European flying squid

Last updated

European flying squid
Todarodes sagittatus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Oegopsida
Family: Ommastrephidae
Genus: Todarodes
Species:
T. sagittatus
Binomial name
Todarodes sagittatus
(Lamarck, 1798) [2]
Synonyms [2]
  • Loligo sagittataLamarck, 1798
  • Loligo todarus Rafinesque, 1814
  • Loligo sagitta Blainville, 1828
  • Loligo aequipoda Vérany, 1851
  • Ommastrephes sagittatus(Lamarck, 1798)
  • Ommatostrephes sagittatus(Lamarck, 1798)
dorsal view Todarodes sagittatus 1.jpg
dorsal view

The European flying squid (Todarodes sagittatus) is a species of squid from the continental slope and oceanic waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the type species of the genus Todarodes , the type genus of the subfamily Todarodinae of the pelagic squid family Ommastrephidae. It is a species which is targeted by some fisheries, although it is more often a bycatch.

Contents

Description

The European flying squid is a large species of squid with a maximum reported size of 750mm measured by mantle length for an unsexed specimen, while the largest mantle length known for a male is 640 mm. These animals commonly have mantle lengths of between 250mm and 350 mm. [3] They have a slender, long and muscular mantle with terminal, [4] wide and strong fins, the length of the fins being equivalent to 45% of the mantle length, [3] and, when considered as a single fin unit, just slightly wider than it is long and tapering to a point posteriorly. [4] The funnel groove has a foveola which does not have side pockets. The tentacular club is very long and extends over three quarters of the length of the contracted tentacle, [5] the club's suckers are held on the elongated carpus in 10 to 12 pairs; the sucker rings of the medial manus suckers have 17 to 20 long pointed teeth; the suckers of the manus are arranged in four series of 14 to 18 rows; the suckers on the dactylus are also arranged in 4 rows. The arm suckers have an enlarged central tooth, 7 to 9 regular teeth and have almost no small alternating teeth. There are no light organs on the viscera. [3] The arms are slender and are more than double the length of the head. [4] The fourth right arm is hectocotylised in males and has the terminal suckers modified into fleshy papillae. The body is dark purplish in colour. [3]

Distribution

The European flying squid is found in the eastern Atlantic from Greenland [5] and Iceland to the Arctic waters of the Russian Federation, [1] in the lower Barents Sea and Kara Sea, [3] to 13°S to the south of the Gulf of Guinea and to about 40°W; its distribution also includes the North Sea, [4] Mediterranean Sea [1] and the Sea of Marmara. [3]

Habitat and biology

The European flying squid is an oceanic, neritic species of squid that can be found from the surface to depths in excess of 1000 metres and it has been taken in United Kingdom territorial waters at 4,595 m. It is occasionally recorded among the fauna of the seabed on the continental shelf or the upper continental slope, for example off northwest Africa where it is commonly found between 350–700 metres. [3]

This species undertakes migrations for feeding and as it matures in the North Atlantic. Large schools appear offshore near southern Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway and sometimes Scotland in the early summer, and they stay in these areas until the onset of winter. The stranding of large numbers of European flying squid along nearby coastlines is relatively frequent in the summer months in these areas. With the arrival of winter, the squid move to deeper water further offshore where they spend the winter. The populations of the warmer seas off the northwestern African coast and in the western Mediterranean are more sedentary by comparison. [3]

The European flying squid is recorded in large numbers from March to May on the fishing grounds around Madeira, as well as in other areas of the eastern central Atlantic Ocean. Here the squid make ontogenetic movements as well, from the continental shelf to the continental slope and deep waters. This species is also known to undertake daily vertical migrations being found near the sea bed or at depths during the day and moving up to the surface and near-surface waters at night, however they are caught at night in deeper waters indicating that a proportion of the population do not always undertake vertical migrations. Squids of this species may be found solitarily or in small groups but as their trophic migration progresses they form large schools on the continental shelves in the waters of the northern Atlantic and off northwest Africa. [3]

