Squids, as I may have mentioned before, are the snacks of the sea. Everyone who can eat them, does. Whales. Sharks. Birds. Other squids. They're swimming tubes of protein with no scales or bones to get in the way, and they're highly abundant. If you're any kind of marine predator, squids are the perfect prey.

But one has to wonder: if squids fuel everything from albacore to albatross, what fuels the squids? Sure, they'll eat each other, but the ouroboros model doesn't really work that well for ecology.

I thought I'd write a compelling story about Humboldt squid and one of their favorite prey items, the lightfish Vinciguerria. These two creatures are quite the dynamic duo: one flashing like a red-and-white strobe, the other studded with glowing photophores. They clearly belong at some kind of deep-sea rave.

But I'm riding a train, and I keep getting distracted by the scenery. I can't help it; I love the California hills!

By the fifth false start, I realized that if I wanted to post anything today, it would have to be light and fluffy. So here is a picture I took of a juvenile Humboldt squid in an aquarium:

Is it possible to bring up a squid-related topic about which I have nothing to say? So far, the answer seems to be no.

I'm not sure if I should be proud--or find some more hobbies.

Anyhoo, today's blog-babble is tipped off by odori-don, the dancing squid rice bowl. (That linked article includes a video, for the morbidly curious.)