Bycatch

I should start by saying that there is very little bycatch in the Loligo fishery (which is actually a type of squid in case I haven’t mentioned that already) and most of it is rockcod (Patogonotothen spp.). Due to the fact that I see them all the time, I keep forgetting to take photos of Loligo and rockcod to show you, but I will try and rectify that soon. In the mean time, here are some photos of some of the things that have been caught so far:

This is probably the coolest bycatch we’ve had. It’s Moroteuthis ingens, or the greater hooked squid. This one has about a 40 cm long mantle. I didn’t measure the longest tentacles because my 1m long ruler wasn’t long enough!

These are the internal organs of the male (first photo) and female (second photo). One of my main jobs is to sex and age squid, though Loligo are much smaller. You should be able to see the difference!






This is probably the bycatch I feel sorriest for. It’s an octopus, and I think the species is Benthoctopus eureka. It has always reached me alive and it has these huge black eyes that are cuter than the cutest puppy. They are really intelligent and sorrowful. As all I have to do is measure the mantle length and identify the species, I try and work with it as quickly as possible and put it into the bycatch chute. I doubt it will survive to reach the sea and even if it does I expect the birds will get it, but I have to try.


I see quite a few of these, often with their mouths stuffed full of squid! They are Cottoperca gobio or the frogmouth. They have a really tough skin and often survive the hauling process.



These are Neophrynichthys marmoratus. They are like sacks of jelly and are very slippery, but incredibly are really hardy and I have only seen live ones so far. They are few and far between, but unmistakable!




And this is a Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides. Again, and like all of these species, I only see them rarely, but they are distinctive in that they have two lateral lines. They also have very sharp teeth!



I think that will do for now. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the species I work with!

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