Water temperatures in the Gulf of California in May and June 1996 and their relation to the capture of giant squid (Dosidicus gigas D’Orbigny, 1835)

Abstract

The relation between water temperature and the capture of giant squid in the Gulf of California was analyzed. Data were collected in May and June 1996 at 60 stations. Each fishing session lasted 30 minutes, and an average of 100 organisms per 0.5º · 0.5º square were caught. The hypothesis was that if water temperature is a factor affecting squid movement, we can infer that the catch of squid is successful in an optimum temperature range. With both exploratory and correlation analyses, the conclusion was that the hypothesis was true.