Squid and Calamari

Fried Calamari is a popular seafood dish in Greek, Italian, oriental and other cuisines. It is a relatively simple dish, which consists of batter coated, deep fried calamari, Calamari is often served as an appetizer It is usually served with a dips such as astzatziki, Marinara sauce, ketchup, aioli, or olive oil. Calamari can also be garnished with lemon, cheese or other foods.

For more on calamari and othe seafood visit Fresh Seafood and Commercial Fishing.

American commercial fishing for squid focuses on both liligo and illex squid.

Atlantic Loligo Squid (Loligo pealeii) are common in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, where the majority of the world's catch originates. Commonly known as longfin squid, they are an important part of the ecosystem, as both predator and prey. Pelagic and bottom-dwelling fish, marine mammals, and diving birds all feed upon
longfin squid.

Longfin squid are pink or orange and mottled with brown or purple. The creatures have large eyes and their fins are long, at least 1/2 the length of the mantle.Longfin squid reach mantle lengths of about 1.6 feet, although most are less than 1 foot. They are short lived with most specimens only living about 9 months. In Northern waters, squid migrate offshore during late autumn to spend the winter in warmer waters along the shelf edge and slope. They return inshore during the spring where they remain until late autumn.

Longfin squid are found in continental shelf waters between Newfoundland and the Gulf of Venezuela. In the northwest Atlantic Ocean, longfin squid are most abundant from Georges Bank to Cape Hatteras. Juvenile Squid inhabit the upper water column in water 165 to 1,650 feet deep. Adults inhabit the continental shelf and upper continental slope to depths up to 1,300 feet. Adult and juvenile longfin squid inhabit deeper water during day and move up into the water column at night. Longfin squid of similar sizes gather in large schools to hunt prey. Small squid feed on plankton while larger squid feed on crustaceans and small fish. Adult squid are also cannibalistic.

2009 Management Measures Set for Squid, Mackerel and Butterfish

A new final rule establishes 2009 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish. This action maintains quotas for Atlantic mackerel, Illex squid, and butterfish at the same levels as 2008, while increasing the quota for Loligo squid. Additionally, it increases the incidental possession limit for mackerel and allows for the possibility of an inseason adjustment to increase the mackerel quota, if landings approach harvest limits. This final rule takes effect on March 9, 2009.

For more information, contact Carrie Nordeen at (978) 281-9272.

photo credit: NOAA Image Library

Ingredients:

1 lb. squid, cleaned and cut

(a) 1 Tbsp. wine
1/6 Tbsp. cornflour
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp. minced ginger root
1-1/2 cup sliced mixed vegetables

(b) 1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. sugar
dash of pepper
sesame oil
1 Tbsp. wine
1/2 Tbsp. cornflour
6 Tbsp. chicken stock

Instructions:
1. Rinse the cut calamari and marinate in ingredients(a) for a short time.

2. heat 2 Tablespoons oil in the Royal Chinese Work. Place the cut calamari into wok and stir-fry until it curls. Remove squid. Use remaining oil to stir-fry garlic and ginger root until fragrant.

Add vegetables and stir-fry briefly. Mix (b) and calamari and return to wok.

Cover wok and cook until steamy. Stir-fry to mix well. Remove and serve.

Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)*
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Calamari

Vegetable oil (for frying)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder**
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
15 ounces cleaned calamari, tentacles left whole, bodies cut into 1/2-inch rings

For dipping sauce:

Combine all ingredients except mayonnaise in processor. Blend well. Transfer to bowl. Stir in mayonnaise. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk before serving.)

For calamari:

Pour oil to depth of 3 inches in heavy large pot. Heat to 350°F. Whisk next 4 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Pour buttermilk into another large bowl. Add calamari to buttermilk. Working in batches, remove calamari; dredge in flour mixture. Fry until just crisp, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve warm with sauce.

*Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets.
**A blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger available in the spice section of most supermarkets.

photo credit: California DFG file photo by Carrie Wilson

The Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas), also referred to as jumbo squid, is named for the Humboldt Current off the coast of South America, from which they are thought to originate.

The traditional range of humbolt squid is Mexico to Peru although they have recently expanded their range, being seen as far north as Alaska.

A concern for California fisheries is whether the new California coastal inhabitants will affect their harvests.

Humboldt, squid are large squid, often weighing from 12 to 40 lbs. Their diet includes krill, shrimp, sardines, mollusks, anchovies, lantern fish and other squid, including their own species.

A recent study on the contents of their stomachs at Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz turned up larger and more surprising prey. Digestive remnants included bird feathers, Pacific hake and more.

Pacific hake, primarily a Northwestern catch, is the largest fishery on the west coast. Current California Pacific hake stocks appear healthy but are suffering in Puget Sound, likely due to over-fishing.

"We have no direct evidence the squid is impacting fisheries," said John Field, a fishery Biologist at Long Marine Lab. But, with an increasing population of squid consuming species like rockfish, northern anchovies and Pacific sardines, it is feasible.

"You have a new predator on the block that is pretty awesome," said Stanford Biologist William Gilly, who has funding from the California Ocean Protection Council and California Sea Grant to study the squid's influence on the California Current ecosystem. "They have huge energy requirements and they are starting to eat things that people care about."

Humbolt squid are the third largest commercial fishery in Mexico and are fished commercially to some extent in the USA.

VAMPIRE SQUID - scientific name, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, translates to "Vampire Squid From Hell." This creature has some remarkable predator avoidance abilities - both a visually disorienting photophore lighting system making it difficult to tell one end of the vampire squid from the other, and a mucus cloud it ejects containing thousands of glowing spheres of blue bioluminescent light. When the light show ends, the squid disappears and it's difficult to tell if the black vampire squid has flown away in the dark (and if so, in which direction), or whether it has merely faded into the lightless waters where it lives.

source: California Department of Fish and Game

Alaska Sea Grant has published the Field Guide to Squids and Octopods of the Eastern North Pacific and Bering Sea. The 100 page guide features a key to 44 species, is well illustrated with drawings, color photos, and maps, and is printed on waterproof paper.

"A gaping hole in our knowledge has been filled with an interesting and useful work. It will be invaluable for fishery biologists, ecologists, commercial fishermen, and recreational fishers and divers," said Clyde Roper, world-renowned cephalopod expert at the Smithsonian Institution.

Author Elaina Jorgensen is a fisheries scientist at the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, where she has worked on cephalopods for more than 10 years. To order a copy of the book, please see http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-65.html.