The sex ratio of the European flying squid almost always shows a preponderance of females and there are very few males captured. This appears to be mainly a result of ecological factors as the feeding grounds are sexually segregated and they only meet during spawning. The males may be sedentary, living most of their lives in the breeding areas where they may not participate in the daily vertical feeding movements and remain at depth. The males attain sexual maturity at a smaller size and younger age than the females. In general, the larger animals are found in the cooler areas of its distribution. [3]

In the European flying squid spawning is most likely to be continuous throughout the year on the continental slope, but there are distinct seasonal peaks in late winter or early spring in the northeastern Atlantic. In the Catalan Sea and the Balearic Islands of the western Mediterranean spawning peaks between September and November. The length of the spermatophore depends on the size of the males and on their geographic origin ; being relatively larger (48 to 54 mm) in the Catalan Sea than in the population off North Africa (20 to 29 mm). The female fecundity is high, and each bears up to several hundred thousand eggs, depending on the size of females. The females reduce their feeding activity before spawning, and their spawning is characterized by intermittent egg laying, with the numbers of eggs in each egg mass decreasing. Spawning occurs in depths between 200 m and 800 m) and apparently takes place near the bottom. The early life cycle is not well known but observations on juveniles over the mid-Atlantic Ridge suggests that they are carried by currents and spread in the upper layers of the water column between 50–150 m), although they may go deeper in the daylight hours. Paralarvae observed in coastal waters off North Africa have been observed to rise to the layer just below the surface over the continental slope to feed before migrating as juveniles to the continental shelf. Their growth rate is high, especially in their early life phases but slows as they attain sexual maturity. Their life cycle is thought to take just over a single year to complete, based on statolith analysis but the larger squid of over 500mm mantle length are thought to be 18 months to two years old. [3]

T.sagittatus juvenile T.sagittatusjuvme.jpg
T.sagittatus juvenile

The European flying squid preys on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. In the more northerly part of its range small Atlantic herring (Clupea harenqus) are the main prey as are Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Other studies have shown that prey includes pelagic species of fish, for example blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) and herring as well as mesopelagic fish like Maurolicus muelleri , they also prey on pelagic crustaceans, and cephalopods [1] with cannibalism being quite frequent, with conspecifics being the second most common cephalopod prey. [6] In the Macaronesian Islands lanternfish were the most common and diverse prey, [7] while off northern Norway the most common prey were fish, crustaceans and polychaetes. [8] Its predators include a variety of top Oceanic predators such as tuna, swordfish, sharks, seals and cetaceans. It is an important prey for some species of dolphin and this species along with Illex coindetii and Todaropsis eblanae , are the most important intermediate host for Anisakid nematodes, which are intestinal parasites. [3]

Fisheries

The European flying squid is predominantly taken as a bycatch of trawl fisheries for other species, but it is also fished by jigging and purse seining. In the summer months it is targeted by commercial and recreational fishermen in southern Italy. The flesh is eaten either fresh or boiled, it preserved by commercial freezing, salting or drying. The species is also utilised as bait in fisheries for cod and halibut. The population is not subject to any specific management measures and the total population consists of several geographically distinct populations. The stocks vary over time as the environment varies. From the late 20th Century to the present the mean catch has been 3,000 tonnes, although this has varied widely, with the largest catches being recorded in 1981-1985. Off Europe the species is taken in association with other members of the family Ommastrephidae and much of the catch is not identified to species. Over the 25 years to 2014 no obvious trend in stocks could be identified and it is therefore assessed as least concern. [1]

In Italy it has its own common name totano, while all other species of squids (except sometimes non Mediterranean species that resemble more it) are generically called calamari.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonatidae</span> Family of squids

The Gonatidae, also known as armhook squid, are a family of moderately sized squid. The family contains about 19 species in three genera, widely distributed and plentiful in cold boreal waters of the Pacific Ocean. At least one species is known from Antarctic waters, and two from the North Atlantic. The genus Eogonatus was created for the species known as Eogonatus tinro because it did not have hooks on the tentacular club and it has 5 rows of teeth on the radula. Molecular studies in allozymes and mitochondrial DNA have indicated that this species nests within the genus Gonatus, although other authorities treat it as a synonym of Gonatopsis okutanii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ommastrephidae</span> Family of squids

