Description: A coastal squid. Mantle long, moderately slender, cylindrical. Fins are rhomboidal. Arms with suckers on two series. Tentacle clubs with four longitudinal series of suckers of almost equal size. Reddish brown, darker dorsally, but colouration undergoes voluntary changes. Prominent longitudinal flame-like stripes of purplish dark chromatophores on the anterior, ventral and lateral surfaces of the mantle.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and possibly in the Western Indian Ocean, in subtropical to temperate waters. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum mantle length 937 mm (male); 462 mm (female); maximum weight 8.3 kg (male); 2.2 kg (female) (animals from the Azores). Common to 200 - 300 mm mantle length. Males attain much larger sizes and weights than females, but as in L. vulgaris, females generally exhibit higher weights than males at any given length.
Age: Life span is between 1 and 2 years.
Weight length rel.:
Growth type: Growth is exponential in juveniles, followed by a slower logarithmic stage.
von Bertallanfy growth parameters:
Reproduction: Spawning marks the end of the life cycle, but it is intermittent terminal spawning, meaning that females lay several batches of eggs before they die. Two or more different size modes at maturity, especially in males, seem to indicate alternative reproductive tactics. Spawning occurs nearly throughout the year, with seasonal peaks depending on the geographical area. Atlantic populations generally have a winter breeding peak, but may have a secondary peak in the summer. Potential fecundity is lower than in L. vulgaris, varying between 1,000 - 23,000 eggs, and eggs are slightly larger and elongate. Females attach strings of eggs embedded in a gelatinous substance to objects such as rocks. The incubation period is variable depending on temperature. Young hatchlings are 3.0 - 4.6 mm long and swim vigorously.
Maturity: Size at maturity is very variable. Smallest mature male 80 mm mantle length; smallest mature female 103 mm mantle length (both from Portuguese waters). The Azores population exhibits the largest minimum maturity sizes: 240 mm ML (males) ans 200 mm ML (females).
Behavioural ecology:
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: 50 - 1000 m; mostly between 100 - 200 m except in the spawning season when it may be found in shallower waters.
Habitat: Occurs on the continental and insular shelves in temperate waters; but in deeper waters in subtropical waters.
Feeding habits: Feeds on small juvenile fishes, other cephalopods, crustaceans, and polychaetes.
Trophic level:
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Commercial species. Commercially it is not distinguished from L. vulgaris.
Conservation status: Not evaluated.
Nutritional information & food safety:
Proximate composition per 100 g:
energy value 109.9 kcal (5.5% DRV)
protein 17.9 g (35.8% DRV)
fat 2.2 g (3.1% DRV)
REFERENCES
Direcção Regional de Pescas, Madeira.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Jereb P., Vecchione M., Roper C.F.E. (2010). Family Loliginidae. In Jereb P., Roper C.F.E., eds. Cephalopods of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 2. Myopsid and Oegopsid Squids. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 4, Vol. 2, Rome, pp. 38-117.
Spitz J., Mourocq E. Schoen V., Ridoux V. (2010). Proximate composition and energy content of forage species from the Bay of Biscay: high- or low-quality food? ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67(5): 909-915.
