Squids and their Bizarre Reproduction Techniques in Deep Oceans!

‘Reproducing in the deep ocean is a real challenge’, says Hoving who was awarded a PhD by the University of Groningen, Netherlands on 19th December, 2008. Finding a partner in a gigantic, pitch-black environment is not easy so when you find one, you just need to seize the moment at any cost! Squids that live in deep oceans have thus developed a wide range of fascinating reproductive techniques to solve their reproduction dilemma.

Some of the bizarre techniques that Hoving discovered included deep cutting, through the skin, and sperms in reserve. To make it a little more interesting, I am presenting his discoveries in a slightly lighter, easy to understand version.

The Rough Way – Deep Cuts

Hoving made quite an interesting remark after investigating reproductive techniques of no fewer than 10 different squids and related cuttlefish. He said, “‘Reproduction is no fun if you’re a squid. With one species, the Taningia danae, I discovered that the males give the females cuts of at least 5 centimeters deep in their necks with their beaks or hooks – they don’t have suction pads. They then insert their packets of sperm, also called spermatophores, into the cuts.’ Well, this technique can be justified considering the level of frustration of poor squids in the depths of pitch-black oceans.

The Oral Shot – Via Skin

Hoving found out that there are certain species of squids that use a more peaceful technique for reproduction. In these peaceful species, the spermatophores penetrate the skin independently with the help of an enzyme like substance that dissolves tissue. Hoving first proved that sperm packets are able to penetrate the skin under their own steam when he experimentally placed spermatophores on the skin of just-caught individuals.

The Sperms in Reserve

Another extraordinary discovery made by Hoving was that of female squids having a pouch that can store sperms in reserve and thus have a steady supply which they can make use of at a later stage. This he found, while studying mini squids, Heteroteuthis dispar, and said, “The females have a pouch for storing sperm that is directly linked to the belly and the oviducts. This indicates that fertilization takes place within the body and not outside - which is more common for squid.” About 3 percent of body weight of a female squid who has mated consists of stored sperms.

Males with Female characteristics

Hoving was also the first to discover that some male squids even have female characteristics. “Usually, squid have separate sexes. There are no hermaphrodites, as with snails. But with one species, Ancistrocheirus lesueurii, some of the males turned out to have small glands that in females are involved in egg production. They also had significantly longer bodies than ‘normal’ males.” Hoving cannot explain this phenomenon. “It’s possible that it’s the result of hormones and hormone-like substances that end up in the surface water as a result of human action – for example use of the pill – and then sink down to the deep ocean. However, it may also be an alternative reproductive strategy and a way of getting closer to the females.”

Little research has been done regarding deep-ocean squids because of the fact that deep oceans are quite inaccessible and thus the study becomes extremely difficult. In order to gain an understanding of the reproductive habits of deep ocean squids, Hoving used a lot of dead individuals which he got hold of in many inventive ways. He said, “I’ve joined scientific expeditions but have also used examples that were found in the 1960s and 1970s in the stomachs of commercially caught sperm whales.” He hopes that his study will contribute towards further research regarding deep ocean squids and their ecosystem.