• Photo by Rantje Allen

  • Photo by William Tan

  • Photo by Rantje Allen

  • Photo by William Tan

  • Photo by Rantje Allen

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Monthly Archives: January 2019

Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg masses

Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg masses are rarely seen. However, one of them drifted near Miguel’s Diving speed boat during a surface interval. It looked like a giant pink and transparent version of a child’s slinky toy.

Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg masses

Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg mass floats on the surface

Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg masses

Mysterious

, deep water squids lay eggs in spirals. A gelatinous case holds the long spirals together. After the fertilization process is complete, the egg mass will float with ocean currents near the surface.

Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg masses can measure up to 1.8 meters in length. Each tiny pink pearl is actually a squid egg. A single egg case carries between 24 and 43 thousand eggs inside its transparent case. The egg mass the Miguel’s Diving staff discovered measured about one meter.

diamond squid egg mass detail
Detail of diamond squid egg mass

Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg masses drift with strong currents in warm tropical waters. Seeing them is indeed a rare event. This occurrence marks only the second time Miguel’s Diving staff have discovered this type of egg mass during our 16 years of operation.

Diamond Squid from the Depths

This deep water squid is sometimes called diamond or diamondback squid. It has distinctive fins that run its body length. Its scientific name, Thysanoteuthis rhombus, describes its rhombic shape. Its arms are noticeably short. However, it can grow up to 100 centimeters and weigh up to 30 kilograms.   

This diamond quid lives in the deeper parts of the ocean during the day. Trawlers have found it at depths below two kilometers! Since Tomini Bay, where Miguel’s Diving operates, plunge to twice that depth, no one should be surprised to learn deep sea squid live in Gorontalo waters. At night, it will rise nearer the ocean surface. It is found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas.

The beautiful Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg masses come from mating pair. The diamond squid are the only cephalopod known to remain in the same mating pair for life. Fishermen observed that if one of the pair is caught, its mate will remain in the area until it is caught as well. Diamond squid naturally live about one year.  

Thysanoteuthis rhombus sketch

Thysanoteuthis rhombus adult

Deep Water Encounter

This squid is fished commercially in Japan. Other predators include tuna, swordfish, sharks, Rough-toothed dolphins, as well as False Killer and Sperm whales. Miguel’s Diving staff have observed all of those predators in the Gorontalo waters of Tomini Bay.

Although divers are unlikely to see these deep water Thysanoteuthis rhombus egg masses anywhere in the world , our guests often see other pelagic species. For your chance to meet deep water marine life in Gorontalo, please book your dive trip with us.

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