Loligo vulgaris
Encyclopedia
The European 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 (1,640.4 ft). Its mantle
is up to 40 cm (15.7 in) long. The species is extensively exploited by commercial fisheries.
Loligo reynaudii, the Cape Hope Squid, was previously treated as a subspecies
of L. vulgaris.
(Loligo vulgaris vulgaris)
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
belonging to the family Loliginidae
Loliginidae
Loliginidae, commonly known as pencil squids, is an aquatic family of the order Teuthida .-Species:The following classification follows Vecchione et al. and the Tree of Life Web Project .*Genus Afrololigo...
. It occurs abundantly in coastal waters from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
to at least the west coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. This species lives from sea level to depths of 500 m (1,640.4 ft). Its mantle
Mantle (mollusc)
The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...
is up to 40 cm (15.7 in) long. The species is extensively exploited by commercial fisheries.
Loligo reynaudii, the Cape Hope Squid, was previously treated as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of L. vulgaris.
External links
(Loligo vulgaris reynaudi)(Loligo vulgaris vulgaris)