shelf life. Squid are very susceptible to oxidation. The "real" rings are characterized by a somewhat tougher, elastic and stretchy appearance. If they already break immediately, then you are dealing with the ground giant squid (Architeuthis dux). In Spain you may then not call them squid rings, but 'breaded rings'.

Whole or cleaned

Small specimens are sold whole. The largest are offered emptied and cleaned, as tubes or as rings as explained earlier.
In the areas where Belgian fishermen reside, different species of squid can be found. The 3 most important for the market are the Northern squid (Loligo forbesi), the common squid (Loligo vulgaris) and the large squid (Todarodes sagittatus). Squid belong to the shellfish (as do oysters, mussels and snails). They have an internal, transparent shell. Around the mouth are 8 short arms and 2 extended tentacles, distinguishing them from octopuses. Their mantle is tapered with two diamond-shaped fins at the back (over two-thirds of the mantle). When danger threatens, they confuse the attacker by squirting ink around.
The common squid (Loligo vulgaris) can grow up to 30-40 cm in size (mantle) and weigh 1.5 kg, but is usually 15-20 cm long in trade. The middle rows of suckers on the long tentacles are extremely large (up to 4 times larger than those on the rows on the sides). This is how you can distinguish the species from the common squid. Common squid live from very shallow water up to 500 m deep.
Origin
In the northeast Atlantic, squid is often a bycatch in bottom trawls. Several species of squid can be found in the areas frequented by Belgian fishermen, including the common squid (Loligo vulgaris) and the Arctic squid (Loligo forbesi). Common squid live from very shallow water up to 500 m deep. Belgian fishermen landed over 287 tons in 2017, with an average price of €5.60/kg.

Spawning
Common squid have large seasonal migrations, as they migrate to deeper waters off the coast of Portugal to spend the winter. From May-June, they return to the North Sea to spawn in early summer and early autumn. The white-yellow egg strands are attached to hard structures on the sea floor. Northern squid spawn in the English Channel, both in the winter months (December-January) and in the summer. Squid in general live up to 1 to 2 years.
wone squid live along

Did you know ...
- The common squid lives along European coasts, particularly in the English Channel. The species is intensively fished and both juveniles and adults are targeted. The highly effective fishing method called "Flyshoot" yields several times more squid caught than any other method. 

- The short lifespan and strong influence of environmental factors on stock accretion make it difficult to manage this species.

- Consumption of squid may be recommended until better statistics are available. It is a difficult species to manage, but catches from the flyshoot fishery do suggest that stocks are in better shape than originally thought.

For more information: https://www.zeevruchtengids.org/nl/pijlinktvis