Ommastrephidae is a family of squid containing three subfamilies, 11 genera, and over 20 species. They are widely distributed globally and are extensively fished for food. One species, Todarodes pacificus, comprised around half of the world's cephalopod catch annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European squid</span> Species of cephalopods

The European squid or common squid is a large squid belonging to the family Loliginidae. It occurs abundantly in coastal waters from the North Sea to at least the west coast of Africa. This species lives from sea level to depths of 500 m (1,600 ft). Its mantle is up to 40 cm (16 in) long. The species is extensively exploited by commercial fisheries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little sleeper shark</span> Species of shark

The little sleeper shark is a small sleeper shark of the family Somniosidae found in the northeast Atlantic, western Mediterranean, and western Pacific around New Zealand, at depths between 200 and 1,000 m. Its length is up to 1.43 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackmouth catshark</span> Species of shark

The blackmouth catshark is a species of catshark, and part of the family Scyliorhinidae, common in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean from Iceland to Senegal, including the Mediterranean Sea. It is typically found over the continental slope at depths of 150–1,400 m (490–4,590 ft), on or near muddy bottoms. The youngest sharks generally inhabit shallower water than the older juveniles and adults. This slim-bodied species is characterized by the black interior of its mouth, a marbled pattern of pale-edged brownish saddles or blotches along its back and tail, and a prominent saw-toothed crest of enlarged dermal denticles along the upper edge of its caudal fin. It reaches lengths of 50–79 cm (20–31 in), with sharks in the Atlantic growing larger than those in the Mediterranean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese flying squid</span> Species of squid

The Japanese flying squid, Japanese common squid or Pacific flying squid, scientific name Todarodes pacificus, is a squid of the family Ommastrephidae. This animal lives in the northern Pacific Ocean, in the area surrounding Japan, along the entire coast of China up to Russia, then spreading across the Bering Strait east towards the southern coast of Alaska and Canada. They tend to cluster around the central region of Vietnam.

<i>Todaropsis eblanae</i> Species of squid

Todaropsis eblanae, also known as the lesser flying squid, is a species of short finned squid in the monotypic genus Todaropsis of the family Ommastrephidae.

The neon flying squid, sometimes called the red flying squid, akaika, and red squid is a species of large flying squid in the family Ommastrephidae. They are found in subtropical and temperate oceanic waters globally.

<i>Illex coindetii</i> Species of squid

Illex coindetii, commonly known as the southern shortfin squid or broadtail shortfin squid, is a species of neritic squids in the family Ommastrephidae. They are found in the Mediterranean Sea and on both sides of the north Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Illex illecebrosus</i> Species of cephalopod known as the northern shortfin squid

Illex illecebrosus, commonly known as the northern shortfin squid, is a species of neritic squids in the family Ommastrephidae. Squids of the genus Illex account for 65% of the world's cephalopod captures. Illex is formed by four taxa distributed throughout the Atlantic Ocean, whose identification and phylogenetic relationships based on morphological characters remain controversial.They are found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, from off the coast of eastern North America to Greenland, Iceland, and west of Ireland and the United Kingdom. They are a highly migratory and short-lived species, with lifespans of less than a year. They are commercially important and are fished extensively, mostly for the Canadian and Japanese markets. Northern shortfin squid is a migratory species of squid with a distribution ranging from Florida Straits to Newfoundland in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. The species is native to Canada, Greenland, Iceland and United States. The species has an average lifespan between 1–1.5 years in which most live less than a year. The location of the fishery of the squid is mainly in Mid-Atlantic Bight from between summer and fall.

Sthenoteuthis pteropus, also known as the orangeback flying squid or orangeback squid, is a species of cephalopod in the family Ommastrephidae. It is native to tropical parts of the Atlantic Ocean where it is found to depths of about 200 m (656 ft).

<i>Sepia elegans</i> Species of cuttlefish

Sepia elegans, the elegant cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish in the family Sepiidae from the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important species for fisheries in some parts of the Mediterranean where its population may have suffered from overfishing.

<i>Neorossia caroli</i> Species of mollusc

Neorossia caroli, the Carol bobtail squid, is a species of bobtail squid belonging to the family Sepiolidae.

