Asian Diver and Scuba Diver No. 3/2016 Volume 142 | Page 3

1,000 WORDS

“Nature hath framed strange
fellows in her time.”
William Shakespeare

SOME FRIENDS AND I decided it seemed like a
good idea to drop down to 20 metres at night in
several thousands of feet of water a few kilometres
from a tiny sulphur-belching volcano in the middle
of the remote Banda Sea. After a few minutes, this
squid appeared, inked out this yellow mass and
then sat, resting in the middle of it!
Melanin gives squid ink their pigment. They
can control the thickness or viscosity of their ink
through the use of mucus, to achieve thick clouds
or wispy puffs. The colour of the ink can change
depending on how much light is able to penetrate
through it, meaning it can range in hue from black
and brown to this less-seen yellow.
Squid are thought to use their ink for a variety
of purposes, including as an olfactory, visual or

Hergen Spalink

taste-related distraction for predators, as a way
of attracting a mate in the open ocean, and as
a visual distraction ((i.e., something to “hide”
behind) when hunting prey.