Argentine Shortfin Squid | Oceana
Home / Argentine Shortfin Squid

Marine Life Encyclopedia

Cephalopods, Crustaceans, & Other Shellfish

Argentine Shortfin Squid

Illex argentinus

Distribution

Subtropical to subpolar latitudes off Brazil and Argentina

ECOSYSTEM/HABITAT

Open ocean (epipelagic to mesopelagic)

FEEDING HABITS

Active predator

TAXONOMY

Class Cephalopoda (octopuses, squids, calmars, and relatives), Family Ommastrephidae

The Argentine shortfin squid is a common species off the coasts of Brazil and Argentina and is the target of one of the largest fisheries in the world. This species is relatively small, with a mantle (= body) length of only about one foot (30 cm) or less and tentacle length of another 9 inches (22 cm). It forms extremely dense aggregations, however, and is captured in fisheries by the ton.

Argentine squid have a large depth range, living from the sea surface to as deep as 2600 feet (800 m). They reproduce via internal fertilization and lay egg cases full of thousands of eggs on the sea floor. During mating, a female may lay as many as 750 thousand eggs. Like many squids, Argentine shortfin squid have a very fast life cycle and only live for about one year. During that time, they grow from tiny (one millimeter) juveniles to their maximum size, reproduce once, and die. The eggs develop at varying rates so that all individuals do not hatch at the same time.

This species actively feeds on pelagic crustaceans, other squids, and small bony fishes. Throughout their short lifetime, individuals eat a variety of prey of different sizes.

As mentioned above, the Argentine squid is the target of an extremely large fishery, throughout its range. In some recent years, as many as one million metric tonnes (2.2 billion pounds) of this species have been captured in a single fishing season. It is the second largest (by weight) squid fishery in the world. Fishers use large, bright lights to bring the species closer to the surface at night and capture them with large nets or individually using hand lines and jigs. There are so many fishers participating in this fishery on any given night during the fishing season that the lights from the aggregation of boats can be seen from outer space. Catch levels have varied significantly in recent years, with some years being much lower than the million tonne maximums, but populations seem to consistently bounce back (likely a result of the very fast life cycle and high number of eggs produced by each female). In a recent analysis of this species, scientists determined it to be of least concern.

Additional Resources:

IUCN Red List

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Get Involved

Donate Today

SUPPORT OUR WORK TO PROTECT THE OCEANS BY GIVING TODAY

With the support of more than 1 million activists like you, we have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean.

Donate Now

TAKE ACTION NOW

Support policy change for the oceans

Decision-makers need to hear from ocean lovers like you. Make your voice heard!

Sign Now

VISIT OUR ADOPTION CENTER

SYMBOLICALLY ADOPT AN ANIMAL TODAY

Visit our online store to see all the ocean animals you can symbolically adopt, either for yourself or as a gift for someone else.

Shop Today

DOWNLOAD OCEAN ACTIVITIES

HELP KIDS DISCOVER OUR BLUE PLANET

Our free KELP (Kids Environmental Lesson Plans) empower children to learn about and protect our oceans!

Learn More

FEATURED CAMPAIGN

Save the Oceans, Feed the World

We are restoring the world’s wild fish populations to serve as a sustainable source of protein for people.

Learn More

More Campaigns

Protect Habitat

Bycatch

Plastics

View All

CONTACT

Oceana International Headquarters
1025 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036 USA

General Inquiries
+1(202)-833-3900
info@oceana.org

Donation Inquiries
+1(202)-996-7174
wavemaker@oceana.org

Press Inquiries
+1(202)-833-3900
press@oceana.org

OCEANA'S EFFICIENCY

BECOME A WAVEMAKER

Sign up today to get weekly updates and action alerts from Oceana.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT WITH A DONATION

We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.

Donate Now

QUICK LINKS: