About Squid
I. Genegal:
According to the latest data, there are 25 squid species under Teuthoidea order in Viet Nam’s territorial waters. Most of them live in the depth of lower than 100m from the surface. The remainders live in open sea waters at the depth of upper than 100 m under the surface. Squids are sensitive to the changes of hydrologic conditions, climate and light, hence their migration is based on the season, day and night. In general, during the day, the water surface is heated up by the sunshine, making the water temperature higher, so that squidd often swim toward the bottom or lower layers. During the night, when the temperature of water surface reduces, they swim from bottom layers back to the surface.
In the dry months (December – March), squids migrate to shallower waters (less than 30m).In rainy months (June – September), they migrate to 30-50m deep waters.
Distribution: Similar to cuttlefish, in the Northern waters, squids are concentrated in major targeted fishing grounds, i.e. Cat Ba, Cai Chien, Co To, Hon Me – Hon Mat island and Bach Long Vi, especially in the spring. In Southern waters, main areas where squids can be found are Phan Rang, Phan Thiet, Vung Tau, Ca Mau and the surroundings of Con Dao, Phu Quoc islands.
Fishing season: Squids could be caught all year around, however, there are two main fishing seasons for these species, including Northern season (December-April) and Southern season (Jun-September).
Fishing gears: Squid fishing gears using light resource such as squid long line, light luring lift net, lift net and squids falling net. Strong light intensity is used to attract squids since these species are light-oriented. Squids often concentrate at high density within the halo light. As a result, Viet Nam as well as many other countries often uses fishing techniques together with light to catch squids.
Output: the annual squid catch in the territorial waters of Viet Nam is approximately 24,000 MT, of which the Southern coastal production rank the first with over 16,000 MT (accounting for 70%), followed by Ton Kin Gulf with 5,000 MT (20%) and Central with 2,500 MT (10%) respectively.
Export: Vietnamese squid exported to 30 foreign markets with revenue USD50-60mil, including frozen and dried products.
Processing products: Frozen whole clean squid in block, IQF, semi-IQF or semi block… Processing products are fillet, ring, flower shape… which was ready to cook, or sushi, sashimi for eating mixed vegetable; combined and instant products such as grilled- squid, marinated ground squid.
II. Common squids in Viet Nam’s territorial waters
1. Mitre Squid:
Scientific name: Loligo chinensis Gray, 1849
– Features: Mitre squid is a big species of about 350-400mm in length, rocket-like shape, the length is 6 times the width, arrow tail fins (fin is 2/3 the length) and transparent skin (corneal membrane)
– Distribution: This species lives in surface layers and to be distributed along the coast of Viet Nam from the North to the South.
– Fishing season: all year around but the main fishing seasons are January- March and June – September
– Fishing gears: hook and line, luring lift net, lift net, falling net using light tackle.
1. Japanese Squid:
Scientific name: Loligo japonica Hoyle, 1885
– Features: warhead–like shape, the length is 4 times the width. The body surface with big and small rounded pigments, which are alternating. The fine length is 65% of body lenth.
– Distribution: This species lives in shallow marine waters and continental shelf. In summer, it often swims to coastal areas with the depth of less than 10m to spawn. It is mainly distributed in the Central region and Southern region, especially abundant in Nha Trang and Binh Thuan.
– Fishing season: all year around but the main fishing seasons are from January to March and from June to September
– Fishing gears: hook and line, luring lift net, lift net, falling net using light tackle.
3. Beka Squid:
Scientific name: Loligo beka Sasaki, 1929
– Features: It owns average length, warhead-like shape and the length is three times the width. Body has many violet pigments, fin length is smaller than body length and the fin width is smaller than fin length.
– Distribution: this species inhabits mainly in open sea. It often swims near the shore to spawn in dry season. The eggs released often clot into lumps of 30-50cm. Each lump contains about 20-40 eggs. This species is distributed in the Northern, Central and Southern region of Viet Nam.
– Fishing season: all year around but the main fishing seasons are from January to March and from June to September
– Fishing gears: hook and line, luring lift net, lift net, falling net using light tackle
4. Bigfin reef Squid ( Broad Squid):
Scientific name: Sepioteuthis lessoniana Lesson, 1830
– Features: The mantle is big and appearance looks like both squid and cuttlefish. Its length is 250-400mm and 3 times bigger than the width.
– Distribution: This species is distributed widely in the Northern, Central and Southern region of Viet Nam, but most abundant in the Gulf of Tonkin, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan provinces.
– Fishing season: all year around but the main fishing seasons are from January to March and from June to September
– Fishing gears: hook and line, luring lift net, lift net, falling net using light tackle
5. Japanese flying Squid:
Scientific name: Todarodes pacificus Steenstrup, 1880
– Features: It owns round and elongated shape, short fin with length is 40% body length, funnel groove looks like shallow holes, without side bag, tentacles are big, rough, long.
– Distribution: This species inhabits in both open sea and off-shore waters, at the depth of 500m. It adapts to the temperature range of 5-270C. It concentrates in the Central region of Viet Nam.
– Fishing season: all year around but the main fishing seasons are from January to March and from June to September
– Fishing gears: hook and line, luring lift net, lift net, gillnet using light tackle.
– Products: whole clean squid, fillet, rings, marinated and dried.
