Cephalopods · Myopsida · Loliginidae

European Squid

Loligo vulgaris

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

It is semelparous: it spawns once in its life and dies shortly afterwards, completing its whole life cycle in roughly a year.

Weight

1.3 kg – 2.3 kg

Size

0.3 cm – 64 cm

Lifespan

1 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

School

Gathers in coordinated schools, typical of fish.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

OceanCarnivore Nocturnal In schools Ocean Mollusc

44countries 48parks 79dive sites

Fun facts

It completes its whole life cycle in roughly a year.
It is one of the most commercially important squid in European fisheries.
It is occasionally cannibalistic.
defensaIt can eject ink in defence, which not only clouds the water but carries compounds that can interfere with a predator's sense of smell.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Invertebrate - no external skeleton, supported by an internal chitinous pen (gladius)
Habitat & environment: Coastal and continental-shelf waters of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, between 20 and 250 m deep
Birth weight: 0.28-0.358 cm of mantle length on hatching
Size at birth: 0.28-0.358 cm of mantle length on hatching
Sexual maturity: 9-10 months on average (varying geographically between 6 and 12 months)
Gestation / incubation: ~30 days of embryonic development
Litter / clutch size: 10,000 to 42,000 eggs per clutch

Sources consulted: SeaLifeBase; Cambridge Core (age and growth study); University of Lisbon (ResearchPortal); ScienceDirect (population structure study); Animal Kingdom; Grokipedia (European squid)