MU HE'E
Live fast, die young
By Kristen Payton
Advertiser Staff Writer
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A silver tilapia, the length of a quarter, is thrown into a circular blue aquatic tank with sleek pen-shaped creatures. It's feeding time for the breeding Hawaiian reef squid, known in Hawaiian as mu he'e, at the Waikiki Aquarium.
Within seconds, eight tentacles of a squid grasp the tilapia like an injection puncturing the skin. The squid snatches its prey and holds on with its two extendable tentacles.
Then the creature — about 3 inches long, with colors that vary from pale white to reddish brown, depending on its mood — guides the fish into its mouth, and it's gone.
Behind the scenes at the Waikiki Aquarium, University of Hawai'i-Manoa student aquarist Jeff Milisen helps breed and feed the Hawaiian reef squids.
Baby squids are fed fish, almost the same size as them, three times daily.
Although the public is unable to view the breeding tanks, larger squid may be seen swimming in the aquarium's Jet Set gallery display.
Two squids are swimming in the gallery's tank right now. At about 6 months old, they have already started reproducing in the tank.
Squids in the display tank are fed five times a day, and if you're there at the right time, you may see them eating fish chunks on a stick.
On each of a squid's tentacles are cups with needles that grab and aid the squid in pulling its prey in. If a squid attaches to your fingers, it can leave behind tiny cuts.
"Not the ideal pet," aquarium director Andrew Rossiter said.
"About five years ago, there was a big population boom for the squid," he said.
Now, they can be found swimming around Hawai'i's rocky and sandy shores, such as Hanauma Bay.
Since mu he'e have resurfaced in Hawai'i, they have returned to the aquarium after a four-year absence. Workers at the Waikiki Aquarium will continue breeding the squids, making them a permanent display in the gallery.
The Jet Set gallery features jet-propelled invertebrate animals. Three animals from the cephalopod mollusc family are featured, each in its own tank: the nautilus, the squid and the octopus.
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| A SQUID'S LIFE
At birth, squids are smaller versions of their parents. They eat small fish, shrimp and crabs.
They are intelligent creatures. According to Waikiki Aquarium's Education Department, squids have a "complex brain and elaborate nervous system." Their vision is comparable to humans. They can see you just like you see them.
One notable feature: pigment cells called chromatophores, which change the squid's color to communicate with other squid, match their environment or attract a mate. "When they're frightened, they turn pale white," said Waikiki Aquarium director Andrew Rossiter. "When they're romantic, they turn reddish-brown. Romantic squid."
Squids are made for swimming. Some reach speeds of more than 20 mph for short distances. A muscular tube called siphon allows the squid to shoot backward by expelling a jet of water.
They produce five to six egg batches a lifetime. Each batch has approximately 2,000 eggs, but only one or two eggs survive from each batch.
The adult Hawaiian reef squid ranges from 15 to 18 inches long, and they live for eight months to a year. "These animals grow quick, reproduce early, live short, and use up all of their energy quickly," said Rossiter.
— Kristen Payton |
