How does one bring Hawaiian Bobtail Squid back stateside?

[richiesreef]

I am going to be visiting Hawaii this summer in less than two weeks and, ever since we first heard of them, me and my friend have been absolutely obsessed with Hawaiian Bobtail Squid. After extensive research, we've come to find that they cannot be purchased anywhere in the US and so have begun to seek out other means of acquiring some. They are in no way, shape, or form endangered/threatened as there are literally millions of them in the waters surrounding Hawaii so capturing a few of them would not only be easy but not harmful at all. The issue lies with TSA. A local wholesaler and friend of ours said to simply package them up in bags (a few per bag) and then to place those bags into individual tupperware containers and then to place those containers into our checked luggage. He also mentioned that we should wear college shirts as it would make us less suspicious (although I don't know how that makes much, if any difference). Any advice on how we can get some of these little guys back to our home state of FL so we can add them to our preordained bobtail tanks would be greatly appreciated!

Here's a pic of what they look like to anyone who doesn't already know and yes they are naturally bioluminescent with the help of some common tropical bacteria!!

 

[TJ's Reef]

I had no issues with TSA getting livestock (Fish, Inverts and Macro Algae) through in my carry-on bag other than having them squeeze the life out of the Macro. We flew Alaska Airlines and they stated over the phone that if it was OK with TSA they were OK with it. I tried a few years ago with Hawaiian Airlines and it was a NO GO so Shipped through Delta.

Cheers, Todd

P.S. AWESOME Squid by the way

 

[Thesmallerthebetter]

I too have brought back numerous specimens from hawaii (scientific collecting permit) and never had an issue with TSA or the Airline.

 

[richiesreef]

Wow I never would have thought that they would allow specimens to be brought back via a carry on. We're flying American Airlines on the trip to and from Hawaii so I guess we could call America and ask what they say?

 

[richiesreef]

@thesmallerthebetter that's awesome, did you have to show your permit?

 

[TJ's Reef]

I applied for and received a Free Collection Permit (Personal Aquarium) through Hawaii DLNR and not once did anyone ask to see it.

Cheers, Todd

 

[mfinn]

Haven't flown anywhere for several years. Wasn't there a set amount of liquid you could bring with you?

 

[TJ's Reef]

Haven't flown anywhere for several years. Wasn't there a set amount of liquid you could bring with you?

There still is Marty (2oz.) but there have been some exceptions made, like having an obviously alive animal in the bag discounting any possible toxins.

Cheers, Todd

 

[pickupman66]

FWIW, i have transported Zoanthids in my carry on when traveling cross country. I was leery about the water so we wrapped them in a soaked towell and put that in the baggie. they rode in my backpack and were never questioned. now whenever I can see a LFS and can hit it the day of flight, I go zoa shopping. its cool bringing back locally grown corals rom other parts of the country that my local club members have never seen.

 

[sirreal]

have you been on the Tonmo site. I have kept Octopus for years and Have been a member of that sire for years. Lots of great info and plenty of people to help you. If you can find them I would suggest bringing back eggs instead of adults. They have a very short life span and might only live for a few days to a few months. Life span is less then 1 year birth to death so getting eggs gives you a chance to have them for the longest amount of time. Also most of the time they will breed at a pretty young age and carry the eggs until just before death so if they lay eggs expect them to die very shortly after. I am on my 7th octopus and have kept 4 species. They are just fantastic creatures

 

[TylersReef]

@TJ's Reef: Thanks for that info, I'll definitely look into that. I'm the friend that was mentioned in the original post and are actually the one who wrote the original article I just used Richie's profile because I couldn't remember my login last night lol
@Pickupman66: Iv'e known about doing that with corals for some time now but I wonder if that would work for live specimens as well...
@sirreal: I have read numerous articles on Tonmo and could literally tell you everything there is to know about Cuttlefish (it's an obsession). I will soon be breeding Flamboyant Cuttlefish with the help of a LFS and semi-local wholesaler to get the initial supply of them. I digress though, I would most definitely prefer to collect eggs as opposed to live specimens but that would be exceedingly more difficult to find and collect without damaging them. I do like Octopus as well and have considered getting one but I would have to rig up quite the contraption in order to seal the top of the tank, to prevent escape attempts, due to the general design of it.

 

[sirreal]

Good i know I am obsessed with octos. You can see my last one in my avitar. It was a wonderpus for which I got a lot of flack from Tonmo even though I rescued it from a tank with fish in it. It was pretty beet up. I understood why tonmo is so against keeping these since they have a really bad record of living more then a couple weeks in captivity and the big one is we dont know how many are out in the wild and is collecting them hurting the populations. But this one was already in a fish only system with large fish. he would not have lived more then a couple more days. I learned a lot from it and I now know how to keep them alive and happy. Mine lived for 6+ months until sentience set in so That means he lived just as long in my system as he would have in the wild.
This species needs a mud bottom that they can dig a hole in to hide in. miracle mud had been tried but it was to sloppy and the hole would just fill back in. What I found on accident was use fine sand and put a sand sifting goby in there that will dig holes. The developed a symbiotic relationship and the Goby would keep a hole open for the octo and the octo would not eat the Goby. Everything you will read will say that the octo will eat the fish but the Wonderpus is a very gentle octo and would hang out with the Goby and touch him all the time. Tonmo as much as I love the site and most of the people on it wanted nothing to do with what I was telling them about my octo. I made a post there about all of this and its only able to be read by members so even if you search it you wont find the info I shared unless your a member.

 

[TylersReef]

That sounds awesome, I'll probably make an account with tonmo here soon since cephs are basically my thing. The fact that the Octopus didn't eat the goby is astonishing and makes me want to try it now lol if I were to get an octopus I would want either a cocoanut octopus or a blue ringed octopus (yes I know they're deadly but I don't plan on playing with it).

 

[sirreal]

Thanks. I would not try the Goby thing with any other octo then a wonderpus. If you have read much on Tonmo the statement for keeping fish with an octo is "it will work until it doesnt" meaning most likely the octo will eat the fish when he is ready. This wonderpus is a much different octo then any other I have had.