| Family: |
Ommastrephidae (flying squids and arrow squids), subfamily: Illicinae |
| Max. size: |
28 cm ML (male/unsexed); 38 cm ML (female); max. reported age: 1 years |
| Environment: |
pelagic-oceanic; marine; depth range 0 - 1000 m |
| Distribution: |
Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. |
| Diagnosis: |
Eggs range from 0.08 to 0.13 cm (Ref. 2465). Egg jelly completely transparent and egg chorion swells as embryo develops reaching a diameter of about 0.2 cm during hatching. Paralarvae reach a mantle length of 0.14 cm (Ref. 2462).
Paralarvae: No ocular or visceral photophores; suckers on proboscis tip equal in size; proboscis length characteristically 50 to 75% mantle length; proboscis division begins at 0.4 cm mantle length and is completed at 10 cm mantle length. Juveniles and adults: Arms with 2 rows of suckers. Tentacular club with 8 transverse rows of minute subequal suckers. Largest sucker rings on manus of club are notched, forming low, truncate to bluntly rounded crenulations in distal half or throughout.; not smooth. Tentacular fixing apparatus weakly developed. Left or right male ventral arm hectocotylized with modified length ranging from 15 to 33% of arm length, distal trabeculae modified to papillose flaps. Length of suckerless base of hectocotylized arm is about 13% of total length of arm. Head-width index high, 23 (19-26) in mature males and 19 (15-22) in mature females. Lower beak with long and strong jaw edge; upper beak with long and strong hood. Funnel cartilage is T-shaped and inversed. Fins are rhomboid, width range from 45 to 60% of the mantle length. Mantle width 15 to 25% of mantle length. Funnel groove without foveola or lateral pockets (Ref. 275). |
| Biology: |
Females grow larger than males (Ref. 3722). Neritic, oceanic (Ref. 91956). Inhabits muddy, sandy and detritic bottoms covered with Funiculina spp. (Ref. 2453) in middle and lower sub-littoral and upper bathyal zones in temperate latitudes. In general, juveniles and adults share the same depth range throughout the year; many large individuals can be found in deeper waters (Ref. 64257). Performs diel vertical movements (Ref. 275) as well as seasonal migrations (Ref. 64257). Opportunistic predator (Ref. 2450, 64257), feeding on the most abundant prey available, even consuming tunicates (Ref. 64257). Mainly feeds on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods (Refs. 2450, 64257). Comes very close to the seabed but was observed to mainly feed on prey swimming off the bottom (Ref. 64257). Exhibits cannibalism (Ref. 2482). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
(LC); Date assessed: 05 May 2010 Ref. 123251)
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| Threat to humans: |
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| Country info: |
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