<i>Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis</i> Species of squid

The purpleback flying squid or purpleback squid is a species of cephalopod in the family Ommastrephidae, occurring in the Indo-Pacific. It is considered one of the most abundant large squids.

<i>Alloteuthis media</i> Species of squid

Alloteuthis media, the midsize squid or little squid, is a species of squid in the family Loliginidae from the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It is generally a by-catch species in trawl fisheries, although there is an active fishery in the western Mediterranean.

<i>Ornithoteuthis antillarum</i> Species of squid

Ornithoteuthis antillarum, the Atlantic bird squid, is a species of flying squid from the family Ommastrephidae which is found in the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This species is an important component of the diet of many species of fish and of cetaceans. It is taken as a bycatch in fisheries but has the potential to be commercially important if appropriate fishing methods can be developed.

Ornithoteuthis volatilis, the shiny bird squid, is a squid from the subfamily Ommastrephinae, the flying squids, of the family Ommastrephidae part of the pelagic squid order Oegopsida. It is a tropical and sub-tropical species which is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific oceans. It is slightly larger than the closely related species Ornithoteuthis antillarum of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Angolan flying squid is a species of squid from the subfamily Todarodinae, part of the familyOmmastrephidae. Due to taxonomic confusion with the Antarctic flying squid the exact limits of its distribution are uncertain but it is thought to be restricted to waters off Southern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antarctic flying squid</span> Species of squid

The Antarctic flying squid is a species of squid from the subfamily Todarodinae of the family Ommastrephidae, a family of pelagic squid from the order Oegopsida. It has a circumglobal distribution in the seas around the lower latitudes of the Southern Oceans.

The little flying squid is a species of squid, one of the arrow squids of the genus Todarodes, in the subfamily Todarodinae of the flying squid family Ommastrephidae. It is a small species from the waters around northern Australia and Indonesia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Barratt, I.; Allcock, L.; Laptikhovsky, V. (2014). "Todarodes sagittatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T163189A981746. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T163189A981746.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Philippe Bouchet (2018). Bieler R, Bouchet P, Gofas S, Marshall B, Rosenberg G, La Perna R, Neubauer TA, Sartori AF, Schneider S, Vos C, ter Poorten JJ, Taylor J, Dijkstra H, Finn J, Bank R, Neubert E, Moretzsohn F, Faber M, Houart R, Picton B, Garcia-Alvarez O (eds.). "Todarodes sagittatus (Lamarck, 1798)". MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 P. Jereb; C.F.E. Roper, eds. (2010). Cephalopods of the World an Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Cephalopod Species Known to Date Volume 2 Myopsid and Oegopsid Squids (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization Rome. pp. 323–324. ISBN   978-92-5-106720-8.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Mario de Kluijver; Sarita Ingalsuo; Rykel de Bruyne (n.d.) [Originally published in a CD-ROM series in 2000 as the Marine Species Identification Portal by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg and ETI Bioinformatics]. "Macrobenthos of the North Sea - Mollusca, volume 1, Todarodes sagittatus". Linnaeus NG. Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Todarodes sagittatus (Lamarck, 1798). Version 04 November 2015 (temporary)". Tree of Life Web Project . The Tree of Life Web Project. 2015.
  6. ↑ A. Quetglas; F. Alemany; A. Carbonell; P. Merella & P. Sánchez (1999). "Diet of the European flying squid Todarodes sagittatus (Cephalopoda: ommastrephidae) in the Balearic Sea (western Mediterranean)". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 79 (3): 479–486. doi:10.1017/S0025315498000605. S2CID   86616176. Abstract.
  7. ↑ U. Piatkowski; V. Hernández-García & M. R. Clarke (1998). "On the biology of the European flying squid Todarodes sagittatus (Lamarck, 1798) (Cephalopoda, Ommastrephidae) in the Central Eastern Atlantic". South African Journal of Marine Science. 20 (1): 375–383. doi: 10.2989/025776198784126232 .
  8. ↑ Anne Brieby & Malcolm Jobling (1985). "Predatory Role of the Flying Squid (Todarodes sagittatus) off Northern Norway" (PDF). NAFO Science Council Studies. 9: 125–132.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.