Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 12

Japanese Scientists Photograph 100 Neon Flying Squid Gliding 30 Metres Over Pacific

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 12

Japanese Scientists Photograph 100 Neon Flying Squid Gliding 30 Metres Over Pacific

Q: What terrifying ocean predator could force an entire school of squid to simultaneously launch themselves 30 meters through the air?

The most likely predator was a shark, though scientists cannot say for certain. The researchers who photographed the event said the roughly 100 neon flying squid probably launched into the air as an escape response, and a shark was cited as the leading possibility. That fits what is known about flying squid behavior: they are highly mobile, social animals that can accelerate rapidly with jet propulsion through a muscular funnel called the hyponome, then burst out of the water and glide when threatened. Experts stress that the exact trigger remains unknown. The squid may also have been reacting to another fast predator, since large fish and marine mammals are known to chase squid hard enough to drive extreme evasive behavior. One biologist cited in related coverage described seeing a mahi-mahi pursue a squid out of the water and catch it mid-air, and has tracked Humboldt squid swimming at about 10 meters per second to escape sea lions. What makes this case unusual is the synchronized scale of the response. Individual flying squid leaping from the sea is well documented, but an entire school gliding about 30 meters beside a vessel is rare enough that it had long been treated largely as sailors’ lore. The best evidence points to a sudden predator threat—most plausibly a shark—triggering a mass airborne escape.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 12

About 100 neon flying squid burst from the Pacific roughly 370 miles from Tokyo and glided about 30 metres beside a Japanese research vessel, producing the first known photographs of the behavior.
The subsequent study said the squid likely used the hyponome — a funnel-like organ that jets water — to launch themselves clear of the sea, with photos showing their arms spread during the glide.
Researchers do not know exactly why the shoal flew in formation, but a predator escape response is one leading explanation.
The sighting was made 15 years ago, yet even veteran squid biologists say group gliding is exceptionally rare despite flying squid being known worldwide for leaping from the water.