Several unusually big squids were caught on Friday (Feb 2) by Phang Nga Bay fishermen operating from Krabi province, right across the bay from Phuket, reports Bangkok Post.
The colossal squids, each weighing an impressive 5 kilograms, were hauled in by the fishing boat Chokpapimo. The images of the marine creatures were shared on Facebook by Nuch Juraluck, sparking a range of comments from netizens, questioning the squid’s identity and expressing curiosity about the palatability of their meat.
The page owner, who operates a seafood stall in Mueang Krabi District, confessed to not knowing the official name of the squid but mentioned that vendors commonly refer to them as "Muek Jeen," literally meaning “Chinese Squid.”
Four or five of these unique squids were caught off the coast of Krabi and their meat was made available for purchase at B100 per kilogram.
Charoenchai Srisuwan, a senior fisheries official in Krabi, also identified the deep-water squid only as “Muek Jeen” and highlighted its infrequent presence in the region.
According to Mr Charoenchai, such catches are reported only every three to five years, typically by trawlers utilizing large nets, and there have been no previous reports of these squids being caught near the shore.
Mr Charoenchai suggested that the “Muek Jeen” appearance in the sea near Krabi’s coast could indicate an uptick in biodiversity due to seasonal fishery closures in the region.
However, he also acknowledged the possibility that the “Muek Jeen” squids might have migrated following underwater eruptions.